Published: August 22, 2024
MONROVIA — Dismissed government employees, along with their wives and children, have appealed to the international community for the safety of their lives under the Boakai-Koung regime. They accuse supporters of the ruling Unity Party of consistently attacking, stigmatizing, and bullying them since the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) announced their immediate “illegal” dismissal.
The outcry followed the dismissal of nine employees of the Monrovia City Corporation by City Mayor John Siafa, based on allegations that the dismissed civil servants insulted President Joseph Boakai and other top government officials via their Facebook accounts.
This action by the MCC, reportedly carried out on the orders of Civil Service Agency (CSA) Director General Josiah Joekai, has drawn criticism from several top government officials, the Congress for Democratic Change, civil society organizations, and others. They argue that the government’s decision is anti-democratic and a blow to freedom of speech.
Addressing a major news conference on Wednesday, August 21, 2024, in Paynesville, the wives of the affected employees, who claim their husbands were unlawfully dismissed, expressed that since their spouses were fired, life has become unbearable for their families.
“We have been mocked, and people have threatened our family. I don’t want what happened to my father—who died in cold blood without any explanation—to happen to me or any of my family members at the hands of UP supporters. School is about to reopen, but we have no money for school fees because our breadwinner was sacked,” said Mrs. Faith Jackson Pelenah, wife of Francis S. Pelenah, one of the dismissed employees, as she broke down in tears.
On behalf of their unemployed husbands, the women have called on President Boakai to come to their aid.
“I’m not a regular politician, but this dismissal of my husband, Mr. Richard Gabriel Singbeh, puts a dark cloud over his character and our family. I am calling on the president to discourage his supporters from bullying my husband and our family,” said Mrs. Sharon Scotland Singbeh, who also urged the Liberia Council of Churches to intervene.
According to the families, their lives are reportedly being threatened by Unity Partisans and other residents in their communities. They stressed that, in addition to struggling to raise school fees for their children, they and their husbands are also being bullied on social media for opposing the government’s decision.
Speaking at the press conference, eight of the nine dismissed employees—including Ben Togba, Alpha Gray, Foday Massaquoi, Richard Singbeh, Boye Kokoi, Kendrick Pelenah, Yaya Sesay, and Henry Sarlie—alerted the international community, the media, and the Liberia Council of Churches that they are currently living in fear.
They denied the government’s allegations of insulting the presidency and other officials and requested immediate protection from the international community. They also urged the Boakai-Koung administration to prioritize their safety and reconsider their dismissal.
In a joint statement read by Alpha G. Gray, the dismissed employees expressed alarm over their current situation:
“We are living in constant fear for our safety and well-being, unable to guarantee our security in Liberia. When our fellow citizens are after our lives, it is wise to seek help from the government and its operatives. In our case, the government is after our lives. We have no option for safety.”
The group further claimed that the threats they face are a direct consequence of their stance during the 2024 presidential election. They alleged that their dissenting opinions have drawn death threats from regime loyalists who cannot tolerate criticism.
“While we are out of jobs and our families face destitution, we are forced to sleep in strange locations away from our homes due to fear for our lives, all at the behest of President Joseph Boakai,” Gray lamented.
They emphasized that their families are in danger with no recourse for protection, alleging that the death threats are sanctioned by the president. “We are in dire need of assistance from the international community—our only hope of remaining alive,” the group pleaded.
The dismissed employees concluded by urging the international community and other stakeholders to urgently address their plight, stressing that immediate action is needed to ensure their safety and provide the protection and justice they so desperately need during this critical time.
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