By Samuel Flomo, Jr.
Staffers at the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) are reportedly teetering on the edge of crisis.
They have meanwhile threatened to stage a go-slow protest over management’s alleged deliberate refusal to implement long-promised salary increment.
The standoff now exposes what many described as “systemic neglect, mismanagement, and a shocking disregard for employee welfares” at one of the country’s key research institutions.
Aggrieved employees claimed that despite repeated attempts to engage CARI leadership, their demands for salary adjustments have been ignored.
Sources say staff have waited for months without resolution, leaving the employees frustrated, demoralized, and openly threatening industrial action to force management to honor its commitments.
The crisis now threatens the very operations of CARI, with employees warning that continued inaction could lead to strikes, protests, or other disruptive actions that would paralyze research programs essential for national agricultural development.
Some of them said the standoff highlights serious leadership failures, a lack of accountability, and an alarming culture of impunity that undermines their morale and institutional credibility.
Unless immediate corrective measures are taken, including addressing the alleged salary injustices, and holding negligent management accountable, CARI risks a full-scale revolt by employees, potentially plunging the institution into chaos and tarnishing its reputation as a pillar of Liberia’s agricultural research sector.
When contacted, CARI Director General, Dr. Karnuah, dismissed the staff concerns, labeling them as “politicians, who want to politicize situation at the institution.”
Insiders alleged that the dismissive attitude reflects a leadership more focused on protecting its own interests than addressing legitimate grievances, fueling resentment among the workforce.