A former contract monitor at the Independent Human Rights Commission (INCHR) based in Maryland County, D. Nimehnne Saletti, says he is enduring difficulties in getting redress from his former bosses on the recovery of his just benefits since his contract expired in June, 2020.Explaining his ordeal to the paper on Monday, Mr. Saletti who appeared very depressed said the action of the Commission has compromised his rights making him to wonder what will be the role of the Commission if someone’s rights are offended in the pending elections in line with bad governance.
He said on June 30, a termination notice of service for his contract was submitted to him by the Commission when it had failed to settle his salary for that month, being aware that since the contract ended, he would need cash to get him and his family relocated.
Saletti, who worked as an INCHR employee based in Harper, said he began encountering problems with getting paid for services performed by the entity dating back to December 30, 2019, when he was assigned to Monrovia to observe and monitor the Council of Patriots’ planned protest on Commissioner Tonia Wiles Trawalley’s team.
He explained that on January 6, 2020 again he was given similar task but to date, he is yet to be compensated for the job having submitted all his reports to the team leader but averred that all of his colleagues have been given their remuneration.
Complainant Saletti said as if not satisfied, “I was officially summoned in March 2020 for a called workshop sponsored by the UNOCHR/UNDP and had to leave my assigned area again in Harper for Ganta, Nimba County on March 14.”
“I had already spent a night in Ganta when I was informed by Mohammed A. Kromah that the planned workshop was suspended because of covid-19 epidemic in Liberia; therefore I proceeded to Monrovia to seek redress on whether a refund would be appropriate in order to recover the expenses incurred for my travel and lodging,” he continued.
He complained that many attempts and meetings were held but there was never a redress therefore, he had to return to base in Maryland County.
“What a mockery of the tendency of democracy in post war Liberia. I have applied the best attempts to receive the amount of US$225 for the service that was rendered during December 30, 2019 and January 6, 2020 protest which failed and became a mere rhetoric and US$450 cannot be paid for the month of June,” he lamented.
But when the INCHR was contacted through its complaint clerk, Thomas Jeffrey, he explained that it is a problem that that arm of government is faced with in its partnership with UNDP/UNOCHR whose responsibility it is to pay some monitors/contractors.
Mr. Jeffery said most of the employees including himself are suffering such payment delays and that this age-old problem that they have fought to end but to no avail.
He said as for Saletti’s issue, on the payment of enumeration for his monitoring function on December 30, 2019 and January 6, 2020 protests, apparently only those assigned monitors in Monrovia were to participate because when he intervened he understood that those monitors based in Monrovia were paid.
Jeffery said like Saletti’s document showed that he was not an assigned monitor for Monrovia rather he was in Monrovia for other purposes and decided to take on said functions.
Jeffery said he had made inquiries into Saletti’s case and have explained to him that instead of blaming this government, he should blame the UNDP/UNOCHR and as public servants, they should all exercise a little more patience because they are all complaining of similar behavior which should be blamed squarely on the part of their partners.