Working around the clock in post-war Liberia hasn’t been a habit for all due to the no benefit attached of getting overtime pay or some sort of bonus . This has come to apply to both private and public sector workers.
A place where employees are been warned to avoid overtime in the private sector due to the lack of financial wherewithal to pay then what more of a public sector that sets a time limit of work from 9am to 5 pm ? A system so enforce that at 5:00 pm all employees at various ministries and agencies are making their way home.
In the present-day Liberia public sector, one place this doesn’t apply is the Monrovia City Government. There core functions might have to deal with the tidiness of the city, keeping it safe and green. The agency have been blessed with some workaholic Mayor but the current Mayor has gone beyond just a workaholic and many people wonder whether he lives at the City Hall . Some may argue because of his young age but if Mayor Jefferson Koijee is making use of his young age then even doctors may warn him that young age are not used the way he uses his. The young man works from 9 am to 5 am and we wonder where he gets this energy from at times.
One person who has been the source of that energy is a young man named Mohammed M. Bamba, Jr. Bamba was one of the first two staff that were appointed by Mayor Koijee upon assuming office in 2018 as an Administrative Assistant in the office of the Mayor and prior to that Bamba has been one of the mentees of Mayor Koijee along the political struggle towards a regime change in 2017.
Mohammed M. Bamba, Jr a young man with so much energy, desire and professionalism to be at the helm of any task at any given time. One man whose team spirit is unmatched and can withstand the pressure of any given task was awarded this year’s “Most Dependable Public Servant Award “ at the prestigious Golden Image Award category service. Young Bamba has earned for himself a true sense of what the former U. S President JFK said,” Ask not what your country can do for, ask what you can do for your country “. Bamba has not just asked what he can do for his country but has put it into action to match his love for his country and his unquestionable thirst to see his boss succeed.
People like Bamba bring different feelings to public service; they see it as a call to duty and a patriotic responsibility to see the betterment of their country above all else. Not so strange about the workaholic nature of Bamba because a Liberian proverb will say “Monkey can’t born a cat, it is only born a monkey “; so a workaholic Koijee can’t mentor a non – workaholic Bamba, it must be a workaholic Bamba. This is void of drawing a broad comparison between the two but a real mentor will always want to produce his/ her kind in their mentees and if not all attributes then Bamba has gotten the workaholic side of his mentor.
Working with a boss that doesn’t sleep also means you too can’t sleep, most especially since you both carry the same vision of making a difference for your beloved country. Bamba is studious, energetic, diligent, patriotic and a very dependable public servant.
We wish to see more of Mohammed M. Bamba, Jr in the public sector.
The Golden Image Awards (GIA) was founded in September 2010, with the first edition held in July 2011. The GIA serves as a unique platform for Liberia to recognize and appreciate those Individuals, Organizations, and Countries who, against all odds contributed their time and Resources to Development, Investment, Leadership, Achievers, Human Rights Peace & Security Arts & Culture, Health, Advocacy, Humanity, Empowerment, Democracy, and Social Justice for all in the world, especially since the end of the 14-years civil crisis in Liberia. The Award is also intended to recognize and reward Leaders and Philanthropists who have empowered and invested one way or the other to support Liberia attain its current status as a post-war success story among a comity of nations around the world.
