A few days ago, we saw a memorandum or a circular from the National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Commission (NWASH) that pointed to the suspension, and dismissals of some employees for their political affiliation, which is unconstitutional. Article 18 states: “All Liberian citizens shall have equal opportunity for work and employment regardless of sex, creed, religion, ethnic background, place of origin or political affiliation, and all shall be entitled to equal pay for equal work”.
This constitutional provision made it clear that dismissing employees due to their political affiliations was inappropriate. Shortly after, I received numerous calls from prominent individuals, including those from the NWASH Commission, informing me that the circulating memorandum was false and no staff member had been suspended or terminated. Consequently, a press conference was swiftly organized to refute the posted claims.
Following the commission’s action to clarify what it described as misinformation, a new investigation was initiated. The focus shifted to the recruitment processes of the Director of Human Resources and the Executive Director of the Commission. It appears that both the CSA and the NWASH must provide a public explanation for the breach of the CSA Standing Order regarding the hiring of these officials.
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR:
In September of this year, the NWASH Commission advertised the Executive Director position, attracting several qualified professionals with solid academic credentials. However, investigations indicate that both the CSA and NWASH intentionally breached the Act establishing the NWASH Commission and the CSA’s Policy by hiring an unqualified person for the role of Executive Director at the WASH Commission over other qualified Liberians. The recruitment memo for the Executive Director specified two critical requirements as follows:
- The Executive Director is required to possess AT LEAST a master’s degree in Environmental Science, Business Administration, or Sociology.
- The Executive Director should also have a minimum of ten years’ work experience in Public Administration and Environmental Management/Science.
According to the aforementioned accounts, it has been confirmed that the person recruited for the Executive Director position by the WASH Commission and the CSA, Mr.
Alexander Joseph Mondubue, does not have a Master’s degree. He only has a Bachelor’s degree. Furthermore, he does not possess a minimum of ten years of working experience in the sector as required by law, evidenced by what is mentioned in the job advisement. Please find attached testimonial documents for your review. His recruitment may have involved fraudulent practices, which could have led to the exclusion of other highly qualified candidates.
Approximately five individuals, all holding Master’s degrees in Environmental Science, Public Administration, and Business Administration, applied for the Executive Director position but were rejected. Why? This raises questions about the kind of nation we aspire to build. The CSA has professed a commitment to transparency and accountability to regain public confidence. However, the current recruitment of an unqualified individual as Executive Director of the WASH Commission suggests otherwise.
It is imperative to state that the CSA should immediately revoke its decision to recruit an unqualified Executive Director for the WASH Commission, who did not meet the two, most important qualifications and instead re-advertise the position.
In professional environments, upon discovering a fraudulent recruitment process, the individuals involved are typically disqualified and the position is re-advertised. If the CSA is committed to transparency, it should publicly re-advertise the position. Moreover, those responsible for the fraudulent hiring of an unqualified Executive Director ought to face strict penalties.
Human Resources Director:
The investigation also revealed that the Commission’s Director of Human Resources, Mrs. Naomi Jarbah Tiabor was not subjected to the appropriate vetting process, and was recruited by the CSA to work at the Commission. Furthermore, she did not undergo the CSA-certified recruitment process, and evidence from our investigation indicates that she possesses unsatisfactory interpersonal skills, which have occasionally resulted in aggressive actions toward employees.
Before her illegitimate appointment at the WASH Commission as Director of Human Resources, John Gray previously held the role. He resigned for undisclosed reasons. According to CSA Policy, the NWASH Commission needed to alert the CSA of the vacancy. Additionally, such a vacancy should be publicly advertised and filled through a transparent vetting process. Unfortunately, the NWASH Commission neglected this policy by not notifying the CSA of the vacancy up to present. Consequently, within two weeks of Mr. Gray’s departure, the NWASH Commission appointed a new Director of Human Resources in Mrs. Naomi Jarbah Tiabor without adhering to the required vetting procedure as required by the CSA.
In light of recent events, my post addressing wrongful dismissals and suspensions of employees at the NWASH Commission purposely linked to political affiliations attracted several counterarguments. It has come to light that those behind the dismissals may have been fraudulently recruited. The measures taken against the employees who were suspended or dismissed might be seen as an effort to intimidate them into silence about the CSA Policy breaches that led to their illegitimate hiring.
Next week, we will present you hard facts involing corruption, mismanagement and incompetence of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the NWASH Commission, Mr. George W.K. Yango. We will also inform you about what he did in Eqpyt where he is now representeing Liberia at an environmental and WASH forum. I spoke with my former classmate from the U.S., who works for the Environmental Agency in Eqypt. He is also attending the event. Egypt is hosting the “African Water Week” as the current chair of the African Ministerial Council on Water (AMCAW).
We urge the CSA to take immediate action, as its Director General has a documented history of advocating for transparency. He is likely unaware of the current situation, but once informed, he is expected to intervene. We anticipate the CSA’s prompt investigation into the serious breach of CSA Policy to reinstate transparency and accountability within the NWASH commission.
CC: Anthony F. Williams – Chairperson on NWASH Commission, House of Representatives
CC: Board members of the NWASH Commission
CC: Civil Service Agency – Liberia
CC: Liberia National Water, Sanitation and Hygiene – WASH Commission
