MONROVIA – The leadership of the Civil Servants Association of Liberia (CSAL) is appealing to President George M. Weah not to sign into law the recent pension and benefits bill for former lawmakers passed recently by the Liberian senate.
Speaking on March 20, 2023, to newsmen at its Sinkor head office, the President of the CSAL Mr. Moibah K. Johnson described the bill as selfish, devilish, egocentric solely intended to benefit the crafters and subject the government to undue financial burden at the detriment of the state, public sector workers and derail meaningful development for the Liberian people.
Flanked by scores of his officials Mr. Johnson noted that at this point in time when the government is grappling with completing priorities to improve infrastructure, the economic, educational, and social well-being of the Liberian people, it was unthinkable for lawmakers who are living comfortable lives from ordinary task payers money to bury the interest of the public and forecast their desire to continue living on government’s meager revenues even after their exit from office.
Mr. Moibah who is also the President-General of the Liberia Labor Congress (LLC) is currently entangled in a legal battle at the Temple of Justice intoned that what is even observed as mischief in the bill is that there is no clear explanation as to what the bill consider as retirement. He questioned what does retirement means when a lawmaker is booted out of office through a democratic election. Or when lawmakers decide not to further contest legislative elections after serving their respective office terms can be considered as retirement.
Mr. Moibah in no uncertain terms urged President Weah to veto the bill saying “How will you craft a bill that states that when you are out of the Capitol Building while sitting home, the government will be obliged to pay you fifty percent of the gross salary you were working for. So are you telling us that when you are rejected by your own people from representing them thus resulting in your defeat and therefore given marching orders to vacate the Capitol Building government should use its meager revenues intended to run government functionaries and execute national development to pay you (former lawmakers)?
This awful bill passed by the Liberian senate is intended to strangulate current and incoming governments and kill every good developmental policy including the Pro-Poor Agenda for Development and Prosperity as when signed into law, would hinder the growth of the Economy and other areas in the society, Mr. Johnson emphasized.
He announced that in the coming days, his association, the CSAL will mount forces with other public sector institutions including the National Health Workers Union of Liberia, the National Teachers Association of Liberia among others to prevail on President Weah to veto the awful legislative instrument just passed by the Liberian senate.
Meanwhile, the CSAL President is calling on all civil servants and other public sector workers in Montserrado, Bomi, Margibi, Grand Cape Mount, Grand Bassa, and Gbarpolu counties to troop to various National Elections Commission (NEC) registration centers in the six counties from March 20-April 9, 2023 to get registered.
According to him, the process is necessary as this is the surest way of obtaining their voter registration cards in preparation for the upcoming October 10, 2023, presidential and legislative elections.
