The Civil Society Network of Liberia (CSNL) has welcomed the legal action instituted by 10 dismissed employees of the National Port Authority (NPA) against the Management of the NPA and its Managing Director, Mr. Sekou Dukuly, for their ‘unlawful dismissal.’
On March 29, 2024, the dismissed employees, including Mr. Gabriel S. Bull, Comptroller of NPA filed two separate cases for “Action of Damages for Wrong Libel and Slander” at the Sixth Judicial Circuit Law Court at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia.
In a statement over the weekend, CSNL said having investigated reasons and circumstances surrounding the dismissal of senior employees of the NPA, it strongly supports the action of the dismissed employees in using the court to seek justice.
“We see the dismissal as unlawful, illegal, and a witch-hunted action. There is no substantially established reason why the Sekou Dukuly-led Administration of the NPA will dismiss Mr. Bull as the Comptroller of the corporation. The dismissal actions against the ten NPA employees, including Comptroller Gabriel Bull lack all legal and evidential merits,” the group claims.
As a result, the group said it is commendable that the dismissed employees of the NPA filed two separate cases against the NPA Management. It argued that the NPA Management’s assertions of “financial improprieties and administrative reasons”, which serve as the basis for the dismissal of the ten senior employees, are vague, ambiguous, and lack evidence.
The group furthered that because the dismissed employees were never accorded due process, as provided for in Article 20 of the ¬¬¬1986 Liberian Constitution, the employees are legally right to use the court to seek justice.
The Civil Society Network of Liberia strongly believes that from all investigations, the NPA Management’s decision to dismiss the ten employees has no legal backing, as it fails to meet the minimum standard of evidence for any proven action.
“The Action of Damages for Libel and Slander case at the Court against the NPA Management, represented by its Managing Director, Sekou Dukuly is the surest way to ensure that heads of governmental institutions will not carry out arbitrary and self-willed dismissal of Liberians. We also welcome the specific writ issued against the NPA Management for terminating the service of Mr. Gabriel Bull as Comptroller of the NPA, based on discovering vouchers showing sums of money disbursed to the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) through his approval,” it contended.
Continuing, it said “We are sure that the allegation is trash, concocted and premeditated with the intent to illegally deny a Liberian of his right to employment. Given the reputational damage this action has inflicted on the characters of these ten Liberians, especially Mr. Bull, the court is the appropriate forum to use in restoring their character. This will provide the opportunity for the NPA Management to substantiate their dismissal action, which we know has no merit.” The group commended the dismissed employees for using the court of law to challenge their ‘unlawful dismissal.’
