Monrovia – Things continue to go south at Department of Vital Statistics of the Ministry of Health as more Liberian continue to cry on the “incompetence” of Solomon Barton, director of the department and the poor service the department renders.
Located on Capitol By-Pass, the department is housed in the same building as the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
It is responsible for the handling of birth certificates and other matters related thereof.
There has been a spate of complaints from the public about operations at the department, particularly its head, Solomon Barton.
In a letter to FrontPage Africa, Eunice Dahn, SREP Coordinator at the Rural Renewable Energy Agency (RREA), lamented that they have absolutely nowhere to sit during the processing of their birth certificates.
“There is an old tent at the back of the building with no chairs that over 200 persons are expected to fit into,” she stated.
“When the sun is up like it was on the day in question, the tent is extremely hot. People who went to process their birth certificates congregated at the entrance of the building that had the only shade.”
The Liberian mother said Barton insists that all must stand in the sun and when it is met with disapproval over the dehumanizing condition, he “disqualifies” the applicant.
“I was one of such persons.”
The Birth certificate Director said that when people go to the US Embassy for a visa, they stand in the sun and do not complain but when they come to get a birth certificate they want to misbehave. When we argued and spoke out, we were told we would be disqualified because we ‘misbehaved’. ‘
“He then proceeded to deny my daughter an interview, instructing his staff not to interview her because she was ‘disqualified’.
“He also said that he has the right to disqualify anyone who ‘misbehaves’ from getting their birth certificate.”
“After the pleading of several persons that day, the Director then agreed to process my daughter’s documentation the next day but he made sure to make the process very difficult.”
“My daughter ended up staying out of school for 4 days because of all of the hurdles he went out of his way to put me through.”
Dahn said she told the interviewee that her daughter was adopted and that they should be mindful of how to interview the little girl because she doesn’t want her to know that she was adopted.
She furthered that the sloppy handling of the interview made the little girl aware she was adopted, causing a further psychological effect on her child as she became withdrawn for a number of days.
Eunice Dahn said the situation is not only about her but also other Liberians who go through hell and high water for a service being paid for.
Solomon Barton, director of the Bureau of Vital Statistics, could not be reached for comment.
Dahn is not the first to complain of such mistreatment at the Ministry.
Mary Monffuer, a mother of three said she has filed in for her three children for a birth certificate but for the past seven weeks she is yet to receive the certificates from the Bureau and according to her she is disappointed in the delays.
“What Is More Disappointing is that after your certificate is being delayed it comes to you with errors the guys in the printing room are not doing well,” she said.
“My brother more than one month I have run after this certificate, but I’m yet to receive it.”
“Every day they will tell me to go come tomorrow, so I am disappointed. I need my birth certificate to obtain my passport,” said one Liberian.
When FrontPageAfrica Henry Karmo quizzed Barton at the time on the situation, he replied that he was responsible only to President Sirleaf or members of her family.