KAKATA, Margibi – The Margibi University Student Union, a conglomerate of all university and college students hailing from Margibi County has inducted into office a new leadership committee. The ceremony for MARUSU took place on Friday, September 18, 2015 in Kakata.

The new committee consists of Orando Sammie of the University of Liberia as President, James Flomo of Smythe Institute as Vice President for Administration, Joseph Kerkula of Stella Maris Polytechnic as Vice President for Operations, Isaac Kamara of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion University as Secretary General, Augustine Blamo of the African Methodist Episcopal University as Financial Secretary and Richard Dainwole of Cuttington University as Treasurer General.

The inductees were elected in 2014 but due to the outbreak of the Ebola virus disease, their induction was delayed until last Friday.

In a ceremony attended by over two thousand university students, MARUSU President Orando Sammie hailed the union’s membership for entrusting him and other colleagues with leadership responsibility for the next two years.

Speaking on the role of students in national politics, Sammie called on university students to employ civility in their advocacy of various issues.

He said students were among the largest group of advocates in society, but most often the students were not civil in their means of advocacy. “As students, we should learn to channel our issues through our leaders and observe our limitations under the law,” he said.

Sammie called on students to distinguish themselves by promoting democracy and civil liberty. “Our actions must represent the education we have acquired,” he told the students.

MARUSU Founding Executive, Francis Kpaka. Photo: Gbatemah Senah

A former official of the MARUSU, Francis Kpaka called on the new leadership team to champion the cause of the students by advocating for scholarship and better learning environment for students.

Kpaka criticized the leadership of the county for continuously failing to restore the county’s scholarship program. He said the county was receiving remittances from several concessions but said the leadership was selfish and insensitive to the plight of ordinary people.

Margibi Superintendent John Buway, in response, blamed the national government for withholding funds allotted to the county from concessions including the China Union.