UL President Accuses Finance Minister Ngafuan of Underfunding Liberia’s Largest University
The President of the University of Liberia (UL), Dr. Maparyan, has blamed Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan II for the financial constraints that have left the institution in crisis.
Appearing before the Liberian Senate, Dr. Maparyan disclosed that the university requires $3.9 million for general renovation works and an additional $300,000 for bathroom upgrades. She explained that while the UL administration requested $41 million in its 2024 budget, only $33 million was approved – with 90% of that amount tied up in salary payments.
However, Dr. Maparyan revealed that the university received only $31 million of the $33 million budgeted, alleging that the $2.6 million shortfall remains unaccounted for under Finance Minister Ngafuan’s watch. She stressed that the funding gap has worsened conditions on campus and undermined the institution’s operations.
The UL President lamented that the underfunding has fueled ongoing protests by instructors and disrupted access to education for over 20,000 students. She criticized Ngafuan’s stewardship, asserting that the financial neglect of the university he once attended has left the nation’s flagship higher education institution in a deplorable state.
