The administration of the Monrovia City Corporation comes under criticism for poor planning of Monrovia Day here, that left scores of students denied entry because of lack of capacity.
By: Kruah Thompson
Monrovia, Liberia, February 13, 2025 – Students from various public schools, including William V.S. Tubman High School, G.W. Gibson High School, D. Twe Memorial High School, and other institutions are frustrated over alleged poor planning by the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) to observe Monrovia Day.
The celebrations held in the Ball Room of the Monrovia City Hall on Wednesday, February 12, 2025, are part of a week-long activity under the theme “The Monrovia We Want.” It is meant to celebrate the capital city’s rich history, cultural diversity, and contributions to national development.
According to some of the students, the MCC had extended invitations to their schools, inviting them for the event, but upon arrival, only a select few were allowed entry, while the rest were told that the hall was at full capacity, leaving them disappointed and confused.
Many students and other invitees were waiting outside, in front of the City Hall building, while the program continued inside.
This paper spoke with K.B.K. Sando Massaquoi, a student from William V.S. Tubman High School, Emmanuel Dóe from D. Twe Memorial High School, and Moses S. Yorgbor from Monrovia Central High School. They told the NEW DAWN that they never expected to be treated in such a manner.
They expressed frustration over the lack of communication regarding the limited space, further lamenting that since being denied entry, they had been sitting outside with no one offering them even a bottle of water. “We can’t just go home; we have to wait for our colleagues so that we can leave together,” they said.
Another student remarked: “This isn’t fair! If they had a specific number of people they needed, they should have informed our administration ahead of time. Now, they’re rejecting people, and it’s really shameful.”
However, announcement for the celebration was first made at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs, and Tourism’s regular press briefing on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, when Monrovia City Mayor John Charuk Siafa extended an open invitation to all Liberians, including students, journalists, civil society organizations, local and international businesses and community leaders to discuss challenges and strategies for shaping Monrovia’s future. But in an unexpected turn of events, students and other invited groups were denied entry due to over crowdedness.
When asked about the situation, MCC officers at the gate stated that the venue was too small to accommodate the number of attendees.
They further explained that, for this reason, they had been instructed to accept only individuals with passes into the building.
Previously called Christopolis or “City of Christ”, the Liberian capital was renamed Monrovia in honor of the 5th President of the United States of America, James Monroe. Editing by Jonathan Browne
