MONROVIA – Suspension sentence unleashed upon him by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, and with incessant unfavorable sentiments from pockets of the public, including from the Liberia Immigration Services he heads, Steve Zargo’s fate of returning to the Service remains much to desire. But all is not lost, for he is also being favorably watched and admired by a group of Liberians calling themselves “RIGHTS DEFENDERS OF LIBERIA”. In a press release, the civil society organization underscored the litany of challenges Zargo met at the LIS which he is reportedly tackling with unwavering commitment and excellence. The Analyst reports.
The Liberian advocacy group, Rights Defenders of Liberia, says it is deeply concerned about “the politically influenced suspension” of Hon. Stephen H. J. Zargo, the Commissioner-General of the Liberia Immigration Services (LIS), for three months without pay.
The group, which has made a call to President Boakai not to take decisions on the basis of political pressure by close allies, asserts that while it recognizes the constitutional authority of the president to appoint, dismiss and suspend, he must exercise such powers on the basis of truth telling and convincible actions, and not on the basis of political pressure or influence around the presidency.
The group accused National Security Advisor Koffi Woods as mastermind of Zargo’s woes, citing reports of its “intelligence bureau”.
“We must all be concerned about Mr. Kofi Woods continuous advice to the president as National Security Advisor to the President is doubtful and recipes for national security concerns,” said the advocacy group. “If the President is not careful in handling National Security matters and does not do due diligence, we can see the collapse of the security sector, thereby leaving our country and people vulnerable.”
According to the group, Zargo’s dedication to improving Liberia’s immigration services remains unwavering despite this setback.
“His efforts have been instrumental in modernizing the LIS and enhancing its operational efficiency,” it said, adding: “Since his ascendency, Zargo has been able to conduct internal training at the regional hub in Gbarnga, enhanced the Contact Global contract that provided logistics and revenue resources boost for central government, bought a bus for LIS officers to commute to work, enhanced merit-based promotion, sent five LIS offices to China for specialized training, conducted the first ever training at the LIS training center built by UNMIL, and improved the morale of LIS.”
In light of this, the group continued, “it is crucial to highlight the ongoing financial backing from CETIS (CETG), a company known for its comprehensive solutions for identity management and document issuing. CETIS’s support has been pivotal in funding various projects aimed at strengthening the LIS and ensuring the integrity of Liberia’s immigration processes.”
“As Hon. Zargo navigates this challenging period, the continued partnership with CETIS will be essential in maintaining the momentum of these critical projects,” the Rights Defenders of Liberia indicated. “The financial support from CETIS not only underscores their commitment to the development of Liberia’s infrastructure but, also serves as a testament to the collaborative efforts required to achieve long-term success.”
“Fellow Liberians, the Rights Defenders of Liberia is deeply concerned about how our country is turning into a political state than been a professional state where people with expertise will work freely void of political influence. For clarification on misleading information sponsored by instigators against the return of Zargo, it should be noted that the CETIS contract was inherited and certified by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MoFDP), the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC), and the Ministry of Justice (MOJ).
“All processes went through the proper procurement channels. Let the enablers stop misleading the public, LIS spendings are approved by the Ministry of Justice which ruled out the act of corruption allegations. Before his suspension CG Zargo, recently assigned one vehicle each to Lofa, Nimba, and border patrol for the effective workings of the Liberia Immigration Service also provided three brand new PRADO Vehicles to his three deputies while as commissioner General, he is still using the vehicle from his predecessor.”
Rights Defenders of Liberia recalled that Liberia been a fragile state where the security sector is still a major challenge since the departure of UNMIL, “we must all discourage political interference in our security sector as it threatens the safety of our people.”
The advocacy organization call on the president to be careful in how he carries out his Constitutional authority, asserting that individuals around the presidency want to have total control over presidential decision-making as such, they will do everything to denigrate the high earned credibility and reputation of others.
It also called on Zargo to “remain steadfast and committed to the development of our country in such a critical period.”
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