MCSSTA Wants Roberson Recalled -As MCSS Assistant Superintendent By: Julius Konton

The President of the Monrovia Consolidated School System Teachers Association (MCSSTA), Augustine Nyormui, has called on President Joseph Nyuma Boakai through the MCSS Council Members, to immediately recall Emmanuel Kyne Robertson whom he branded as volunteered Assistant Superintendent of MCSS. Mr. Nyormui said President Boakai’s appointment of Mr. Robertson was a complete administrative error that needs to be corrected. Addressing a news conference on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, Nyormui said    Chapter 2 Section 24 d of the MCSS 1964 Act squarely places the responsibility of employing all other staff of MCSS, including the Assistant Superintendent, on MCSS Superintendent, or City Superintendent of schools, as named in the document.  The chapter additionally charges the MCSS Superintendent to follow laid-down procedures in hiring and/or dismissing all staff members, subject to approval by the MCSS Council but on  the contrary, President Boakai,  he disclosed, appointed Robertson as a volunteered Assistant Superintendent; a clear violation to MCSS Chapter as indicated in the document. Speaking further, he stressed that the Assistant Superintendent position is clearly a civil servant position, and not a Presidential appointment; yet, Samuel M. Johnson was illegally removed and subsequently replaced by Robertson; who is yet to allegedly receive Presidential appointment letter and has not been placed on MCSS payroll since March of this year, but continues to occupy, sign major documents, attend stakeholders’ meetings, etc while  Johnson continues to remain on MCSS payroll as Assistant Superintendent. According to him, they see such appointment as a flagrant violation of MCSS 1964 Chapter. He told reporters that Mr. Robertson allegedly disrespected constituted authorities within MCSS, thereby imputing unknown people to terrify peaceful employees and sponsoring unknown students to denigrate authorities of the system.  “Mr. Robertson is incompetent for said position; evidenced by his lack of plan to conduct teachers’ workshop since March of this year; and we noticed that Mr. Robertson is allegedly instigating violence and causing confusion among employees regularly,” he alleged. Moreover, the MCSSTA President claimed that the embattled Assistant Superintendent of MCSS allegedly lacks professionalism; evidenced by holding unauthorized press conferences including talk shows just to castigate authorities of MCSS.  “Mr. Robertson is administratively inept since he voluntarily occupied a reputable office within MCSS; evidenced by his action to publicly denigrate Orange Liberia partnership with MCSS to provide greater opportunities for teachers, students including infrastructures modernization of the system,” he pointed out. Mr. Nyormui said the teachers of the MCSS are seriously disappointed as such, he challenged President Boakai through a seven day ultimatum to recall Mr. Robertson or face unspecified and unending protests at all MCSS facilities. He stated that their plan action will not hamper the students learning process, but is meant to seek their interest including saving the image of the system.  At the same time, he disclosed that they have explicit confidence in the current Superintendent in person of James Momoh, evidenced by his excellence in performance and progress just within few months.  However, when contacted, Mr. Robertson trashed all of the allegations leveled against him by the MCSSTA’s President, terming them as false and misleading. According to him, he went at the MCSS to help work with others in order to further improve the system with focus on seeking the interests of the ordinary students. However, others see his principle role as an attack against their alleged bad and old age system, he stated. Robertson, at the same time, denied staging any protests; or disrespecting authorities at the MCSS as claimed by Mr. Nyormui. It can be recalled that since the current administration headed by James Momoh, The MCSS has witnessed repeated protests and with the plan protest by the MCSSTA ahead of the reopening of school, it appears that the crisis at the MCSS remains unending .