Monrovia – Nimba County Senator Prince Johnson has taken issues with ex-Liberian President George Manneh Weah and his former Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)-led administration for employing over 40,000 Liberians during the transitional period leading to the inauguration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
Senator Johnson is the Chairman of the Governing Council of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) of Vice President Jeremiah Koung.
Early this week, the Unity Party (UP) led-government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai commenced an investigation into the dubious manner and form in which thousands of Liberians were employed and placed on government’s payroll by Mr. Weah’s administration.
In keeping with the ongoing investigation, the government, through the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), invited Senator Nathaniel McGill on allegations of payroll padding and corruption related to salary payments for a supplementary payroll containing 728 names at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs.
Senator McGill was the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, who has been sanctioned by the United States government for multiple acts of corruption.
According to the Civil Service Agency (CSA), the payroll was allegedly created outside the framework of the Civil Service Agency (CSA) under McGill’s directive while serving as Minister of State for Presidential Affairs.
The LACC claimed that the supplementary payroll, which contained 728 names, was established under McGill’s instructions and was marred by irregularities, amounting to payroll administrative malpractice and corruption.
Speaking in an interview with a local radio station in Monrovia recently, Senator Johnson observed that the alleged padding of government’s payroll by the Weah led-administration barely few months to the inauguration of President Boakai was a calculated ploy intended to make the UP government appears to be witch-hunting the past regime.
He noted that though the Weah led-government allegedly set a trap for President Boakai and his administration, the current government should now take actions to address the situation.
He called on the government to reduce the salaries of public officials that are earning high salaries to incorporate those placed on the supplementary payroll.
Senator Johnson claimed that those placed on the supplementary payroll of the government are not earning much and as such, government should desist from dismissing them.
“Those youths were employed by the (former) President at the time he knew he was going nowhere; he put over 40,000 people on the jobs when they were leaving without CSA regulations and that was wrong. They did it so that when the next government comes and goes there, they will call it witch-hunting. This was a trap that was set. But if somebody sets a trap for your son, you have to find a way to get out of that trap or else the trap will locate you.”
He stressed that the government should find means to accommodate those placed on the supplementary payroll instead of dismissing these Liberians.
Senator Johnson said the government should also ensure that CSA standards and procedures are adequately followed in maintaining, hiring or dismissing civil servants and others employed in government.
He, however, called on Liberians to maintain the peace and desist from telling lies against one another.
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