The decision, which has been met with backlash from the affected employees and even members of the NEC’s Board of Commissioners, has intensified tensions within the institution.
MONROVIA – The Chairperson of the National Elections Commission (NEC), Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, has dismissed about 40 employees for what she described as gross insubordination following a recent protest at the NEC headquarters. The employees had been demanding hazard benefits for their work during the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections.
The decision, which has been met with backlash from the affected employees and even members of the NEC’s Board of Commissioners, has intensified tensions within the institution.
Dismissal Sparks Controversy
The dismissal letters, signed by the NEC Human Resource Director Pauline Korkoyah and approved by Executive Director Anthony K. Sengbe, accused the employees of showing disrespect and insubordination to the Chairperson.
One letter read:
“You are hereby dismissed effective immediately for having shown disrespect and gross insubordination to the office of the Chairperson.”
Among those dismissed were Watta B. Nyei, Secretary to the office of Commissioner Boakai Dukuly, and Foday Thomas, head of the Management Facilitation Team.
The employees, however, have rejected the dismissals, describing them as unjust and exaggerated. They have written to the Minister of State without Portfolio for Special Projects, Samuel Stevquah, seeking his intervention.
Protesters Demand Reinstatement
Rennie Gleegbar, spokesperson for the aggrieved employees, argued that their actions were justified and that the dismissals were unwarranted.
“We have rejected the letters of dismissal. We do not deserve this treatment after sacrificing so much to serve during the elections. The allegations of disrespect against the Chairperson are exaggerated. We demand the immediate withdrawal of all dismissal letters and a constructive dialogue to resolve these issues,” Gleegbar stated.
Five Commissioners under probe
The news of the mass dismissal comes amid reports that five commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC) are currently undergoing investigation for their involvement in the recent disturbances that negatively affected the operations of the Commission.
Some staffers of the NEC recently staged several days of protest and disrupted the smooth operations of the Commission. Their demonstrations were in demand of additional benefits.
The report says that the commissioners in question provided misinformation to the staff, and it led to the protest intended for the selfish gains of those commissioners, thus undermining the credibility of the Electoral Management Body
An Executive Mansion source named two of the five commissioners, including Co-chairperson P. Teplah Reeves and IT Commissioner Floyd Oxley Sayor. The commissioners are said to be the masterminds behind the protest.
“They were the ones lying and giving instructions to the protesters to demand the dismissal of the NEC Chairperson and others,” the source said. “In fact, most of those who protested were personal staffers in the offices of these five commissioners,” an NEC source added.
The report further says that some of the commissioners could be dismissed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai if the investigation is proven to be true. “Also, some of those junior level staffers, who took part in the protest, too, risk dismissal from the Commission for their unbecoming behaviors during the protests,” the source further stated.
Some staffers who took part in the protest are blaming the five commissioners for misleading them and at the same time putting their individual jobs at risk and also the reputation of the Commission. “They were misled and misinformed that the money which was left over after the 2023 Presidential Election, should have been divided among staffers of the Commission and that the money was still being held by the NEC Chairperson, Madam Davidetta Browne-Lansanah.”
Some staffers disclosed, under condition of anonymity, that their colleagues who were misled to protest did so knowing that the commissioners who pushed them, have questionable characters and have always been at the center of confusion at the Commission.
Some of the protesters used this medium to appeal to their “mother”, Chairperson Davidetta Browne-Lansanah, to forgive them as they were misled by her fellow commissioners.
One of the protesters — name withheld — disclosed that the commissioners involved are again telling them to go out and protest to make the Commission ungovernable.
Finance Ministry’s Intervention
Meanwhile, a Finance Ministry official, who is not clothed with the authority to speak to the media, disclosed that the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning has instructed the NEC to transfer all funds to the government’s consolidated account. “The amount in question has officially been reported as revenue for the people of Liberia. For the Commission to access this amount requires going through the budget process,” this Finance Ministry official said. It is said that Chairperson Browne-Lansanah turned over US$8 million back to the government.
There are also reports that the government would have resolved this matter to some extent, but the behavior of the NEC staff undermined that effort. “The NEC that should be seen as a political bridge between peace and conflict is now degenerating into a conflict institution perpetually,” a source at the Commission said.
Commissioners Criticize Lansanah’s Leadership
NEC Commissioners Floyd Oxley Sayor and Cllr. P. Teplah Reeves have denied the allegations and expressed dismay over Lansanah’s handling of the situation. The two commissioners accused the Chairperson of running the NEC like a private entity and making unilateral decisions without consulting the Board.
Sayor claimed that Lansanah has consistently disregarded the views of her fellow commissioners, particularly on financial matters, including the management of the $53 million allocated for the 2023 elections.
“She spent election funds without formal board approval, leaving us in the dark about key transactions. Her actions are counterproductive and undermine the commission’s credibility,” Sayor alleged.
Reeves echoed similar sentiments, calling for the Chairperson to reconsider her decision to dismiss the employees.
