MONROVIA—Former Grand Bassa County Superintendent and Chairman of a group “Cry for Justice” Janjay Baikpeh, has announced the Postponement of its Nationwide protest from April 6 to May 7 2024.
Speaking at a major press conference in Sinkor on Tuesday April 2 2024, the former Grand Bassa County Superintendent said their decision to postpone their most talk about protest is to allow the first 100 days of the Boakai, Koung led Government ends.
The group disclosed that their objective is to call on the Boakai led administration to immediate order, as the government continues to show little respect for the rule of law, extrajudicial killings, police brutality, early bribery by the executive, witch hunt at line ministries and agencies, lack of accountability on spending public money and creating unemployment for citizens.
“The nationwide assembly action will be held at designated locations across the country which will send a resounding message against misrule.” he added.
The group listed Bomi County, Clay Checkpoint, Tubmanburg to Monrovia, Tubmanburg to Sawmill, DC Clark Town (Sueh Mecca/Gbarpolu Road), and Po-River Bridge as some of the places the protest will be staged. Baikpeh added that Monrovia will not be the only place the protest will be staged.
According to him, the forefathers of Liberia wrote a constitution that all embraced, and the President and other officials of government took an oath of office to uphold and defend such a constitution.
The constitution, he frowned on nepotism and while demanding the national government to protect every citizens irrespective of political affiliation.
“With just less than 100 days in office, the so-called Rescue Mission is already removing employees from various government payrolls, including civil servants and contractors at various government ministries and agencies. The former government without downsizing incorporated more than 2000 health workers from the health pool fund in 2018, and about 900 health workers who were paid under the USAID FARA Funding.” the former superintendent stated.
He furthered that “These workers excluded about 3,600 supplementary teachers and other 200 supplementary workers who earned a maximum monthly gross of US$40 but were also permanently transferred to the main payroll of the Ministries of Education and Health. These employees now earned a minimum of US$150 to$US175 gross and have been full civil servants since 2020; enjoying all the privileges and rights consistent with the civil Service Standing Orders.”
“With all these interventions, the past administration carried out its pay reforms, incorporated these Liberian workers without removing any of the existing employees during the first regime of the Unity Party while maintaining the wage bill of US$297millions up to 2022,” he said.
By: Domingo Dargbeh
