A group of aggrieved workers of the National Elections Commission of Liberia (NEC), early Monday morning, November 11 stormed the entrance of Liberia’s presidential mansion in demand of salary increase and other benefits.
In a four-count petition presented to the Presidential Legal Advisor, the workers claim that despite their numerous sacrifices towards peaceful elections in Liberia, the government, through the Board of Commissioners (BOC) of the NEC, has failed to augment their salaries and benefits. The protesting workers accused the head of the BOC, Davidetta-Brown Lanssana, of unilaterally transferring over eight million United States dollars (USD$ 8 million) to the government’s account as left over from the commission’s electoral budget, while issues of unpaid hazard allowance for employees and staff medical insurance, among others, remain unresolved.
Speaking for the protesters, the head of Civic and Voters’ Education at the NEC, Deddeh Mulbah Pusha, said the chairperson of NEC acknowledged singlehandedly undertaking the transfer of the remaining budget back to the Ministry of Finance due to the inactiveness of the other members of the BOC.
According to Pusha, the workers fruitlessly engaged the BOC on multiple occasions in a bid to ensure that employees of NEC receive their just benefits and other general conditions at the Commission, as contained in the just-ended 2023 Elections budget.
“Considering the need to dialogue with the appropriate authority of the Commission, the workforce decided to set up a committee to engage the Board of Commissioners (BOC) to request it to do the needful regarding concerns raised by the workforce”, Pusha stated.
The workers are also calling for investigations into all financial transactions that transpired at the commission during the 2023 general elections and the by-elections in Nimba and Grand Gedeh Counties, including monies spent on the rental of thermometers, the purchase of more than US$500,000 worth of cameras that were never used, and other alleged financial improprieties.
Receiving the petition, Presidential Legal Advisor, Cllr. Bujuban Keita, assured the petitioners that their concerns would be delivered to the appropriate authority for timely review. The President’s Legal Advisor stated that following the review of the petition, the Liberian leader will take actions where necessary, stating, “Where there’s a need for justice, there will be justice.”
