NEC Staff Denied Entry Amid Alleged Retaliation

Monrovia Liberia: Eight employees of the National Elections Commission (NEC) have been denied access to the institution’s premises, reportedly on the order of NEC Chairperson Davidetta Brown-Lansanah. 

Speaking at NEC’s headquarters on 9th Street in Sinkor, the aggrieved employees revealed that armed police officers stationed at the entrance prevented them from entering the compound.

“The armed officers told us we couldn’t enter, saying it was an order from Chairperson Brown-Lansanah. We believe this is retaliation for our protest over the dismissal of our colleagues,” one of the affected workers told said.

The employees linked the action to their December 2024 protest against the dismissal of 25 NEC staff members.

On December 3, 2024, Chairperson Brown-Lansanah terminated approximately 40 employees, citing "gross insubordination" as the reason for their dismissal.

The termination letters, signed by NEC’s Human Resource Director Pauline Korkoyah and approved by Executive Director Anthony K. Sengbe, stated that the workers were dismissed for showing "disrespect and insubordination" to the Chairperson.

The dismissed employees had protested at the NEC headquarters, demanding hazard benefits for their work during the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections.

“Many of us risked our lives to ensure the success of the elections, but instead of being rewarded, we are being punished,” said another NEC worker.

The protest and subsequent dismissals have stirred tensions within the NEC. Reports suggest that members of the NEC Board of Commissioners had expressed dissatisfaction with the Chairperson’s decision.

The workers further disclosed to K-News that their protest action in late 2024 was halted following mediation by an official from the Executive Mansion.

“We had a meeting with the Executive Mansion to stop our protest, and we complied but to our surprise, eight of our colleagues were denied access to their offices today,” one of the workers explained.

As of now, NEC Chairperson Brown-Lansanah has not commented on the matter. The aggrieved employees are calling for immediate intervention to address the situation and reinstate their access to the workplace.