Following a careful review of his nearly nine months in office, the Independent Civil Society Union of Liberia (ICSUL) has joined President Joseph Nyuma Boakai in hailing what it terms as splendid and enviable performance of Labor Minister, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah, Sr.
Amid recent media reports quoting Presidential Press Secretary, Kula Fofana as saying that President Boakai is not happy with the performance of some of his officials, the Executive Mansion has recognized and welcomed the vigilance and output of Minister Kruah.
In an October 10, 2024 communication addressed to Minister Kruah, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Sylvester M. Grigsby, quoted President Boakai as commending Minister Kruah for his vigilance and commitment to ensuring concessions operate within the confines of the laws of Liberia and that Liberians are treated fairly in line with the Decent Work Act.
“The President would have me acknowledge your letter of 8th October 2024 submitting report of your inspection at Bea Mountain, Western Cluster and ArcelorMittal Concession facilities, respectively.” ….”You are urged to remain steadfast in the issuance of work permits for employees of casinos, clubs and other entertainment centers and the implementation of your duties in general,” the President’s letter stated.
President Boakai further described the Student Vacation Job Program as particularly laudable, as it would help to instill a sense of work ethics into the students while providing them an income.
Cllr. Kruah, who is widely regarded as one of the few best performers in the cabinet of former President George Manneh Weah for six years, was appointed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to head and administer the labor sector of the country, under the “Rescue Mission” regime, an appointment which was expectedly welcomed by many as strategic and well thought out, considering his result-oriented nature.
The civil movement, like many other Liberians and foreign residents alike, said that Cllr. Kruah is on record for his commitment to ensuring that failure/refusal by individuals, companies and organizations to respect the Labor Laws of Liberia will not be tolerated under his administration, a promise he has demonstratively kept so far up to date.
The civil society group, together with other former and current civil servants and private sector workers, also recognized Minister Kruah’s unequivocal stance in ensuring that the safety and welfare of Liberian workers are not compromised irrespective of where they are, while at the same time ensuring that qualified Liberians are given preferential job opportunities, and foreigners only allowed to take up jobs where qualified Liberians are not readily available.
The group also commended Minister Kruah for his courage not to be an air conditioned office-confined public official, but one who is willing and able to go on the field to abreast himself with first-hand information about the conditions of workers and services delivered by employers to their employees and the communities in which they operate.
ICSUL cited Minister Kruah’s willingness and ability to tour several concessions and other working sites, including the much talked-about Western Cluster mining concession, where he headed a high-power delegation on a three day assessment tour of industrial labor activities in Western Liberia, as part of his nationwide assessment of labor sites throughout the country.
The CSO coalition has also recognized what it described as Minister Kruah’s remarkable achievements in a mouth-watering revenue collection scorecard which reflects the collection of over US$3, 865, 00 generated from the Alien Permit Registration, amongst others.
Meanwhile, Cllr. Kruah, according to the CSO group, appears to be a victim of a smear campaign perpetrated by hired guns with the aim of quenching his performance light, because of the level of progress he’s made so far since he took over the Ministry of Labor.
This, the group added, is a political tactic by enemies of the government and other visionless politicians who sadly believe that their rise to higher heights is only possible with the downfall of others, especially those they see as more competent and progressive than they are.
ICSUL has urged Minister Kruah not to be deterred or distracted by failure-bound political machinations and wishful thinking from clueless and unsophisticated losers whose only destination is the corridors of shock, frustration and disappointment, powered by the incessant delivery of beneficial results for the government and people of Liberia.
