By Bridgett Milton
Employees of the Temporary Employment for Community Youth (TECY) staged a protest at the Liberia Broadcasting System 9LBS) in Paynesville early Tuesday morning, 26 June 2023.
The protesters sought to speak with Finance Minister Samuel D. Tweah after hearing that he had gone to the station to appear on the Super Morning Show.
On 28 April 2022, the Ministry of Youth and Sports officially launched the Temporary Employment for Community Youth project in the Township of West Point, Montserrado County.
According to Youth and Sports Minister D. Zeogar Wilson, President George Manneh Weah was concerned about the vulnerable people, especially those that are living in the slum communities.
The program was expected to benefit over 1,100 vulnerable young people.
However, the protesters said from June this year, they have not received their salaries, making it difficult to support their families.
TECY Supervisor for R2 Community on the Roberts International Airport (RIA) highway Albert Jah said he has 81 people under his supervision.
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He alleged that for the past three months, they have not been given their salaries.
Jah stated further that they have been doing their job effectively, saying Minister Tweah sees them every morning Minster Tweah when he passes by.
However, Jah said he doesn’t know why the Minister has allegedly refused to pay them.
Asked if the Minister of Finance is responsible for the payment, Jah responded in the affirmative, arguing that it is the government’s project under the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
“So many times, we have had meetings with the Minister of Youth and Sports, but we are not getting good answers from him. He can only tell us that he will meet the Finance [Minister] and get back to us,” Jah alleged.
He said when they heard that the Minister of Finance was about to appear on ELBC, they also assembled there to ask him when they will get their pay.
But Jah lamented that Mr. Tweah didn’t stop to even listen to them.
“If the President of the Republic of Liberia can get down and talk to us, who is Samuel Tweah?” Jah pondered.
Also speaking, Sarah Harmon from the 12th Street Community said since school opened, her children have not been able to go to school because she has been unable to pay their school fees.
According to her, she has not paid her children’s school fees because she depends on her pay to address the school fees problem.
