Workers of the Temporary Empowerment for Community Youth (TECY) project staged a protest outside the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning on Monday, September 30, 2024, blocking major roads in demand of 13 months of unpaid salary arrears owed to them by the Government of Liberia.
The protesters, many of whom were women and elderly citizens, held placards and brooms, while others sat on the road, obstructing traffic. “We want our pay; our children are not in school due to lack of fees, and we have no way to sustain our families,” they said.
The TECY project was launched in April 2022 under the former Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) administration, replacing the Reclaiming Liberia Beaches and Waterways Project. TECY aimed to create employment for 1,100 vulnerable individuals across 14 slum communities in Montserrado County.
Joseph David, a TECY supervisor, told reporters that the government allocated US$2.5 million in the June 2024 National Budget to settle the workers’ arrears, and their lawmakers, including Representatives Dixon Seboe, Samuel Enders, and Bernard Benson, informed them that the money was approved.
However, he said after the Unity Party took power, the workers confronted former Finance Minister Boima Kamara about their outstanding salaries, and Kamara had promised payment in July 2024, but resigned before fulfilling that commitment.
David said efforts to engage acting Finance Minister Anthony G. Myers also proved futile, as he deferred the issue, stating he was not the official minister. When the workers finally met with newly appointed Finance Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan, they were shocked to learn that the recast budget for Fiscal Year 2024 only allocated US$200,000 for TECY, instead of the promised US$2.5 million.
David expressed frustration, stating that the Executive has not made the necessary funds available, leading lawmakers to inform them that the government no longer prioritizes the project. “We feel abandoned. The government isn’t seeking the welfare of its citizens,” David said.
He described the protest as a last resort to gain the government’s attention. “Our rights have been ignored, especially these elderly women who clean the beaches, yet their children can’t attend school.” Minister Ngafuan, responding to the protest, announced the formation of a three-party committee—comprising the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Youth and Sports, and TECY leaders—to resolve the issue. He affirmed that the government’s obligation to TECY workers must be honored.
“If what you’ve told us is confirmed, the government will settle its obligations,” Ngafuan said, recalling how the Unity Party-led government under former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had inherited 38 months of unpaid civil servant salaries but successfully addressed the arrears.
However, Ngafuan cautioned that while the government is committed to addressing salary arrears, there are multiple financial demands on the national budget. “The current administration is facing significant challenges, and there are national demands beyond what the budget can cover. We will pay, but how soon depends on available resources.”
Ngafuan also urged the TECY workers to trust their leadership in the negotiation process and to cease the protest. When asked about the US$200,000 reportedly included in the 2024 Recast Budget, Ngafuan declined to comment, stating that the government faces a wider array of pressing financial obligations.
“The national budget is over US$738 million, but the demands exceed US$1 billion. We need to engage in dialogue on how to address these issues over time,” Ngafuan said.
