The headquarters of the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) was a scene of political embarrassment yesterday when top operatives of the Unity Party (UP) took an “Officer-in-Charge” to the entity but were rejected by the staff.
During the afternoon hours of Monday, March 4, 2024, the Chairman of UP and Board Chairman of the National Port Authority, Rev. Luther Tarpeh, along with Gbarpoluand Bong Counties senators, Gbotoe Kanneh and Prince Moye, and the former Chairman of the party now Minister of Commerce and Industry, Amin Modad, walked on the staff of the institution and called an impromptu meeting to introduce Cllr. Moivee Kanneh, whom they said was appointed by President Joseph N. Boakai to take charge of the entity until an appropriate director-general is appointed.
Cllr. Kanneh and the UP and government officials had with them a letter, which they claimed was the official appointment letter from the Office of the President.
However, the Deputy Director General of the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP),Camerna C. Yeke, who is acting at Director General in the absence of Dewitt vonBallmoos, told the delegation that there was no official communication sent to the entity regarding Cllr. Kanneh’s appointment. According to her, she had communicated with DG vonBallmoos about their coming but he informed her that he had no knowledge about the appointee and that he was still in charge of the entity.
Professionally, Yeke told the UP/government delegation that vonBallmoos has looked up for Cllr. Kanneh’s appointment on the Executive Mansion website contacted the Executive Mansion, but was assured that he is still in charge of NASSCORP; as such, Cllr. Kanneh should reconfirm with the Executive Mansion.
She then requested that she call vonBallmoos via mobile phone in order for him to join the conversation, but the delegation contested the gesture, noting that it was not necessary.
UP Chairman, Rev. Tarpeh, said, “We brought this letter from the presidency, with the President’s signature. I’m the Chairman of the party, this is the senior senator of Bong County [pointing fingers to Senator Moye] and the senator of Gbarpolu [pointing fingers to Senator Kanneh]. We all are eminent citizens of this country. We will not bring anything that liable to falsification…we will not do that. If we present it to you and for any reason you don’t honor it, we will relate the message.”
But DDG Yeke requoted vonBallmoss that he has not received a communication from the President, and has not seen any publication on the Executive Mansion website, and he had spoken to the Executive Mansion and was told that he is still in charge of NASSCORP.
The meeting was abruptly adjourned, and the delegation left the building.
The National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) was established for the welfare of employees in both the public and private economic sectors of Liberia, with the principal functions and responsibilities to develop innovative strategies and policies for improved corporate governance and service delivery. It is headed by a Director General, who enjoys a tenure of five years.
On Aprill 6, 2022, President George M. Weah renominated Dewitt vonBallmoos to the position of Director General of the institution, and he was subsequently confirmed by the Liberian Senate in September 2022 following a report from the Senate Committee on Social Security, Pension & Insurance, headed by Grand Gedeh County Senator Zoe Emmanuel Pennue. The report from the Committee was accompanied by a performance and analysis report from the nominee, which highly praised for his endeavor to turn NASSCORP into a profit-making public institution, with the construction of housing units, among others.
Even though the delegation claimed that the appointment came from the President, Cllr. Kanneh’s name was not mention in President Boakai’s nomination yesterday, which was published on the Executive Mansion website late in the evening, which puts the delegation in a questionable situation as to whether they faked the President’s signature and purportedly positioned themselves as his delegates or they were actually sent by the President.
Meanwhile, political pundits have expressed disappointment in the early governance pattern of the Boakai administration, and pointed what ineptitude and lack of direction in handling the affairs of the country.
Prominent OK FM talk-show host, Julius Jeh, wrote, “Fellow Liberians, no matter what your persuasion is, this act in this video is so despicable and a serious blot on the early governance credentials of the Unity Party-led government.
“How on the planet the Presidency doesn’t announce a person as an Officer in Charge of an entity and party officials, senators and other government officials will accompany said person to take over the entity?
“Now, NASSCORP is an entity with tenured officials who are still working, and with no deference to them the law and the Presidency, [how] these ‘enlightened’ and ‘more sophisticated’ people could do such thing?”
