MRS. Williamina Gbardee BUDY INDUCTED AS LAWSA NEW PRESIDENT …As She Promises Inclusive Leadership

By: Jerromie S. Walters

Capitol Hill, Liberia:
Following an overwhelming win of the Law Students Association (Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia) (LAWSA) elections, Mrs. Williamina Gbardee Elious Budy has been inducted into office as the new president along with her Vice President Mr. Robert Henry Johnson II.

The official induction ceremony of LAWSA new leadership was held over the weekend at the University of Liberia auditorium up Capitol Hill, Monrovia.

Delivering her Induction speech,
Mrs. Budy vowed her government’s commitment in ensuring an inclusive leadership, with specific reference to providing remedies to some of the major challenges Law students are confronted with.

She disclosed that paramountly on her government’s agenda is the creation of an e-library to meet up with her colleagues reading desire. Also, she promised to ensure the replacement of dilapitated armchairs with modern chairs to secure better learning environment.

Based on the current economic hardship and harsh realities on students which pose disruption for the continuance of studies, LAWSA President Budy promised the provision of financial aid and scholarship for deserving students at LAWSA to ease the economic burden in order to ensure academic excellence. ALso, she vowed to support tutorial classes to basically enable an additional learning access and space for students, even out of regular class sessions.

She further applauded her colleagues for the support in her quest for the presidency, as well as the administration for creating the space for the practice of true democracy.

At the same time, the International President of Federal of African Law Students (FALAS), Mr Alfred K. Eli Dei
congratulated the leadership and further assured FALAS willingness to closely work with them.

Dei thanked the faculty members of the Law School for their commitment in ensuring that the students acquired the relevant knowledge, specifically referencing their splendid performance at the last convention.

The International President of Federal of African Law Students (FALAS) head also used the occasion to encourage the UL administration and the student leadership to rally support in order to be in South Africa for this year’s FALAS annual conference.

Howbeit, the President of the Liberia Bar Association, Cllr Sylvester Rennie applauded the LAWSA for the level of stewardship applied over the period at the Law School. Cllr. Rennie assured the Bar’s commitment in working with the leadership in every relevant way, as he also said he is anticipating LAWSA’s presence at this year’s bar association convention in Ganta.

For his part, the President of the University of Liberia Dr. Julius S. Nelson congratulated the leadership on their induction, and disclosed his expectation in a better working leadership.

Dr Nelson further vowed that his administration at the University of Liberia, will strongly ensure that LAWSA is fully represented at FALAS convention in South Africa. He extended an official invitation to the student leadership to his office, to address cardinal issues, relating the body workings.

The Leadership brought through Other Assembly members and or Parliamentarians, they are representation from the 3 classes or levels at LAWSA, they are: Mr Emmanuel Kpon Saye, Mohammed O. Massalee, and Dahnu Mianyen of assembly 1L, while members of assembly 2L are Mr Julius G. Diggs, Dr. Anderson Homo Jr, Kola Bonah Nyei Fofana, Lauren N. Sesay, and Suzanne A. Johnson. LAWSA Assembly members 3L also include: Mr Richard S. D. Kardor, Jr, Mr Kimmie L. Weeks, Ms Nedia G. Warner, and Ms Khalehla Mensah

The establishment of the Law Students Association of Liberia (LAWSA) dates far back to the early 70s, when students of the University of Liberia saw the significance of a student governing body, through which major decisions could be made for their betterment.

The genesis of LAWSA was enraged with challenges to conduct regular elections, ranging from internal, to the civil war.

Upon being established in the 70s, the association was unfortunate to conduct election (s) in the 80s, following the 1980 civil war. Still struggling to manage their affair, another government of LAWSA was elected in 2004.

After the 2004, the association never had a leadership till 2008, after which all other leaderships were determined by the administration till it return to normal democracy few years ago.