The Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP) has intensified its call for the resignation or dismissal of University of Liberia President Dr. Layli Maparyan, renewing a dispute that has gripped the country’s largest public university for months.
In a statement posted on its official Facebook page on Monday, September 22, 2025, SUP announced plans to stage another gathering at the Capitol Hill campus on Wednesday, September 24, to press home its demand. The post accused Dr. Maparyan of deceiving students about the reopening of the institution and claimed she has failed to make meaningful progress after more than eight months in office.
“She deceived us about reopening and has made no progress after 8 months of her presidency!” the post declared, signaling what appears to be the student party’s most aggressive push yet against the embattled UL president.
This renewed agitation comes just a week after SUP issued an ultimatum on September 15, 2025, insisting that Dr. Maparyan either step down or be removed by President Joseph Boakai. The party accused her of corruption, incompetence, and outright neglect of student welfare. SUP argued that despite holding urgent consultations with House Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon and other members of the House of Representatives, the UL administration moved ahead with reopening the university without addressing what they describe as “pressing concerns” affecting more than 25,000 students.
SUP labeled this decision “a display of arrogance, pomposity, and a complete disregard for academic integrity.”
Led by its chairman, Sylvester Wheeler, the student movement outlined a wide range of grievances. Among them are the reversal of the decision to treat vacation school as a full semester, immediate solutions to add-and-drop challenges, timely uploading of grades to the university portal, and provision of reliable transportation for students commuting to the Fendall campus. They also called for functional campus facilities, safeguards against unlawful employee dismissals, transparent hiring practices, improved security, and the reconstitution of the UL Board of Trustees.
The escalating tensions have already drawn decisive action from the UL administration. On September 12, 2025, the Board of Trustees reaffirmed its earlier 2024 decision to suspend all student political activities on campus. The resolution, signed by Board Chairman Numene H.T. Bartekwa, cited violent clashes between students and security personnel on September 1 and September 11 as evidence of a growing threat to academic stability.
Dr. Maparyan, who assumed office earlier this year amid optimism for reform and modernization, has strongly rejected the allegations. She has vowed not to resign, declaring that she has done nothing wrong and would not allow what she described as unfounded accusations to derail her leadership.
With both sides unwilling to back down, the standoff between SUP and the UL administration continues to intensify, leaving the future of Liberia’s premier university mired in uncertainty.
Recently, SUP Chairman, Patrick N. Bosco, UL Campus based student political party, Student Unification Party (SUP) demanded an immediate lifting of a ban on student politics at the University of Liberia.
The call was contained in a press release Patrick N Bosco, SUP Chairman.
Bosco in the release called on the administration of the University and the government of Liberia to hand off politics at the UL.
“Since the unjustified and unconstitutional imposition of ban on student politics at the University of Liberia, the JNB government has reluctantly taken for granted the rights of thousands of students at the university of Liberia. The Vanguard Student Unification Party will not hesitate to rally the people in demand for the unconditional lifting of the ban on student politics. SUP believes the decision is a deliberate attempt by the government to silence the student community as well as critics of the already struggling failed regime “, the release said.
It can be recorded that in recent times, the Interim Management Team of the University of Liberia (UL) warned the Student Unification Party (SUP) and all other student-based political parties against the conduct of political activities in violation of a ban placed on student politics.
But the student leadership said campus Based politics was established for the sons and daughters of ordinary people.
“SUP demands the unconditional lifting of a ban on student politics at the University of Liberia” the release said.
The release added, “SUP is remaining the government of Liberia headed by Mr. Boakai on her obligation to concentrate on the existing situation by providing quality and accessible education as guaranteed in article 6 of the 1986 constitution of the republic of Liberia.”
According to the student Party, the University of Liberia stands as victim of neglect and multiplicity of issues remain unresolved which continue to ignite instability and discomfort on the campuses of the University of Liberia, instead of addressing these problems, the government has found solace in violating the rights of students and masses of the people.
According to them, the perpetual illegal fiendish imposition of ban on student politics instituted against the student populace remains a gross violation of our fundamental rights provided in the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, The 1952 Charter of UL, the Student Handbook, African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights as well as Article 15 and Article 16 of the 1986 Constitution of the republic of Liberia.
“SUP remains uncompromising in its advocacy to consciously fight pseudo patriots, half-baked educated bureaucrats, micro-nationalists, fifth columnists, and incompetent bigots whose only interest is to loot the country thereby jeopardizing the future of the poor people’s children. SUP cautions the Administration of the University of Liberia to lift the ban on students’ politics as soon as possible or the Vanguard Party will use all means available to restore the rights of over 20 thousand students of the University” it added.
The campus-based student group called on the government of Liberia to stop interfering in the politics on the campuses of the University of Liberia.
“Since the coming into being of the Student Unification Party-SUP, her consistent struggle against ills detrimental to the survivability of the state as well as looting of the state resources, past and present regimes have utilized influencing the University aimed at effectuating selfish naked interest. Over the years, the University of Liberia campuses had emerged as a ground for the execution of government’s diabolical political machinations betraying as well as compromising the true essence for which the institution was created” they said.
It may be recalled, the University of Liberia (UL) Board of Trustees reaffirmed a ban on student political activities in mid-September 2025 following violent clashes on campus.
The ban was initially implemented in 2024 but was reinforced after new incidents of unrest disrupted academic activities at the Capitol Hill and Fendall campuses.
The decision came after clashes occurred on September 1 and 11, 2025, during which students resisted security personnel and disrupted orientation.
The university administration stated that the ban is necessary to ensure a safe learning environment and curb political rivalries that have become violent.
The Board of Trustees directed the UL administration to take several steps in response to the violence including the Immediate suspension students who were involved in the disturbances, pending an investigation; establish a standing disciplinary committee to enforce university rules; Resumption of classes immediately; commencement of urgent renovations of facilities, starting with campus bathrooms;
The ban has been a contentious issue since its initial imposition in 2024.
Student groups and pro-democracy advocates have condemned the ban as an infringement on free expression. Former student leaders, such as Eddie Jarwolo, urged the administration to fix underlying problems rather than threaten students.
The reaffirmation of the ban came during a period of broader tension at the university. This includes ongoing negotiations with the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA), which had disengaged from academic activities earlier in September 2025 over unresolved issues like poor sanitary conditions and salary disparities
