Home Politics Simeon Freeman Denounces Appointments To Tenure Positions

Simeon Freeman Denounces Appointments To Tenure Positions

by News Manager

By: Frank P. Martin

MONROVIA: Simeon Freeman, Political Leader of the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC), has denounced the removal of people from tenue positions in Government.

Freeman believes there are procedural errors that are showing early signs of failure by the new administration, if not prevented, could undermine Liberia’s peace and jeopardize its future.

The MPC political leader said President Joseph Boakai and some officials of the Unity Party (UP), are “illegally” chasing people out of tenure positions, a situation which he said, is far from what Liberians envisioned during the 2023 Presidential and Legislative elections, which led to the replacement of the erstwhile Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led government from state power.

Mr. Freeman made the comments after some officials of the ruling Unity Party (UP) Alliance on Monday, March 4, 2024, marched to the Head Offices of the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) with a purported letter, reportedly from the office of President of Liberia, informing officials of the entity to induct Cllr. Murphy Kanneh as Officer-in-Charge of NASSCORP.

The UP officials, led by the party’s Chairman, Luther Tarpeh; Bong County Senator, Prince Moye, who served as the Unity Party’s Campaign Manager during the 2023 Presidential Elections; Amin Modad, formal Chairman of UP; and Senator Botoe Kanneh of Gbarpolu County, among others, at the NASSCORP, announced the replacement of von Ballmoos.

However, NASSCORP’s top officials led by Deputy Director General Madam Camerna C. Yeke told the UP officials that while they deeply regard the President’s reported decision, they were not aware of any official presidential announcement or publication via the Executive Mansion or through the office of the Presidential Press Secretary, radio announcement or publication in any local daily regarding Cllr. Kanneh’s presidential appointment.

Mr. Freeman also described as “an act of gangsterism” the desecration of tenure positions in government.

He believed the framers of the Liberian constitution give power to lawmakers to create Legislations and those laws that gave birth to tenure positions should be respected and protected by all presidents who assumed oath of office to lead the Liberian nation.
Freeman argued that tenured roles are vital in upholding the efficiency, effectiveness, and integrity of public administration.

He maintains that they help to protect and afford those occupying said positions and ensuring that incumbents will execute their duties impartially and objectively, prioritizing the public good.

Freeman: “The debate that those people were seen in party regalia during the elections is not defined by law because nobody has given them due process before any court of competent jurisdiction. Why will you just imagine that somebody was heard on a radio therefore, the person violated a particular law or the Code of Conduct for public officials?”

The MPC political leader contended that the proponents of tenured positions in government believed fervently in their necessity, viewing them as indispensable safeguards for upholding the caliber, trustworthiness, and efficacy of public administration.

“By nurturing expertise, integrity, stability, and accountability, these roles enhance the operational efficiency of government institutions and their capacity to address societal needs comprehensively,” he emphasized.

Freeman wonders: “In case a Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) governor whose tenure position is being threatened, one day wakes up in the morning and asked one of his colleagues to destabilize the CBL account? I think these are some reasons the proponents of the laws created the tenured positions. Therefore, we have to respect that the laws that are legislated for smooth running of our government”, said, Freeman, at a news conference yesterday, March 6, 2024.

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