By Anthony Q. Jiffan, Jr.
MONROVIA – A number of aggrieved employees of the National Elections Commission have staged a protest in demand of what they termed as their six months of unpaid benefits they claim are owed them by the National Elections Commission from 2023.
The protesters in their numbers gathered in front of the headquarters of the National Elections Commissions on 9th street in Sinkor to express disenchantment with the NEC chairperson, Davidetta Brown-Lansana.
A spokesperson of the aggrieved NEC employees told The Analyst that three hundred employees of the Commission are affected by alleged bad labor practice carried out by the National Elections Commission chairperson.
Lorenzo Harmon, communication officer at the National Elections Commission, said in an interview Tuesday, November 5, 2024 that several benefits, including health insurance, and general allowances amongst other things, were cut off by the NEC authorities headed by Madam Brown-Lansana.
Harmon indicated that authorities at the National Elections Commission had earlier informed employees that there was an adjustment in their ninety-two million budget to fifty-three million which prompted the leadership to appeal for cut in their benefits.
“The chairperson Madam Davidetta Brown-Lanansa told us that we needed to take a cut in our benefits on grounds that our budget of ninety-two million was adjusted to fifty-three million and that there was insufficient funds to conduct the 2023 general and presidential elections” Harmon explained.
“We accepted the request, but to our almost surprise, we are hearing that there is an excess of eight million left after the conduct of the elections; now, our question is why did you cut our money when there was more funding to conduct process,” he added.
According to Lorenzo Harmon, after sacrificing their times and efforts working for the commission, with some of their colleagues succumbing to death, some lacking health care, there is a need that the government pay all of their benefits that were cut off by authorities of the NEC.
He noted that instead of paying their benefits to employees, the National Elections Commission leadership under the watch of chairperson Davidetta Brown-Lansana is anticipating settling other issues like construction of a canteen, painting of the NEC headquarters amongst others.
He further said the initiatives for which some huge sum of money in the tune of more than four hundred thousand United States dollars has been apportioned for only painting and renovation of the NEC headquarters will not benefit the employees.
The spokesperson further indicated that their protest was a result of an exhaustive in-house diplomatic efforts to resolve the matter which the National Elections Commission authorities have ignored.
The employees, amongst other things, have also called for the removal of the National Elections Commission chairperson, Davidetta Brown-Lansana, for what they called “abuse of their labor”.
The employees have however vowed to continue their strike actions until their alleged outstanding benefits are paid and removal of the NEC chairperson is effectuated.
In reaction to the protesters, the National Elections Commission chairperson Davidetta Brown-Lansana said the government of Liberia owes no employee a dime at the National Elections Commission under her leadership.
She said six months general allowance was paid to each of the employees at the National Elections Commission and that was an agreement between the employees and the NEC authorities.
The NEC boss noted further that if any money should be considered, their just benefit it should be what was approved by the government of Liberia.
According to the NEC chairperson, the eight million was truly a reminder of the fifty-three million which was budgeted for the 2023 general election, but added that such money by should be declared to the government.
Madam Brown-Lansana indicated that, as required by public financial management law, the money was declared to the Executive Branch of the Liberian government through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning as well as to both houses of the National Legislature.
She indicated that when the remaining money was declared to the government of Liberia which she said is a requirement under the law, there were agitations among the National Elections Commission employees that the money should have been divided among them instead of giving it back to the government.
Madam Brown-Lansana also alleged that the National Elections Commission Co-chairperson, Cllr. P. Teplah Reeves, raised serious concern that the money should not have been sent back to the government.
“The Co-chairperson, Cllr. Teplah Reeves who is an official of government and should have an understanding of the law was agitating that we should not have sent the money back to the government; that is unacceptable,” the NEC chairperson said.
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