Phebe Hospital Employees Association To Strike, Amidst Corruption Scandal

By: Exodus Weah
Phebe hospital Employees Association in Suakoko District are expected to strike, amidst corruption scandal.
Appearing on a local radio station in Bong County, the association headed by its interim President Wilmont C.S Gbelai told Bongese that if the operations of Phebe hospital are halted in the next weeks, Dr. Jefferson Sibley and his previous accused staffers involved in the past payroll padding scandals will be responsible.
He named Mr. Kerson K. Saykor, Administrator, Mr. Patrick Y. Jackson, chief finance officer, Mr. Jonathan L. Pewu, personal officer and Jeremiah Akoi, Senior Accountant.
Mr. Wilmont C.S Gbelai alleged that Dr. Sibley and his previous able deputies have placed Phebe into a scenario, which he said is very regrettable and damaging the only referral hospital.
Mr. Gbelai explained that the current Phebe Employees Association struggles with the newly appointed acting senior staffers of the hospital.
Presenting, Rev. G. Victor Padmore, Mr. John Yarkpawolo, Mr. George Barbo, and Mr. Peter Gbalawoe are serving previous positions their colleagues were suspended from for payroll padding.
He told Bongese that they have written the hospital’s board of Trustees including members of the Bong Legislative Caucus headed by its chairman Senator Henry Willie Yallah, but has failed to yield any result.
“As we speak about 130 legitimate employees of the hospital are not on nay payroll and have not receive their salaries since the past six months, the salaries of the affected employees are not known neither harmonized as it relates to the Memorandum of Understanding that was published in May 2019 by the government of Liberia for implementation since July 2019”Mr. Gbelai added.
The association is also requesting for copies of the initial audit report conducted by the Internal Auditing Agency IAA and employees listing termed as supplementary employees be submitted to the new leadership for the smooth operation of the hospital.
He said a week from now if their demands are not met; the employees of Phebe Hospital & School of Nursing will put aside the profession and conduct a Go Slow Action that will be led to the closure of the hospital.