Several dismissed officers of the Executive Protection Service (EPS) on Thursday, April 18, 2024 stormed the Executive Ground in reaction to what they termed as an “illegal dismissal”. According to them, if the EPS administration insists on dismissing them without reason, then it should pay them their just benefits for their service to country over the years.
It can be recalled that the administration of the EPS recently dismissed about 300 EPS agents who were recruited, trained, given weapons and assigned.
In a dismissal letter issued on April 4, 2024 to one of the EPS officers, Sundayboy Johnson, ID#752, the EPS administration wrote, “It has been determined by the Administration that you did not meet the minimum entry requirements to be employed by the Executive Protection Service [EPS]. Therefore, your services have been terminated with immediate effect.
“Upon receipt of this communication, you are instructed to turnover all EPS properties issued you by the Service, including your identification card, to the Human Resource Section, and immediately desist from identifying yourself as an employee of the EPS.”
Contrary to the letter, however, the Hot Pepper was told that the EPS officers were being dismissed for allegedly being associated with the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and being loyal to former President George M. Weah.
It is alleged that the Deputy Minister of State for administration, Cornelia Kruah, a few days ago walked in the Executive Mansion and loudly announced the dismissal of the over 800 personnel of the Executive Mansion, citing the lack of proper employment and the over-crowdedness of the Executive Mansion. Her action immediately sparked an upheaval in the building. The Minister of Information, Jerolinmek Piah, was then contacted to intervene before the matter got out of hand. According to information, Minister Piah rushed to the scene, calmed the situation and invited the affected personnel to a meeting the following day.
According to information, after Minister Piah left the Executive Ground he immediately contacted the National Security Advisor to President Joseph N. Boakai, Atty. Samuel Kofi Woods, who boldly informed him that he was not aware of the decision of the Ministry of State. Unfortunately the meeting could not be held the following day.
Days passed without word from the EPS administration or the Ministry of State, and the aggrieved EPS agents took to the streets of Monrovia in demand of their benefits or reinstatement, as they consider their dismissal illegal and without basis. They marched to the Executive Mansion, but were resisted and denied entry into the compound.
Feeling disenchanted, some of the agents honored an invitation extended by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Voice of Liberia (VOL), Sekou Sheriff, to discuss the matter surrounding their dismissal.
During the live broadcast with Sekou Sheriff, one of the dismissed EPS agents, James Kelley, alleged that since the EPS Director, Sam Gaye, was confirmed by the Liberian Senate he has not stepped foot at the EPS headquarters because of a statement he issued against the agents before taking over the entity; as such, he uses his Special Assistant, Erasmus, to do his work while he sits on the 4th floor of the Executive Mansion. He disclosed that all of the 300 illegally dismissed agents are requesting that Director Gaye and the EPS administration pay them off because they were dismissed without any legitimate reason.
Agent Kelley stated that the EPS administration only issued them dismissal letters and took away their identification cards, but they still carry their firearms, standing up from his seat to clearly show his firearm to the host in studio.
He warned that they are fully prepared for any eventuality if the EPS administration decides to get back at them.
However, on their way from the Voice of Liberia studio, they encountered officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) who had gone there to arrest them for their alleged involvement in an illegal protest, setting up roadblocks and issuing terroristic threats. The tussle between the LNP and the agents heated up, and live bullets were fired.
According to a LNP statement, “Early Thursday morning, persons claiming to be dismissed Agents of the EPS were seen agitating, demonstrating and blocking the ways, thereby preventing the movement of other residents and businesses in front of the Voice of Liberia Radio station (104.1 FM) in demand of their reinstatements.”
The LNP said they have arrested seven of them: J. Frank Hope, 43; Nathaniel S. Toe, 43; Andy P. Yeancy, 47; Samuel Reeves, 44; Anthony Mccrowrey, 39; James Kelley, 32; and Augustine Glealeh, 29, and are currently detained at the LNP headquarters undergoing investigation.
However, it is being reported that the arrest of the dismissed EPS agents came through the direct instruction of Director Gaye.
Persons the Hot Pepper spoke to after the frightening scene on the By-Pass expressed fear that Monrovia is no longer safe with the huge number of disenchanted officers roaming around with their weapons. A man who identified himself as Raymond told the paper that the dismissed EPS agents are potentially trained, and a number of 300 could destabilize little Monrovia in a day’s time.
According to Raymond, it is highly likely that when these guys run out of cash and without any hope they could resort to using their weapons to instill fear in peaceful citizens to get away with their valuables, describing the situation as a conduit for increased armed robbery in the months to come.
He recommended that the EPS administration call the dismissed agents to a meeting and find an amicable solution to the problem, if not call on President Boakai to intervene.