What is now being described as a dangerous virus of usurpation and micromanagement of function is said to be permeating the governance architecture in the “Rescue” administration of President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, with several assistant ministers and managers left frustrated and unable to perform in line with their Constitutional and statutory assignments.
There are alarming reports of growing intimidation and humiliation of junior government officials by their bosses (Ministers, Director Generals, Managing Directors, Commissioners), thus increasing frustration, disappointment and functional disincentive across several ministries and agencies.
The situation has claimed the attention of a governance advocacy organization, the Green Democratic Movement (GDM), which termed the unabated practice as unacceptable and a recipe for psychological trauma and depression, which breed poor performance, and impede productivity.
GDM said it has observed that there are some heads of government entities who consider themselves so connected, favored and untouchable, and are therefore running their ministries and agencies in a “one man show” manner, and are subjecting some of their subordinates to unacceptable treatment, ignoring and undermining their Constitutional, statutory mandates and terms of reference.
Green Democratic Movement revealed that in many cases, some of these “all powerful” senior officials have hired special aides (assistants) to perform the statutory and/or Constitutional duties and responsibilities of even presidential appointees, and duly assigned agents of government.
According to GDM, in some cases some of these hired aides do not have the required knowledge and technical capacity to carry out the functions which they are pushed into by their benefactors, and as such, smooth and appropriate execution of government activities is dangerously hampered.
The pro-democracy group named the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), Ministries of Transport and Foreign Affairs, National Port Authority, and several other government ministries and agencies where the heads have effectively reduced the institutions to their exclusively owned and controlled entities, where their personal will and pleasure overshadow the statutory and Constitutional roles of other officials appointed by the President.
The Green Democratic Movement emphasized that government’s work must be done by people who are statutorily and Constitutionally hired to carry out their functions, and if heads of ministries and agencies hire aides and consultants, they must not take away the functions, duties, responsibilities and entitlements of those who are statutorily and Constitutionally hired (appointed).
GDM said that since the controversial resignation of former Assistant Foreign Minister for American Affairs, Karishma Pelham-Raad, many of the marginalized and humiliated junior officials appear to be afraid to stand up and express their grievances, but the situation continues to impede productivity and increase discontentment in the public service.
According to the CSO group, another Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is being mistreated, undermined denied and humiliated, as her functions are largely taken over by staff in the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, but attempts to get the affected Assistant Minister speak to the matter have proven unsuccessful, as she appears unwilling to speak to the matter.
Staff in the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and supposed outside media consultants are said to be performing local and international media functions, leaving the office of the Assistant Minister for Public Affairs virtually toothless.
A source in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confided that some outside media practitioners favored by the minister are conducting the functions and benefiting from the privileges and opportunities of public affairs of the ministry, to the disrespectful exclusion of the Assistant Minister for Public Affairs, but the Assistant Minister for Public Affairs has refused to go public on the matter, apparently preferring to address same internally or just let go.
At the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL), GDM added that the media relations officer has been reduced to a mere cameraman, who just receives instructions but is not consulted or allowed to make any input on important matters of public affairs concern, he, too, has remained tight lipped.
Green Democratic Movement cautioned that the practice of bringing family members, social and political friends to take over statutory or Constitutional government functions and allowing internal usurpation of functions, if not stopped, could significantly entrench discontentment, undermine government functions and destroy institutional confidentiality.