Monrovia – Aggrieved former members of the Special Presidential Taskforce have begun pressing government against its refusal to pay benefit owed them.
Report by Willie N. Tokpa, [email protected]
The aggrieved workers have given a two-week ultimatum to the government to pay them stipend owed them for six months.
The group during a protest staged near the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Monday said government pre-mutually terminated their contracts without fulfilling promises made in an indenture confirming their work.
The contract was to last for the period of one.
Members of the Special Presidential Taskforce were under the mandate to identify all Government of Liberia’s stolen vehicles and assist in retrieving all vehicles illegally in possession of individuals and institutions.
The executive unit, headed by Benedict E.E. Reeves, was also under the mandate to collect, verify and transmit intelligence to the Special Presidential Taskforce.
The aggrieved members said that this responsibility was carried out by them for six months with a commitment by government to pay them US$20.00 each a day.
The amount, according to the group’s spokesperson, Steven T. Vorkpor, was intended to cover the expenditure of feeding, transportation, medical treatment, among others.
“During a general coordination meeting, Mr. Benedict told the body that their services were voluntarism, but the unit was going to take care of her agents relative to transportation, feeding, medical treatment in the tune of $20.00 USD per day to each person,” Varkpor said.
“On the contrary, the little compensation in the tune of US$20.00 was never given during the period under review.”
He indicated that a total of 152 persons were recruited and operated under the banner: “Field Intelligence Unit (FIU)” from February to June in the 15 political subdivisions.
Vorkpor further stated that the taskforce managed to retrieve 280 vehicles and nine motorbikes in the wake of effectively implementing its mandate.
Apart from failing to pay them money owed by government, the taskforce through their spokesperson expressed frustration over government reluctance to certificate members of the taskforce as promised and at the time recruit some of the agents who meet employment requirement into government.
“Agent Isaac Flomo of Grand Bassa team almost died from hunger after spending one month, one day on assignment without anything. Agent Adolphus Woto of Sinoe County SPTF/FIU team who almost died from poor health condition in Greenville,” Vorkpor added.
“Kelvin Passawe of Bomi County team had an accident while on duty, there was no medical attention given by Chairman Reeves. However, the Inspector General, David Bill Plator Sr. rescued the situation by spending the amount of LD$10,000.000 for medical bill.”
Vakpor said he is currently under fear due to threat from the aggrieved former taskforce members, who are compelling him as their spokesperson to ensure that government addresses their plight.
The aggrieved former taskforce members accused Assistant Information Minister for Information Services Samuel Worzi and Benedict Reeves as individuals who have created the discrepancy in the process.
They accused Worzi of selling stickers to vehicle owners during their time of operation, outside the requisite procedure under their mandate which resulted to the government losing several revenues.
“Sam Worzi is currently threatening us on various radio stations for unveiling his bad deeds while serving as Secretary on the Special Presidential Taskforce and he should be cited for investigation for corrupt act practice during our operation,” Vorkpor opined.
Mr. Reeves is yet to comment after a series of calls and text message to his mobile phone number: 0776535552 regarding the matter.
He previously told our reporter, “I do not have anything to say. You can go ahead and write.”
But Information the Assistant Minister for Information Services has rubbished the aggrieved former taskforce members’ assertions, stating that he was not involved with the sale of stickers as insinuated by the aggrieved.
According to Worzi, the agents were never promised US$20.00 as stated but were compensated in accordance with their scope of operation daily.
“What they are speaking about is false and misleading. That is a blatant lie, they were not promised US$20.00. They were serving on a volunteer basis and were provided compensation,” Worzi averred.
Worzi said he was performing a piece of job for the taskforce after being requested to do so by the President and was later transferred to another area prior to the taskforce being dissolved.
“I was asked to coordinate the secretariat and was requested to go to the US to coordinate activities at there. While in my absence, the taskforce was dissolved,” he said.
He refuted claims of issuing threats on aggrieved former taskforce members, noting that he respects the views of the protestors.
Minister Worzi, however, registered that the aggrieved disenchantment against him is against the fact that he is not speaking in their interest as a person who coordinated their recruitments.
He described the aggrieved taskforce members move as an attempt to entrap the taskforce hierarchy into debate, which he believes is unnecessary.
Worzi at the same time clarified that he personally informed the agents of finding a way to appeal to President Weah, in recruiting some of them with qualifications, contrary to information that government promised to provide jobs for qualified agents.
The Assistant Information Minister for Information Services maintained that government does not owe agents who were recruited on the taskforce as they but were performing on a voluntary basis.