Since the incumbency of the ‘RESCUE MISSION TEAM’ led by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, the front pages of local dailies, airwaves of radio and television stations and other online media have been effectively awash by reports of mass dismissals from the country’s employment portfolios.
The reports highlight a number of factors which account for such dismissals, primary of which include, but not limited to illegal recruitment, and /or brazen desecration of provisions of the Civil Service Agency (CSA); ‘political witch-hunt’; overzealous and fanatical use of political power and partisans influence by many state officials.
For instance, there are hues and cries as well as screaming here and there as it relates to the controversial and debatable dismissal and /or replacement of approximately 700 personnel from the Ministry of State; dismissal of 200 officers from the Executive Protection Service (EPS); 47 officers from the Liberia National Police (LNP) among others.
Perhaps, we need not to mention the reported dismissals, some summarily, from the Ministry of Labor and the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), as well as the announced removal of more than 6,000 names thought to be ‘ghosts’ from the State’s Payroll.
Few days ago, the Civil Service Agency, through its Director General, Josiah Joekai, disclosed that 6,387 names are to be ‘temporally blocked’ following an audit conducted by the State-Owned General Auditing Commission (GAC).
According to Mr. Joekai, “These names will be blocked because they have not been verified and remain unidentified.
He stated that a 90-day post-exercise was organized for the verification of names, but only 2,900 named were verified, leaving a total of 6,387 names unverified.
He also disclosed that 146 employees from the House of Representatives, the Lower House of Liberia’s bicameral Legislature, were not verified and were also ‘temporarily blocked’ until further notice.
Commenting further on the status of the 146 employees from the House of Representatives, he added: “They are the ones who are legitimately employed but have refused to show up for work while still paid for work not done.”
As if these startling revelations which enveloped the Government’s Payroll System (GPS) were not enough to trigger serious public concern, Mr. Joekai revealed that the CSA, in partnership with the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), is to “retire” about 3,000 individuals this year.
Interestingly, CSA DG Joekai indicated that, so far, only 896 individuals of the 3,000 earmarked for retirement have identified themselves for retirement.
For us, at The INDEPENDENT Newspaper, we are appalled by the various discrepancies as contained in the state’s payroll or in the nation’s public sector, and see the need to put into place the appropriate, corrective and effective mechanisms aimed at ameliorating such gargantuan (huge) challenges.
However, we think that the measures being undertaken by the Government for its declared purpose of ratifying or correcting the challenges should be judiciously applied, and should be far from unduly marginalizing or weaponizing other citizens for political appeasement of those who find themselves in close proximity with the ruling class and /or the ‘Power-That Be.’
In other words, the implementation of any corrective measures should take into serious consideration the importance of ensuing law and order, safeguard peace and progress, and by extension, ensure nothing less than upholding national security and the country’s hard-won democracy.
We also think that it would be more prudent for the current administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai and the ruling Unity Party (UP), to devotedly work towards creating the much-needed and conducive national security atmosphere and employment opportunities for citizens across the country and to be careful in effecting its ongoing mass dismissals.
Frankly, the progress and development of the Liberian nation, hugely rest on the shoulders of its citizens, particularly the youths who constitute over 60% of the Liberian population.
This is why, we reserve no atom of doubts that the academic, vocational, technical and professional empowerment of Liberian youths with the requisite knowledge and skills that would enable them become national assets, as diametrically opposed to liabilities cannot be overemphasized.
Currently, most young people in Liberia are not only suffering from dearth of basic employment skills, but are also unemployed, thus painfully subjecting them to rely on motorcycle operations and are downplaying education that has long-term benefits.
This ugly situation is also making more citizens to be highly vulnerable to criminal manipulations, acts of violence and lawlessness, among other vices that are inimical to strengthening and sustaining national security, development and progress of the country.
