MONROVIA – The management of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) has honorably retired and honored 12 employees who have served their country, through the entity, for several decades and have reached the retirement age of 60.
The retirees dubbed as the “Dependable 12” were retired and honored at a ceremony held at the compound of the corporation on the Bushrod Island, outside Monrovia on Friday, December 18.
They were uprightly retired for their valuable and diligent services rendered to the nation and its people in their various professional capacities at the corporation.
Speaking during the ceremony, the Managing Director of the LPRC, Madam Marie Urey-Coleman, commended the honorees for assiduously working and making sacrifices and contributions over the years to the state and others.
She claimed that though the honorable retirement of employees at other government ministries, agencies and corporations has not been forthcoming, the LPRC continues to achieve in this direction on a yearly basis.
She expressed the hope that employees at the corporation would gain some level of knowledge from those who are departing the corporation in a bid to promote vibrancy, efficiency and effectiveness at the LPRC.
“I am extremely honor to be here today doing this for the second time in a role. Last year we had the opportunity to retire the historic seven. Today, we are doing the dependable 12. As we go on as an entity, I hope that we are gaining knowledge from these experienced people that are leaving our organization. I want to thank you all for your service; you have done so well”.
“As one of your colleagues said, retirement is not a death sentence; you have an opportunity that God gave you and you have the chance to enjoy while you still have the strength. I admonish you all to please enjoy and have some good time; enjoy your children, grandchildren and extra habit that you wanted to get into”.
Madam Coleman pointed out that retirees should not be “strangers” to the corporation, and as such, they must always feel a part of the LPRC, noting that, your good are here and it is important that you always be here from time to time”.
She, however, used the occasion to express optimism that the LPRC, in collaboration with local and foreign importers, has taken steps to help address the shortage of petroleum products on the local market-a situation which posed severe hardship on citizens, particularly ordinary Liberians in 2019.
Madam Coleman appreciated distributors, including the Tankers Union for being supportive of the corporation.
Speaking on behalf of the retirees, Mr. Henry Carr, former Maintenance Manager of the LPRC, commended the management of the corporation for their satisfactory retirement.
“For and on behalf of the retirement class of 2020, we want to say a big thank you to the Board of Directors of the LPRC, the Managing Director and the management team for executing this elegant retirement program. We want to appreciate them for the level of cooperation demonstrated over the years and for allowing us to serve this noble entity in our different professional career disciplines”.
He cautioned is colleagues to have in mind that “retirement is not a death sentence”, and as such, they must see their retirement as a time to soberly reflect.
“Retirement is a time to rest and a time to enjoy the fruits of your labor. After long years of corporate sweat, retirement is a time to enjoy your benefits without any sweat”.
Mr. Carr further urged employees of the corporation to remain prayerful that they would also stay more decades at the corporation so that they can be honorably retired like the honorees.
He expressed delight over what he termed as the separate “handsome” retirement packages offered them by the management.
He, however, urged the management team of the corporation not to relent upon calling back any of the retirees to aid whenever the need arises.
Meanwhile, others who retired along with Mr. Carr include: Madam Carol S. Cholopleh (served 25 years), Lee G. Morris (served 23 years), Madam Jugbe M. Walters (served 25 years), Mr. J. Andrews Jaryenneh (served 23 years), and Mr. Arthur W. Z. Zawolo (served 25 years).
The rest are: Mr. Amos K. Ballah (served 25 years), Mr. Johnson N. Toby (served two years and retired on age), Mr. Andrew D. Menating (served 11 years and retired on age), Madam Tulu O. Andrews-Cooper (served 25 years), Mr. Isaac Dossen (served 24 years and retired on age), and Mr. Sando S. Quoi (served 15 years and retired on age).