– Students Protest as University Shutdown Enters Eighth Month
By Shallon S. Gonlor
GOMPA CITY, Nimba County – Students of PYJ Polytechnic University are set to stage a peaceful protest today, Friday, August 22, following the prolonged and abrupt closure of the institution since the death of its founder, former Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, in November 2024.
The university, established in 2014 to provide accessible higher education to residents of Nimba, has remained shuttered for over seven months, leaving hundreds of students in academic limbo and raising urgent questions about the management and future of Senator Johnson’s educational legacy.
Disenchanted students, under the banner of the Concerned Students of PYJ Polytechnic University, plan to march from the LPMC Bye Pass Junction to the university campus. They intend to present a petition to national and county authorities, including the Vice President, the Nimba County Superintendent, the Nimba Legislative Caucus, and the University’s Board of Trustees.
Student leader Roland Yormie voiced the collective frustration, stating, “This university is a beacon of hope for students across Nimba and Liberia. To allow it to remain closed is a disservice to the legacy of Senator Prince Y. Johnson and kills the dreams of thousands of young people.”
The protest highlights deeper issues of alleged mismanagement, inadequate staff salaries, and a lack of transparency surrounding the institution’s operations. Construction projects and broadcasts at its affiliated Voice of Faith Radio have also stalled indefinitely.
Many students, particularly those from low-income families, are unable to transfer to institutions outside Gompa City due to financial constraints. “PYJ Polytechnic University was established to make higher education accessible to Nimbaians,” Yormie emphasized. “Our protest is a peaceful call for action, not chaos.”
The National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) is currently exploring a transition of the university from private to public ownership, with plans to annex it to Nimba University in Sanniquellie. If approved, the integration could allow the institution to reopen by September 2025 under the national public university system.
Until then, the silence from the Board of Trustees and the Proprietress—the late senator’s widow—continues to fuel disappointment and uncertainty among students and the broader community, who are watching a once-promising institution languish.
