Police Deployed At Ministry of Justice Amidst Demand For Retirement Benefits By Former EPS Officers

On a tense Thursday morning, the Liberia National Police deployed riot officers to the Ministry of Justice as former officers of the Executive Protection Service (EPS) gathered to demand the retirement benefits owed to them. The ex-agents, many of whom served under the administration of former President George Weah, have been fighting for their dues since their dismissal after President Joseph Nyuma Boakai took office.

These ex-security personnel, who are frustrated by over nine months of unresolved payment issues, assembled outside the Ministry, hoping to push for answers. They want action from the government on promises made regarding their benefits.

One of the former officers, speaking on the condition of anonymity, shared that an official informed them that Justice Minister Cllr. Oswald Tweh was attending a Cabinet retreat at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Congo Town. According to the agent, Minister Tweh previously promised to address their concerns once the President returned to the country, and with President Boakai now back, they are eager to hear directly from the Minister.

“The police are not our problem,” one of the EPS officers said. “We’re not here to fight them. We are security personnel too. We just want to hear from the Minister. He said once the President was back, we’d get answers about our benefits. Now that the President is here, we want to know what’s going on.”

Charles G. Helb Jr., Acting Director of Press and Public Affairs at the Ministry of Justice, said that the situation remains calm and that the former agents’ presence has not affected the Ministry’s daily operations. “We’re aware of their presence. They came to speak with the Minister, and everything is under control. The joint security is on-site, and the Minister is in a meeting,” Helb stated.

Despite the calm, the frustration among the former agents continues to mount as they await a resolution to the long-standing issue of their retirement benefits.

Source: FrontPage Africa