The Ministry of Labor which should be presiding over Labor related issues ranging from bad Labor practices and Wrongful Dismissals are now under probe for allegedly dismissing four of its employees. Following a complaint filed by the aggrieved four dismissed employees, the Civil Service Agency invited the Labor Minister or his legal representative to conference on July 9, 2024 to find a resolution into the matter. Unlike the full representation of the aggrieved dismissed employees, Labor Minister, Cllr. Cooper Kruah did not show up but rather sent his Human Resource Director Mehfel Dehkpah who signed the dismissal letters of the four aggrieved employees. According to sources, the Human Resource Director who is not a civil servant is one of the fourteen senior managers at the Labor Ministry from one ethnic group. During the questioning period at the conference, the Human Resource Director allegedly failed to provide written findings from the investigation report that found the dismissed employees guilty of their acts. However, he maintained verbally that the four employees were dismissed for alleged acts unbecoming of a public servant. When asked if he was aware that the four dismissed employees were given authorization by the Labor Inspector Charles Brown and Acting Deputy Minister for Planning and Manpower Development Emmanuel Barnes at the time to carry out their work, his response was yes. The Human Resource Director also claimed that only inspectors are permitted to conduct inspection. But a document dated June 27, 2024, addressed to Fouta Incorporated on 17th Street with focus of conducting an inspection for alleged bad Labor practice at such business entity showed contrary. The communication through the Labor Ministry instructed three officials from the Ministry to conduct such inspection to include: G. Albert Teamie, Deputy Inspector, Anthony T. Sayeh, Research Officer and Belleh T. Kollie, Inspector.The aggrieved and dismissed employees argued that Anthony Kollie is a researcher and not an inspector but was most recently sent by the Ministry to conduct inspection contrary to claim by the Human Resource Director that only inspectors at Labor are exclusively permitted to conduct investigation. Mehfel also alleged that inspections are only permitted by the Minister proper but a letter dated June 10, 2024 ordered an inspection to be conducted by five employees namely: Emmanuel Johnson, Head, Sally T. Randall, Raphael V. Domah, Mustapha James and L. YarYalogbo under the signature and permission of Othello P. Mansuo, Deputy Minister for Administration, contrary to claim by the Human Resource Director, that only the Minister of Labor proper can permit inspection exercise. The two misleading information provided by the Labor Ministry’s representative at the conference, according to the aggrieved employees, demonstrates lack of trust and credibility in said key official at a strategic arm of government and position respectively. “We maintained that the Ministry Wrongfully dismissed us and needs the right thing to be done, we trust the CSA and we are certain that we will win the case,” the four dismissed employees reemphasized. They want the ugly practice of alleged tribalism and nepotism at the Ministry of Labor to be abolished and called for action to be taken urgently. The aggrieved employees revealed that the Ministry has seven presidential appointees from one ethnic group and county and also additional fourteen of them are occupying senior managerial positions at the Ministry. “This is unfair and needs to be looked into the soonest,” they noted. Providing evidence to their claims, they disclosed names of a total of twenty one individuals from one county and ethnic group, many of whom are occupying senior managerial positions who are running the show to included Minister Cooper W Kruah, Othello Mansuo, Deputy for Administration, Raphael Donokolo, Assistant for Alien, Emmanuel Zorh, Assistant for Labour Standards, Rufus Freeman, Assistant for Administration, and Rufus Saylee, Assistant for Trade Union. Others include Daybah Johnson (PYJ’s daughter) Assistant for Regional Labour. This, they highlighted, is NEPOTISM, Eric Dahn, Alien Registration Director, Darius Weamie, Deputy Inspector General for Administration, G. Albert Teamie, Deputy Inspector General for Operations, Christal Mehn, Procurement Director and Mehfel Dehkpah, Human Resource Director. The list continues with Emmanuel Gweh, Assistant Director T.I.P, Harris Yeanamie, Comptroller, Samuel B. Kpaiseh, Assistant Supervisor Security, Raphael Domah, Assistant Director of Health & Safety, Sylvester Yeanamie, Labor Inspector of Montserrado County, Orlando Kruah, Expeditor (Another Nepotism) Marian Mansuo, Filing Clerk, HIV/AIDs Division and Austine Mansuo, Filing Clerk, Deputy Minister for Administration office, respectively. In the wake of the case, it is still unclear if the then acting Deputy Minister for Planning and Manpower Development and the Inspector General who both authorized the dismissed employees to carryout their inspection in the controversial Gbarpolu illegal mining site will be asked by the CSA to give their side of the story. Ahead of the full trial, the aggrieved employees want the CSA to in person invite the Minister proper, Cllr. Cooper Kruah to form a part of the proceedings. Meanwhile, the Official date for the first full trail will be made known by the CSA soon as today’s conference was presided over by the CSA’s grievance committee.
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