Transformation Unparalleled At LIS Under Zargo -Pundits Say His Suspension ‘Politically Motivated’

MONROVIA – Pundits have shown another side of suspended Commissioner General of the Liberia Immigration Services woes, that he is a victim of politically motivated vendetta for outshining his colleagues in government. What’s good in it all is that perhaps if President Joseph Nyuma Boakai had not suspended him, the media would not have known the other side: some of the outstanding headways that CG Stephen H.J. Zargo had been undertaking at one of the country’s most strategic security institutions in a relatively short time.

Despite the myriad achievements, security pundits are saying that certain higherups within the security sector have contrived to bring Zargo’s hard-earned reputation into question, asserting that it is also abundantly clear the suspended LIS boss is the first Immigration chief to have recruited 701 young Liberians into the Liberia Immigration Service just under one year of the Rescue Mission’s administration.

The first badge of 184 personnel graduated June 29, 2024, from the most famous Regional Hub in Gbarnga, while the second 517 personnel graduated from the Immigration training academy in Foya Lofa county on December 7, 2024.

“Zargo is the first LIS CG to conduct training at our training base in FOYA, Lofa County since it was constructed by UNMIL,” a security sector professional told this paper.

According to other higher ups within the security sector echelon of the Boakai administration who confided in this paper, the recruitment of 702 young Liberians into the security sector service is a huge boost for the country’s emerging public-private investment sector, as it presents an opportunity to safeguard against unwanted border intrusions and protect the Liberianization policy of inclusiveness.

“Zargo is the first Commissioner General of the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) to introduce the (MERIT) system into the (LIS) where people get promoted based on qualifications. In his first year as Commissioner General he took five young men and women to China for two weeks training,” one of the security sector consultants informed this paper.

In addition to addressing the human capacity needs of his institution, The Analyst is reliably informed that suspended CG Zargo was undertaking a massive refurbishment of the LIS headquarters with the aim of making it second to none in terms of structural visibility.

“From a dilapidated edifice which he inherited recently, Zargo has been transforming the Immigration edifice into a modernized structure befitting a state-of-the-art security sector unit that coordinates the activities of personnel around the country,” the paper was informed.

In the wake of such monumental achievements, on November 13, 2024, CG Stephen Zargo was suspended without pay for three months. His boss President Joseph Nyuma Boakai stated in an Executive Mansion statement that Zargo had improperly handled official duties.

The Issues and the suspicious turn of events

To decipher the main reasons behind what might have led to his inglorious suspension, The Analyst contacted Immigration Commissioner General Zargo to provide clarity on the matter, but he shunned all attempts to put him on record.

However, according to sources close to the President’s office and others within the immigration service, President Boakai might have been misinformed about what really happened to the LIS.

“First of all, this is the only Head of entity in the Security Sector that was never consulted on the selection of his Deputies, unlike all the other Securities Agencies,” our source indicated.

Further elaborating on the purported leaks that occasioned his suspension, wherein it was reported in certain media circles that he had unilaterally signed a contract with company to provide immigration certification services to the public, our source unequivocally stated that the process was transparent and relevant integrity institutions was acknowledged about details of the contract.

“The vehicle issues that some are running with or hanging on, this process passed through the PPCC process. The vehicles were equally distributed to his various deputies including some Directors or department heads. The remaining three were set aside for Nimba County, Lofa County and to the Border Patrol Unit. So, what is the issue?” our source wondered.

The Analyst has further gathered that since his suspension, acting heads have been struggling to undo everything that they all agreed on including those that were into motion before Zargo’s suspension, for example, like changing the direction for the three assigned new vehicles.

Our sources have further indicated that the decision by his deputies to undo all actions initiated before his suspension compelled President Boakai to demand all acting officials not to undo what they and their bosses put into motion before suspension.

It can be recalled that President Boakai on November 28, 2024 issued a directive to clarify the role and authority of acting heads of Ministries, Agencies, and Commissions (MACs).

“This move aims to enhance operational efficiency, ensure adherence to established processes, and maintain the smooth functioning of government institutions.

“The directive follows reports that some acting heads make unauthorized decisions of major policy implications during the temporary absence of substantive leaders. These actions, President Boakai noted, have led to confusion, disrupted policy continuity, and, in some instances, weakened the authority of heads of these entities.

In his directive, President Boakai emphasized that acting heads are to serve strictly as Officers in Charge, with their primary responsibility being the implementation of decisions and policies previously approved by the substantive heads of their respective entities.

To prevent any further disruptions, the President mandated that acting heads are authorized only to execute financial, personnel, and policy decisions that were pre-approved by the substantive head before their departure.

The President further mandated that in situations where the substantive head is unavailable due to illness, incapacity, suspension, dismissal, or other urgent matters, the acting head must seek prior approval from the Office of the President before taking any significant actions.

President Boakai also stressed that this directive is designed to safeguard the integrity of government operations and ensure consistency with established procedures. “Acting heads must recognize their temporary roles and refrain from exceeding their authority. Such actions can disrupt governance and erode public trust,” the President stated.

Behind Samuel Tweah’s  ne exeat republica order

Beyond all of what this paper has gathered, it is somewhat glaring that some hidden hands within the security sector service might have had a serious part to play in undermining CG Zargo, leading to his inglorious suspension.

Accordingly, Zargo had been mandated though a communication to arrest former Finance Minister Samuel Tweah and others named in ne exeat republica writ for corruption and other charges, and that their necessary travel documents should be seized whenever they attempted to leave the country.

A ne exeat republica writ is ordered to ensure that a person satisfies a claim against them. In family law, a ne exeat can also be used to stop someone from leaving with a child or property. It is like a legal order that tells someone they cannot leave a certain place until they do what the court says.

But sources close to the security sector question the logic of such an order in that former Minister Tweah arrived in Liberia on September 25, while the communication reached the LIS on October 1, 2024.

“The communication stated that all of the names mentioned in the communication, when seen leaving the country, their necessary travel documents including passport should be seized, arrested and turned over to the Supreme Court. so, the question is, was Tweh seen leaving? The answer is no,” our source indicated, noting that if the authorities really wanted Samuel Tweh arrested why didn’t they ask the Inspector General of the Liberian National Police to arrest him when he walked to the HQ of police upon his arrival into the country?

“But their plan was for Commissioner Zargo to have acted on the communication, arrest Samuel Tweh, handcuff him, while people take photos, Facebook carry wild the reaction, spark tension; and then the masterminds will now come for Commissioner Zargo and say why did you do this on your own, instead of the legal communication that we give you? This was another way of getting rid of Zargo, but since it didn’t work, then came down with something that hinged on his long-established character,” the source indicated, stating categorically that one Elijah Rufus is the main mastermind behind Commissioner Zargo’s suspension.

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