By Bill W. Cooper
The Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) office has been a scene of action, following the closing by some aggrieved contractors who are demanding their rightful payments.
The lockdown of the institution came as contractors expressed frustration over long overdue wages, thus seeking immediate action from the Agency to address their grievances.
LACE is a government agency responsible for implementing development projects and initiatives, aimed at empowering communities across Liberia, but the institution has since reneged on settling the benefits of those hired contractors.
As a result, these contractors, who have tirelessly worked on projects, ranging from infrastructure development to other programs, decided to take matters into their own hands.
In a show of unity and determination, the contractors, during their yesterday, December 18, 2023 protestation, strategically locked down the LACE office to convey their dissatisfaction and ensure their voices are heard.
The aggrieved contractors, expressing their dissatisfaction, stressed that the lockdown of the building will continue until their demands are met, and they receive their rightful payments.
According to them, they were contracted by LACE, through its Executive Director, Pepsi Yeke, to implement some of the housing units project in various counties, following the promise made by President George Weah during his nationwide county tour.
The aggrieved contractors explained that since the commencement of the project, which they were told to pre-finance, they are yet to receive their funds from LACE, as all efforts exerted have proven futile.
They added that some of them can no longer go back to their respective counties of operation, on grounds that they are being chased and hunted by their employees for their pay.
“We need our money; our children have to go to school and our families also have to eat. Even the boys that are working for some of us are now chasing and hunting us for their pay for the work they did.
And even the banks that we credited from to start the project, based on the pre-finance agreement, have also seized our equipment and no way for us to work and earn something for our family,” the aggrieved contractors narrated.
They furthered, “So, we are calling on President Weah to see the need and settle our benefits because we will not relent until our monies are paid and no one cent will remain for the incoming President Joseph Boakai.”
Meanwhile, the aggrieved workers have threatened to stage a major protest on inauguration day if their monies are not paid by his administration in the soonest possible time, and at the same time, vowed not to leave the street until their concerns are addressed.
