On Tuesday, September 30, while addressing a wide range of national issues, former Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel Tweah sounded a warning to President Joseph Boakai to avoid laying off Liberians.
He cautioned that removing many Liberians from their jobs is grave and dangerous to the economic health of Liberia.
Tweah warned that downsizing citizens, many of whom are able to earn for themselves, is worsening the poverty crisis, noting that it is not a good step by the government led by President Joseph Boakai.
Since the inception of the Unity Party government, there have been records of the administration laying off some employees they encountered.
In some cases, Liberians were laid off because they had personally used their social media platforms to insult the President, something that occurred during the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) incident.
The latest instance, which appeared to be a rare crackdown on free speech, occurred when the Monrovia City Corporation dismissed nine employees following allegations by Civil Service Agency (CSA) Director General Josiah Joekai that they frequently used social media to criticize government officials, particularly President Joseph Boakai.
Others see this as a strategy employed to downsize citizens in the name of abusing the president, a move that was met with serious public outcry. In addition, on April 1, 2024, the grounds of the Executive Mansion, as the seat of the Liberian presidency, were the scene of protests by over 700 persons who were staff members of the Ministry of State.
Deputy Minister of State for Administration Cornelia Kruah-Togba informed the staffers that there were no resources to keep them working for the ministry as supplementary employees. This, according to eyewitnesses, angered the workers and prompted them to go amok in protest of the ministry’s decision.
The situation even resulted in Madam Kruah-Togba reportedly running for her life as the aggrieved workers attempted to confront her. The workers were seen chanting negative slogans against the government, with some referring to the decision as a witch-hunt.
They accused the government of getting rid of them because they were members of the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). Moreover, in the same month of April, more than 300 dismissed agents of Liberia’s elite Executive Protection Service (EPS) filed an official complaint with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, drawing attention to the “illegal acts” by the current EPS leadership.
In a letter addressed to the Honorable Speaker, the agents expressed their “utmost appreciation” for the Speaker’s leadership, while highlighting the termination of their services by EPS Director Sam Gaye. The agents claimed they were recruited by the EPS hierarchy in 2018 and successfully completed their probationary period, after which they were issued permanent employment letters. However, the new EPS administration has now terminated their services, citing that they “do not meet the minimum entry requirements.”
With these developments in less than a year, former Minister of Finance and Development Planning Samuel Tweah believes that laying off government workers will lead to an increase in unemployment.
According to him, the massive layoff of government workers significantly raises the national unemployment rate, pushing many households into financial insecurity.
He noted that it leads to economic instability as fewer people earn wages, while consumer spending decreases, negatively affecting local businesses and the overall economy.
The economic expert also believes that this contributes to the rise in poverty levels, especially for those in low-income brackets, who may struggle to meet basic needs, leading to an increase in poverty rates across the country. Among other things, the former minister named social unrest, brain drain, and a reduction in public service efficiency as consequences of these layoffs.
