By: Trokon Wrepue – [email protected]/+231776132708
It has been a huge debate in the last two weeks both on social media and in the public about the situation of little Emmanuel Tolue who recently enrolled at the Ricks Institute in furtherance of his high school education.
Emmanuel Tolue is the Liberia youngster who found and returned US$50,000 to its owner in Nimba County.
Since demonstrating what many saw as huge integrity amid the thought economic times the Liberian teen has been celebrated across the world and won for himself a scholarship from President George Weah to study up to Masters Degree.
The teen told an interview in his native Nimba County one of the counties in Liberia that prior to coming across the huge sum of money, he was a motorcycle taxi rider and have since dropped out of school for several years due to lack of support.
After his recognition by President Weah and other institutions across Liberia, Tolue, 19, registered at the Ricks Institute and is currently in the sixth grade.
But several social media (Facebook) users have posted claiming that the celebrated Liberian teen was demoted by the school and that he falsified his education documents taken to the institution.
Social Media Accounts:
Hot Spot Gist – Breaking!!!!! “Emmanuel Tolue the integrity icon has been demoted from 7th grade to 6th grade in Ricks Institute. According to the principal of the institution, Emmanuel Tolue needs to start from six (6th) grade or even below because he has been out of school for a longer period of time and his performance is low. This life em, if integrity icon cannot make it in school let the lay boy sit down and manage hi mula.”
Dunk-News Now: Breaking News! “Despite overnight integrity icon Emmanuel Tolue disgraceful demotion by the Ricks Institute’s Administration recently, news coming in says the man of few words will receive another award in Nigeria on the 9th of December. According to the report, the overnight integrity icon was demoted for speaking very terrible and bad English mixed with Gio (Native tongue) in class.
Bryon Bryon: “This CDC agent uncover who was recently tagged as an “Integrity Icon” has been demoted from 7th Grade to 6th Grade by Ricks Institute Board on the basis he tried to cheat on his education by taking a class he was unfit for. Some of us said that this kid was an amazing criminal, sponsored by George Weah in order to capture Nimba COUNTY. Didn’t I say that his Koko-Story about finding money was a complete grandstand??….. Small CDC rogue!!
See Brown two posts
Ricks Institute Acting Principal
To verify the claims made by these social media accounts and many others, The Stage Media conducted an exclusive interview with Mr. Klahn-Gboloh Jarbah, the Acting Principal of Ricks Institute in Virginia.
Mr. Jarbah made it clear to TSM that the school did not demote Emmanuel Tolue nor did the teen provide fake education documents to the school as claimed.
“We do not demote here. What we did was that we asked Emmanuel to take a step back to prepare him since he was out of school for a very long time.” He said.
“We have our benchmark that you must reach when you come to our school. If for some reason if you do not reach that benchmark we say to the parent and we say to the parent you have to take one step back so that we can prepare you for one step forward. And it is not also unusual at Ricks Institute for a student who has performed to be promoted to the next class as a double promotion in the middle of the year or at the end of the year. And the Emmanuel situation is no exception.” Jarbah says.
“Coming to Ricks Institute from a different school particularly in the Emmanuel situation where had said to the whole world that he was out of school for so many years riding a motorcycle, so even if he was in tenth grade there will challenges for him to continue because of the longevity of time he stayed out of school.” He mentioned.
The Acting Principal of Ricks Institute said every Liberian must begin to applaud little Emmanuel Tolue for accepting to come to Ricks Institute and noted that many in his case wouldn’t have done so.
“It is a good thing that this young has decided to sit here at Ricks Institute among students that are even younger than he is in a class that traditionally at his age he will not sit in. I think we need to commend him. It should not be a political issue, it should not a social media issue, it should be an issue that every Liberian should applaud this young man for humanity, discipline and the willingness to do what he is doing.” Mr. Jarbah noted.
According to him, his institution has done nothing out of the ordinary for admitting him and applying the school’s standard on him for his own good.
Mr. Jarbah noted that Emmanuel Tolue has every opportunity to reach 8th Grade before the end of this year (2021-2021 academic year) and that will be based on his own initiative and with the help coming from the faculty and other students of the institution.
Respond to Claims of Fake Document
Klahn-Gboloh Jarbah, Ricks Institute Acting Principal told TSM that Tolue did not take with him any documents to the institution on grounds that he was out of school for a very long period of time while riding his motorcycle.
“Why will anybody in 5th or 6th Grade falsify documents, to achieve what? What documents will a person of that lower call have? This is not a university, a law school or a medical school and you are trying to get it all to cost? What can he bring from Nimba county to justify or falsify any documents to enter Ricks Institute or any school for that matter? I think it is crazy that anyone will make that claim that he came here with forged documents.” He said.
