EPS Officers Brutalize

LIGIS   Contractors

-Briefly Detained Them for Demanding Wages

The grounds of the Liberia Institute for Geo Information Services {LIGIS} was the scene of violence on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 when five contractual workers of the National Housing and population Census were brutalized and detained   by the Executive Protection Services for demanding their legitimate wages in keeping with the term of their contracts; they were however released later from further detention; Frederick T. Swen reports.

   Narrating that the five were among group of workers contracted   by LIGIS to conduct the 2022 National Housing and Population Census, a Spokesman of the unpaid contractors, Mr. Lawrence B. Flahn, told The Analyst Newspaper in an interview at LIGIS’ Headquarters that since the completion of the census exercise, bulk of them have not been paid.   

    Each time we come to get our pay is another story, Mr. Flahn noted, indicating, however, that of recent times LIGIS authorities blamed delay in the payment of their wages on what was called “irregularities” in the payroll structure.

   Accordingly, the contractors were assured by the acting boss of LIGIS, Mr. Lawrence George, that they will get their pay soon. Mr. Flahn, who claims to be coordinating between the aggrieved contractors and LIGIS Administration, notwithstanding, argues they (contractors) cannot be responsible for irregularities in the payroll system of LIGIS.

    Flahn pointed out it was improper on the part of the Executive Protection Service (EPS) Personnel to have the peaceful Liberian workers brutalized and detained for advocating for their just wages for their labor.

   When asked as to the number of persons who have not been paid, he could not state the figure involved; but he said the number is huge. “Imaging people from nearly all of the fifteen subdivisions of Liberia are contacting me as their spokesman, to know the status of their pay,” he maintained.

     In an effort to get the side of LIGIS, our reporter was told by a receptionist that the administration was in a tight meeting.

    The issue of payment of the wages of contractors of the National Housing and Population Census has been a very serious problem since the completion of the exercises last year.