Monrovia – Mo Ali, secretary general of the opposition Unity Party, has resigned from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning after turning down a transfer outside of Monrovia.
Ali and the MFDP had been embroiled in the disagreement after he was reassigned to Grand Kru County, Southeastern Liberia.
He claims the assignment is a demotion from his previous portfolio as well as a ploy to cripple his political association with activities of his political party in Monrovia.
“My qualification is water sanitation and health engineering, a qualification for which I was employed (but) they have taken me from a director level transfering me below a director level,” he said.
“The second thing is: what would I have done in Grand Kru County? What work would I have done – in line with my qualification? So it is like relegating me.
“I was going to be idle there… it was done to denigrate me politically, to see if I can survive in the absence of government jobs.”
Ali, who was the Director for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Unit at the Ministry, was taken from his position in May 2018 with no further assignment.
In July, the MFDP informed the Civil Service Agency about his transfer and replaced him subsequently, FPA gathered.
Ali then wrote the CSA for a transfer and while he negotiated with the National Public Health Institution (NPHIL) for another assignment, the process was blocked.
“I should have started work there (NPHIL) by October, 2018 [but] after the BRING OUR MONEY BACK protest, a protest in which I participated on September 24, 2018, the MFDP immediately wrote the CSA requesting a withdrawal of my transfer request,” he said.
On September 25, 2018, Ali was then served a letter transferring him to Grand Kru as Regional County Coordinator, a position he alleges did not never exist prior to his transfer.
Ali says his transfer was “a form of punishment” for his critical political views and affiliation with a major opposition political party.
“My transfer was in clear violation of the Civil Service Standing Order Section 3.4.9 b which indicates that internal transfer should not reduce salary or status of civil servants,” he explains.
Meanwhile, the UP secretary General says now that he has resigned his government job he will continue his private life and work with his political party to keep the government in check.
“I’m working in my party; second, I’m going to sit down for the time being and consider my next move,” he told FrontPage Africa.