MONROVIA, LIBERIA – The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND) has strongly criticized the National Port Authority’s (NPA) plans to dismiss over 450 workers, accusing the agency of executing a politically biased purge under the leadership of Managing Director Hon. Sekou Dukuly. The civil society group voiced its concerns in a statement issued on Wednesday, March 18, 2025, calling the mass dismissals an attack on hardworking Liberians and a betrayal of President Joseph Boakai’s commitment to youth employment.
According to STAND, the restructuring plans at the NPA, which are said to be aimed at creating a “lean and efficient” institution, are nothing more than a cover for a politically motivated purge. The group argues that Dukuly’s actions reveal a deliberate effort to target workers based on political affiliations rather than any real organizational need.
Dukuly, who took office promising to overhaul the NPA, claims that the agency inherited an “overcrowded workforce” and that the NPA Board of Directors directed him to streamline operations. However, STAND has raised red flags over his selective firing of workers who are perceived to be political opponents, while simultaneously hiring individuals with strong ties to the ruling Unity Party. The civil society group alleges that the move is part of a broader political strategy to consolidate power within the government and remove perceived threats to the ruling party’s influence.
Further complicating the situation, STAND points to the involvement of Rev. Luther Tarpeh, Unity Party Chairman and NPA Board Chairman, in the decision-making process. The group suggests that the political connections between Dukuly and the Unity Party are compromising the legitimacy of the restructuring efforts, as these decisions appear to be driven by partisan interests rather than the agency’s actual needs.
In a statement, STAND accused the NPA of undermining the rights of civil servants, particularly those who have been targeted for dismissal based on their political affiliations. The group is calling on the government to abandon its plans and find more ethical ways to address workforce issues.
STAND has made it clear that it will fight these dismissals through all available legal and political avenues. The organization asserts that any attempt to carry out politically motivated firings will be met with strong resistance, emphasizing that such actions violate the principles of fairness and non-partisanship that should govern the public sector.
