Monrovia-Deputy Information Minister Daniel Sando has ignited a firestorm within the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS) after his reaction to last week’s student protest, with MCSS teachers now hitting back harshly and labeling him a “charlatan and once crazy.”
The controversy follows a massive student demonstration on Wednesday, October 15, 2026, on Bushrod Island. Hundreds of students from D. Twe Memorial High School, Boatswain High School and other MCSS schools blocked roads from Caldwell Junction to Duala, chanting “No Teachers, No Road.”
The students were protesting after spending more than three weeks without regular classes due to a go-slow action by MCSS teachers.
According to the Monrovia Consolidated School System Teachers Association (MCSSTA), the go-slow began September 8, 2026, after government allegedly failed to implement a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed March 27, 2025.
The teachers’ four-count demands, including immediate employment of all volunteer teachers onto the government payroll, salary adjustment for teachers who have acquired higher degrees but are still paid on old certificates, reinstatement of omitted employees and salary increase for all support staff including janitors and security, and dismissal of MCSS Superintendent Dr. Augurie E. Stevens and structural reforms.
MCSSTA President Augustine N. Nyormui has instructed teachers to report to school and sign attendance, but to withhold classroom instruction.
In his reaction to the protest, Deputy Minister Sando reportedly regurgitated that teachers were behind the student protest, using students to achieve their selfish aims and objectives.
He condemned the reported involvement of students in protests over teachers’ salary increases, warning that professional teachers should not use students to advance their demands.
Sando told his Ministry of Information’s regular press briefing last Thursday that the government would not tolerate teachers encouraging students to take to the streets over salary-related concerns, insisting the recent protest was not about volunteer teachers, explaining that the government, through the Ministry of Education, had enrolled 400 volunteer teachers in the MCSS school network.
According to Sando, the concerns raised during the protest were related to demands for salary increases, adding “teachers who have concerns about their salaries should engage the relevant authorities through constructive dialogue rather than abandon their classrooms or involve students in demonstrations.”
According to him, teachers have a professional responsibility to educate and protect students, warning that any incident involving students during a protest could have serious consequences.
He also cautioned against the use of social media to encourage students to participate in demonstrations, urging teachers to use appropriate channels to address their grievances.
Sando maintained that teachers should pursue their concerns through responsible engagement with the authorities while ensuring that students remain focused on their education.
However, Sando’s statement provoked a caustic reaction from the teachers’ camp.
In strong responses circulating in Monrovia, teachers accused Sando of attempting to divert public attention from government’s failure to honor the MOU, and described his comments as reckless, insulting and an attempt to criminalize a legitimate labor action. Some teachers went as far as labeling him a “charlatan and once crazy,” arguing that a government spokesperson should be mediating, not instigating.
The teachers maintain that the student protest was spontaneous and born out of frustration, not manipulation, pointing to the fact that students have been coming to school without being taught since September.
Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has summoned the Ministry of Education, MCSS Superintendent Stevens, and the MCSSTA leadership to appear on Tuesday to explain the shutdown.
Montserrado District #16 Rep. Dixon Seboe said the situation can no longer be treated as a D. Twe High School issue.
“What is happening at MCSS is not a D. Twe issue. It is the whole system,” Seboe said. “Government has already done its part in terms of making sure that we have free tuition in schools that should be open. And this month is the second month since school opened, and for our students to be out of school because teachers have issues, we need to be able to resolve that.”
As of today, classrooms remain empty, students remain at home, and with Sando’s comment now adding political fire to a labor dispute, observers say the Minister has stepped on a tiger tail that may be difficult to shake off.
Meanwhile, MCSS Teachers Association President Nyormui, has reportedly sought police protection after alleging that a group of unidentified men visited his residence in Virginia, outside Monrovia, on Thursday night.
Nyormui reportedly made the appeal in a message sent to Voice of Liberia (VOL), saying he had gone into hiding because he feared for his safety.
“Sorry, I am currently in hiding due to unknown resistance at my house. A group of men went to see me at my Virginia residence tonight. I am currently in hiding and need police protection, please,” Nyormui wrote in the message.
The circumstances surrounding the alleged visit by the unidentified men remain unclear. It was also not immediately established whether Nyormui had formally reported the matter to the Liberia National Police or whether an investigation had been opened.
The reported threat came hours after Nyormui strongly criticized Deputy Minister of Information for Press and Public Affairs Daniel Sando over comments concerning teachers and student protests linked to salary increment concerns.
Sando had condemned what he described as attempts by aggrieved teachers to use students to stage protests and disrupt regular school activities. He warned that the Government of Liberia would not tolerate actions that interfere with school sessions.
In a strongly worded response, Nyormui accused the deputy minister of disrespecting professional educators and questioned his judgment.
“I just listened to one child, a pekin, and a former crazy man, claiming that teachers are inciting students to get in the street. No teacher has ever incited any students to protest. The students have their union. They are even associated with LINSU,” Nyormui said.
He further criticized Sando for what he described as an insult to teachers, insisting that educators should be treated with respect.
Nyormui also maintained that the Minister of Education had reviewed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) concerning the dispute and acknowledged that the government was at fault. However, the specific provisions of the MOU and the minister’s reported comments were not independently verified.
The dispute comes amid concerns over teachers’ salary increment demands and the impact of teacher absences on students’ learning.
While Sando has accused aggrieved teachers of involving students in protests, Nyormui has denied the allegation and defended students’ right to organize through their own leadership structures.
The reported incident at Nyormui’s residence has added a new dimension to the disagreement, shifting attention from the dispute over teachers’ demands to concerns about his personal safety.
As of the time of this report, no official statement from the Liberia National Police regarding the alleged visit by unidentified men or Nyormui’s request for protection was available. Sando’s response to Nyormui’s latest allegations was also not included in the information provided.
The situation remains developing, with further clarification needed from the police, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of Information.
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