Fuss over Gasoline at NEC

Reports gathered by this paper suggest that directors and other senior managers at the National Elections Commission are very disenchanted with the way and manner gasoline is distributed among them.

According to the policy of NEC, all directors and other sectional heads are entitled to a hundred gallons of gasoline or fuel monthly, but due to last year’s Ebola outbreak, fuel supply was reduced by 40 percent. NEC sources informed this paper that since the eradication of the deadly Ebola virus, the Board of Commissioners has refused to return to status core. The decision at the time also affected all commissioners and the chairman.

The highly placed source explained that since the declaration of Liberia as Ebola free, directors and managers are still experiencing the 40- percent reduction, while commissioners were now receiving 200 gallons and Chairman Korkoya, 300 gallons per month respectively.

Our source further indicated that some directors and senior policy makers having been appealing to the Board of Commissioners for the restoration of the monthly hundred gallons, but to no avail, as the Executive Director – Lamine Lighe continues steak to the 40 cut.

As a result, employees are threatening to go slow at NEC.  Some who confided in this paper said that they were busy in the field on daily basis and that such assignments required more gasoline and fuel, especially travelling from county to the other, saying 60 gallons per month was very small for full effectiveness on the job.

Our source also revealed that Chairman Korkoya has reportedly diverted the government-assigned vehicle to his private use, further noting that the Nissan Patrol Jeep bought for him when he took over commission was now for his personal use, without the commission’s assigned license plate “NEC-1”.

When Chairman Korkoya was contacted about the information, he confirmed the reduction in the gasoline and fuel supplies among directors and senior managers, making it clear that the decision was on the basis of the shortfall from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning.

Chairman Korkoya added that gasoline or fuel was not an entitlement to any staff of the commission, instead it was a good will of the Board of Commissioners, stressing that those making the claims against the reduction in their fuel or gasoline were effective employees on job, but were relying on gossips, hate and envy against the Board of commissioners.

According to him, NEC was over-crowded with people not delivering, but his administration was only managing with them because of social connections. Commenting on the diversion of his government-assigned vehicle to private use, he said it was done in consultation with the General Service Agency and Finance and Development Planning that endorsed the process.

According to him, at a mass meeting on Tuesday, some directors and employees raised the issue of the gasoline distribution which, he observed, was taken to the media by some employees, and that the NEC was now engaged with the Finance Ministry for some serious employees to be dropped, recounting that the decision was made due to the fact that the maintenance of vehicles by the commission was a challenge.

According to him, it was agreed by the Board of commissioners that all assigned NEC vehicles be auctioned to employees of the commission with an agreement that those who paid for their assigned vehicles will use them for NEC’s functions for about one year, with the understanding that the commission will not be responsible for maintenance, but only fuel.

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor – Editing by George Barpeen