By Bill W. Cooper
Several former employees of the Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LTC) have threatened to continue their protestation against the institution’s management, over their alleged refusal to pay them their owed benefits.
Speaking to a team of reporters during the heavy downpour of rain, after blocking the main entry of the LTC in Monrovia, the former employees, many of whom are old folks, recounted that they were redundant in 2006, during the regime of former President, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, but are yet to get their benefits from the institution.
According to them, the former Liberian leader mandated the entity to pay their benefits in the two categories – cash and bags of rice – before the end of her term in office, but the institution has reportedly refused to pay their benefits up to present.
The former employees said their first target currently is to receive their rice benefit, which has the financial value of US$260 for each member.
According to them, they have gone over 16 years fighting for their deserved benefits and some of their colleagues have even died in the process, yet the institution continues to give them inhumane treatment.
The former employees also narrated that when the Coalition for Democratic Change regime took over, they took their official documents to House Speaker, Bhofal Chambers.
They indicated that the Speaker further mandated the LTC authorities to pay their benefits, but they have not acted in full. While at least 200 of the total number of former employees were given their rice benefits, the cash benefit is still outstanding.
The ex-employees of the LTC also revealed that at this crucial time where the ruling CDC is seeking re-election, the entity is telling them that they have no money to pay them, rather, they are using the funds to campaign for President George Weah’s reelection.
Meanwhile, when contacted by journalists, including our reporter, LTC Chief Executive Officer, Richmond Nagbe Tobii, claimed that he was in a management meeting but promised to return the calls as soon as possible.
While Mr. Tobii has neither called back nor responded to additional calls and text messages subsequently sent to him, his principal deputy, Mr. Anderson Slober Chea, also declined to comment on the matter and referred our reporter and other journalists to his Boss.
