The campus based Students Unification Party (SUP) at the state run University of Liberia (UL) on Wednesday, February 12, 2019 organized a program in expressing her solidarity with the Government of the People’s Republic of China in the fight against the Coronavirus disease which have erupted in their country. During the program, the chair Person for Press and Propaganda of SUP, Cde. Mustapha Allator Kanneh, began outlining some reasons why the students deemed it necessary to stand with China in such difficult times.

In his statements, he began by outlining that they as a student will never forget on how Liberia have benefited and continue to benefit from the China-Liberia Cooperation, after the two countries re- established their diplomatic ties.

Cde. Kanneh further asserted that the Liberian student community will forever remain grateful to the Government and the people of China because, until China’s involvement into our educational program, by then earning a Master’s degree by young Liberians was almost an impossible situation, due to the high cost attached in the midst of our struggling economy at which by then, Liberia had just emerged from a civil war. This he said that China had to again intervene as a true friend to Liberia by introducing their scholarship program to Liberia, where young Liberians were afforded the opportunity to go and obtained further higher education in various disciplines ranging from Bachelors, masters and PhD levels of which Liberia can boost of Chinese trained scholars in various disciplines that are immensely contributing to the growth and development of Liberia.

He further pointed out that, China did not only stopped there, but also saw the need and constructed the Fendell Campus of the University of Liberia to afford an enabling environment for the students to Learn. He further named the Jackson F. Doe Referral Hospital in Tappita, The Ministerial Complex, The Roberts International Airport, The Samuel Kanyon Doe sports Complex and the Annexes at the National Legislature as some of the major developmental initiatives that have been taken by the Government of the People’s Republic of China, something that no other foreign developmental partners have done for Liberia. That is why, as a student community, they remained firm in solidarity with the people and Government of China.

As for his part, the Secretary General of SUP, Cde. Ephraim T. Nyuma, when called upon to introduced the party’s Chairman told the gathering that SUP sees the situation in China as a major situation that every meaning Liberians need to be concern of because, China is not just a friend to Liberia but Africa at Large, and as such, China being one of the world’s largest economy, the holistic fight against this epidemic is cardinal to Africa.

In presenting the SUP official solidarity statement to the people of China on the Outbreak of the Coronavirus, the Charman of SUP, Cde. Charles M Songha began by stating that “ SUP stands in solidarity with the People of China on the Corona virus outbreak, extends a message of encouragement to President Xi Jinping and his government on behalf of the Students of the University of Liberia!”. In recognition of China’s countless contributions to the developmental agenda of Liberia, SUP along with the Faculty and students of the Confucius Institute of the University of Liberia has purposely assembled here on behalf of the over fifteen thousand Students of the University of Liberia to extend our strongest words of encouragement and consolation to President Xi Jinping and his compatriots to remain resilient as we stand with them in commonality”

Chairman Songha further went on my expressing that “SUP is cognizant of China’s many support to Liberia and Africa. When Liberia as a country was struggling to recover from a fourteen years of civil war and the deadly Ebola virus, there were many countries that came to our aid; among them, the People’s Republic of China played an unforgettable role. In time of difficulties as it is in the case of China today, we cannot lose sight of her continuous support to Liberia. From infrastructure development to roads and bridges, from Education to Health – we see the extended redemptive hands of China to the struggling mass of our people – for this, we stand with the People of China.” .

He concluded by saying, “For the cause of the many oppressed working class of the world, SUP stands with the people of China at this difficult time. We are consciously aware of the many challenges pose by the coronavirus but what we cannot doubt is the resilience of the People of China to deal with the situation swiftly and meticulously. SUP also extends special message of hope to all Liberian students studying in China to remain focused and abide by the regulation of the Chinese Health Authority and the World Health Organization (WHO) on the coronavirus. We stand with you in faith and want to caution you to take all preventative measures in observance of the coronavirus outbreak. In the end, the people of China and the common laborers of the world will win the fight against the coronavirus.”

Receiving the statement on behalf of the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, the Special Assistant to the Ambassador, Mr.Liu Ying thanked the students for standing in solidarity with the people of China in these most difficult times and said that China will continue to be supportive of the Government of Liberia as a partner.

The Student Unification Party (SUP) at the University of Liberia is the oldest student’s- based political party in Liberia and the ruling party at the University of Liberia. Founded in 1970, SUP as a student based political party has been involved with advocacy and engaging national government to ensure that the wellbeing of students at the state run University is improved. They have also been involved with engaging national government on good governance issues in the confines of the constitution of the Republic of Liberia.