The Civil Society Network of Liberia (CSNL) says it highly welcomes the legal action instituted by ten (10) dismissed employees of the National Port Authority (NPA), including Gabriel S. Bull, Comptroller of the corporation, against the management of the NPA and its Managing Director, Sekou Dukuly, for their unlawful dismissal from the corporation.
On March 29, 2024, the dismissed employees, including Bull, filed two (2) separate cases for “Action of Damages for Wrong Libel and Slander” at the Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Montserrado County.
Having conducted investigation into reasons and circumstances surrounding the dismissal of senior employees of the NPA, including Bull, Comptroller of the National Port Authority, the Civil Society Network of Liberia said they strongly support the action of the dismissed employees in using the court to seek justice. “We see the dismissal as unlawful, illegal and a witch-hunted action. There is no substantially established reason why the Sekou Dukuly led administration of the NPA would dismiss Mr. Bull as Comptroller of the corporation. The dismissal action against the ten NPA employees, including Comptroller Gabriel Bull, lack all legal and evidential merits. Therefore, it is commendable that the illegally dismissed employees of the NPA filed two separate cases at the Sixth Judicial Civil Law Court of Montserrado County against the NPA management. The NPA management’s assertions of “financial improprieties and administrative reasons”, which serves as basis for dismissal of the ten senior employees, are vague, ambiguous and lack evidence. Due to the fact that the dismissed employees were never accorded due process, as provided for in Article 20 of the 1986 Liberian Constitution, the employees are legally right to use the court to seek justice,” CSNL stated in a press release.
“The Civil Society Network of Liberia strongly believes that, from all investigation, the NPA management’s decision to dismiss the ten employees has no legal backing, as it fails to meet the minimum standard of evidence for any proven action. The “Action of Damages for Libel and Slander “case at the court against the NPA management, represented by its Managing Director, Sekou Dukuly, is the surest way to ensure that heads of governmental institutions will not carry out arbitrary and self-willed dismissal of Liberians. We also welcome the specific writ issued against the NPA management for terminating the service of Mr. Gabriel Bull as Comptroller of the NPA, on the basis of discovering vouchers showing sums of money disbursed to the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) through his approval. We are sure that the allegation is a trash, concocted and premeditated with the intent to illegally deny a Liberian of his right to employment. Given the reputational damage this action has inflicted on the characters of these ten Liberians, especially Mr. Bull, the court is the appropriate forum to use in restoring their character. This will provide the opportunity for the NPA management to substantiate their dismissal action, which we know has no merit.
“The Civil Society Network of Liberia commends the ten (10) dismissed employees of the NPA for using the court of law to challenge their unlawful dismissal by management of the National Port Authority. While the House of Representatives probes the abrupt dismissal of Mr. Gabriel Bull and other senior staff of the NPA, we are convinced that the Court is the rightful medium to handle the issue. We call on the Sixth Judicial Civil Law Court for Montserrado County to speedily hear this case, as it bothers around the character and livelihood of hundreds of Liberians. Now that the case is before the court, we are convinced that the court will dispense justice, and the characters of the ten (10) dismissed employees, including Mr. Gabriel Bull, will be restored, and get subsequently reinstated.”