‘Phebe-Esther Bacon College’ Pleads for National Government Assistance

By: Matalay Kollie, Bong County Correspondent

Bong-February 11,2024: The Administration of the Phebe-Ester Bacon College of Health Science at the Liberia Lutheran University (LUL) in Sukoko District, Bong County is appealing to the Administration of President Joseph N. Boakai to channel subsidies through the Institution’s main account.

Addressing Newsmen in Suakoko, Mr. Humphrey Gibbs Loweal, Dean of the College of Health Sciences said the College has been receiving subsidies from National Government through Phebe Hospital, thus calling for reconsideration of such decision.

“l am calling on the National Government to see reason to send the school subsidies directly to the school’s account. If it is done so, it will enable us to settle our staff salaries and improve other programs at the school”. Mr. Loweal said.

Mr. Loweal believes if the institution’s supports are channelled to its account, it would enable the administration to adequately settle its lecturers’ salaries, and further increase lectures at the Lutheran-run University.

Amongst other things, the Phebe-Ester Bacon College of Health Sciences Dean further assured proper monitoring and evaluation coupled with the improvement of programs at the University if the government’s subsidies are directly channelled through the institution’s main account.

“Even though l am not saying that our subsidies being channelled through Phebe Hospital is not properly monitored, but if it passes through our main account, we will have proper monitoring of it and know how to settle our staff salaries”. He added.

Moreover, Mr Loweal told journalists that past governments have only been focused on settling salaries of lectures at the institution through Phebe Hospital, something he believes should be increased by adding other logistical supports by the National government, especially the Boakai-Kung’s administration.

Meanwhile, Mr Loweal is also appealing to the government of President Boakai to find a reason to increase the salaries of professional lecturers at the College.

According to him, the Salary Harmonization and Restructuring exercise by the then Weah-Talyor government, drastically reduced professional lectures of the College salaries to the level of Classroom teachers.

He is calling on Central government to reconsider increasing the salaries of professional lectures at the Lutheran University.

“The government also needs to reconsider its decision to distinguish professional teachers salaries from Classroom teachers’ salaries, because since the Salary harmonization by the past government, our professional teachers’s salaries were reduced to the level of classroom teachers”. The Phebe-Esther Bacon College of Health Sciences Dean called.

At the same time, Mr. Loweal is encouraging Liberians to take advantage of the University’s programs in preparing for future challenges. He added that Courses are offered for 15 United States Dollars per Credit Hours.

Since 1964 till date, the Esther-Bacon School of Nursing and Midwifery has contributed to fighting against maternal mortality in Liberia.

Esther Bacon School of Nursing and Midwifery has graduated thousands of Professional nurses and midwives who work in several facilities in different parts of Liberia, contributing positively to the upliftment of the health care system of Liberia. The College has one of the best nursing and midwifery learning facilities in Liberia.

The College was recently elevated to University Status and accredited by the National Commission of Higher Education (NCHE) to offer Bachelor’s Degrees in three disciplines.

The Bachelor’s programs are being offered at the University’s three campuses, namely, Totota, Phebe and Zorzor, Bong and Lofa Counties respectively.

The Bachelor’s programs are offered at the College of Health Sciences, College of Education and College of Theology.

The Health Sciences programs are focused on Nursing, Midwifery, Mental Health, Medical Laboratory, Anaesthesia, Public Health, Pharmacy Technology, and Nurse Midwifery.

For the College of Education, programs offered include, Primary and Secondary Education, General Education and Education Administration while the College of Theology offers Theology, Christian Education and Christian Counselling.