Liberia, Jan. 12 -- The PYJ Polytechnic University, once a beacon of higher education founded by the late Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, Nimba County's self-proclaimed "godfather", has permanently shuttered its doors to the public following his death.Locked gates and silent classrooms now greet passersby, signaling the end of an era for the institution that symbolized Johnson's ambitious vision for local empowerment.

Established in the early 2014 and started operation in 2022 amid Johnson's post-war political rise, the university aimed to provide affordable education in fields like business, agriculture and health sciences, education, theology among others to Nimba's Youth.

At its peak, it enrolled hundreds of students from across Liber...