The Civil Society Network of Liberia (CSNL) has described as politically motivated and misleading, allegations leveled against the Minister of Labor, Cllr. Cooper W. Kruah by Senator Abraham Darius Dillon and others, that the minister sold 8,000 work permits to foreigners under fraudulent circumstances.
CSNL stated that the ongoing misinformation is not only a distortion of the facts but also aimed at undermining the progress achieved by Minister Kruah at the Labor Ministry.
The Civil Society Network of Liberia said it established that the issuance of work permits is a regulated, transparent, and security-related process, subjected to specific provisions of the Decent Work Act of 2015, statutorily delegated to the Ministry of Labor.
The group said in a statement on June 19, 2025, that despite Minister Kruah’s sincere legal responses to inquiries from senators regarding the issuance of work permits to foreign nationals, it is unfortunate that Dillon has embarked on consistent “attacks” on the workings of Cllr. Kruah, as Minister of Labor.
CSNL stated that Senator Dillon’s proposal to the Liberian Senate for Cllr. Kruah to present information on all work permit holders and their job titles does not only amount to legislative tyranny but a circumvention of its powers to target the Labor Minister, stating that Chapter 45 Part 45.1a,b,c&d of the Decent Work Act of 2015 regarding Foreign Employment doesn’t give any definite mandate or instruction for the Ministry of Labor to issue work permit with specific job titles.
“While the Legislature has oversight responsibility over the workings of agencies of the executive branch, it lacks the authority to play the role of auditing institutions. The act of requesting information surrounding the Labor Ministry’s issuance of work permits is tantamount to usurping the function of the General Auditing Commission (GAC), which has been statutorily legislated by the very Legislature to audit the operations of agencies of government,” the Civil Society Network of Liberia, through its Executive Director Sensee Kaidii said.
The statement noted that CSNL is troubled over Senator Dillon’s long-standing spearheaded campaign against Cllr. Kruah, adding that his continuous criticisms of the workings of Cllr. Kruah is a “show of divisiveness and a politically self-serving gambit.”
“This is not just one of Senator Dillon’s political showboating actions, but another act of deception on his part. It is contradictory that after the senate mandated the Ministry of Labor to generate 10.5 million in revenue, of which work permit fees are a key part, but Senator Dillon will tread on a debate without facts and merits,” the CSNL statement noted.
Furthermore, the Civil Society Network of Liberia views the Director General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), Mr. Josiah Joekai’s presentation made to the Liberian Senate on the issuance of work permits to foreigners, as not only a usurpation of functions and unbridled curiosity, but a determined baseless attack against Labor Minister, Cllr. Cooper Kruah.
“Mr. Joekai’s action was a deliberate misstep that ignored the separation of duties within the public governance space, as the CSA has no role in the issuance of work permits to foreigners. As the supervisory agency for public sector workers, the CSA boss was in error for meddling in work permits for private sector workers; which is the statutory function bequeathed to the Ministry of Liberia. Hence, we urge the Director General of the CSA, Mr. Josiah Joekai to remain within his bounds of functionaries to avoid potential conflicts in government,” CSNL Executive Director Kaidii said.
The Civil Society Network of Liberia calls on Senator Dillon to “desist from his ongoing smear campaign and political rhetoric against Labor Minister Kruah, and focus on the real challenges facing the Liberian People in the areas of education, health, infrastructure, and the economy.” Meanwhile, the group is urging the Liberian Senate to prioritize the growth and development of Liberia, instead of focusing on issues intended to unnecessarily target officials of government.
