PHOTO: The Author, Eric Pervist, a Liberian citizen
By Eric Pervist, ericpervist@gmail.com
Dear President Joe Boakai,
I’m aware that the chances of you reading this letter are slim, especially from a dissenting voice like mine. However, I’m taking the chance that one of your handlers will read and relay my concerns to you.
I’m deeply concerned about the ongoing mass dismissals of public and civil servants under your watch. The direct victims number in the thousands, and if we include indirect victims like children, the elderly, and vulnerable individuals, the number exceeds a million citizens. This poses a significant national security risk, especially in Liberia, where security gaps already exist.
I fear that one day these victims may band together and take drastic actions that could escalate beyond the control of our military and law enforcement agencies.
In July of this year, students at Dhaka University in Bangladesh staged a peaceful protest, holding placards and flags, to demand reforms in the quota allocation for government jobs. Unfortunately, the protest escalated into chaos, resulting in the tragic deaths of more than a thousand of students and non-protesting civilians, including children. As you may recall, Mr. President, the unrest led to weeks of deadly anti-government protests, culminating in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation and she eventually fled the country in shame.
No one is safe when a nation is in turmoil, including you, Mr. President. Your predecessor, H.E. George Weah, faced a similar challenge with the salary wage bill. He introduced harmonization to avoid dismissing thousands of civil servants, a decision that contributed to his defeat in the 2023 elections. I believe he preferred defeat over the potential risks of unrest, resignation, deaths, or destruction of properties.
I’m tempted to say that a sophisticated mole is undermining your administration with these unprecedented dismissals. However, your actions, such as appointing people to already occupied positions protected by tenure clauses, suggest you’re a party to this risky venture. The Supreme Court of Liberia overturned one of your decisions at the Liberia Telecommunications Authority, yet you still found ways to impose your will. Furthermore, civil servants are being terminated on political grounds, and your office’s silence on this matter is concerning.
Mr. President, with over four decades of political experience, you’ve witnessed the infamous Rice Riot, the 1980 coup d’état and the gruesome death of President Samuel Doe in September of 1990. It would be prudent for you to convene a team of economists to advise you on alternative solutions to address the wage bill, including an assessment of the potential economic implications and national security threats that could arise from large-scale dismissals.
I urge you to prioritize revamping the private sector to create jobs for Liberians rather than depriving citizens of their existing jobs, many of which are already underpaid.
Sincerely,
Eric Pervist
Liberian