-But Acting LACRA DG Denies, Terms It ‘Trivial Politics’
Everything is reportedly not going according to established administrative protocols at the Liberia Agricultural Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA), as fresh allegations of nepotism and favoritism have emerged against the Acting Director General, Mr. Dan Saryee, raising concerns about transparency, and accountability within the institution.
But Mr. Saryee, who is said to be piloting the plane of nepotism and favoritism at the entity, has vehemently denied such allegations as untrue.
Information gathered by this outlet from sources speaks of what appears to be a pattern of questionable administrative practices under the leadership of the Acting Director General.
The situation, which has reportedly led to growing dissatisfaction among employees, largely centered around claims that merit-based systems have been sidelined in favor of personal relationships.
Speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of being dismissed, a staff member claimed that despite acting in the position as a Director General, Mr. Saryee has appointed several family members and close associates to key positions within the entity.
“There is no fairness here anymore. Employments are no longer based on qualification or experience, but on who you know,” the source claimed.
Documents seen indicate that Obest Saryee, who happens to be Mr. Saryee’s son, currently serves as Deputy Director for General Services.
DG Saryee denied Obest is his son, and that he is a director.
Records show that he earns a monthly salary of USD 500, reportedly higher than that of his immediate boss.
In addition to his salary, he is said to be benefiting from allowances such as fuel allocations and scratch card in high quantities.
It is further alleged that Cllr. Roosevelt Gould, also said to be a close associate of the Acting Director General, has been appointed as Head of Legal Affairs at LACRA.
Sources alleged that Cllr. Gould who his appointment dismissed a previous legal officer and came with a substantial salary of USD 1,500 monthly, significantly higher than the USD 400 earned by his predecessor.
LACRA, the government body responsible for regulating key agricultural commodities such as cocoa, coffee, and palm oil, is now facing criticism for what insiders describe as a deviation from its core mandate.
Some employees claimed that the institution has become “eat and go” with employments allegedly driven by personal interests.
The information also points to structural changes within the organization, including the creation of additional divisions.
The moves are allegedly designed to accommodate newly recruited allies of the Acting Director General.
Sources made reference to one Madam Hasiphine Tarpeh, who reportedly assumed the role of Commercial Director after Saryee took office and is making the monthly salary of 1000 USD monthly.
Tarpeh have been accused of overstepping her TOR in the entity, with no corrective action taken by senior management.
Efforts to obtain an official response from Director General Dan Saryee were unsuccessful, as multiple calls to his known contact went unanswered up to the time of publication.
In a further twist, allegations have also surfaced involving the LACRA Board Chair, Josephine George Francis who is accused by some staff of contributing to internal tensions by supporting the suspension of certain employees to make way for preferred individuals.
It was also revealed that Acting DG Saryee gave Madam Francis the vehicle which is to be used by the technical unit for their field operations.
“Francis is using the vehicle personally, leaving the unit to face constraints” the source said.
The issues at LACRA come at a time when Liberia continues to grapple with longstanding concerns about governance and public sector accountability.
As the situation intensifies, concerned staff have expressed the need for an independent review of operations at LACRA to “restore confidence and ensure adherence to principles of fairness and professionalism within the entity.”
DG Saryee trashes allegations
However, Mr. Saryee has dismissed allegations of nepotism and unfair compensation practices at the agency, calling them “trivial politics” and urging the public to “do your check”.
In an interview, DG Saryee addressed claims that he had hired relatives and friends and was paying them excessively, saying that the staff members in question were already employed and receiving benefits, including allowances, gasoline, and scratch cards, which made their total compensation package substantial.
“Those who are on those salaries are paid by CSA. That’s something we can’t change until we become automous. So, it is CSA money that they take,” Mr. Saryee emphasized.
According to him, he inherited a situation where people (staff) were earning little or nothing, and “we felt that it needed to be changed.”
This paper could not verify the claims that CSA pays the concerned staff.
The LACRA Acting DG explained that the agency had conducted a credential audit, which revealed that 40% of the staff lacked high school diplomas, and that he was working to transform the institution and improve professionalism.
He said LACRA has a national task – a huge workload across the country – that requires competent and skilled staff to handle, and “your staff are not high school graduate, they don’t have such credentials.”
According to him, he is at the institution on a mission to transform, and no one should expect him to run the entity with “these incompetent people.” “So, that is the issue,” he stressed.
Regarding the hiring of Cllr. Gould, a lawyer, DG Saryee said he has no biological or tribal relationship with him, saying “I don’t know him from anywhere. I think he is from Bassa or probably an Americo-Liberian.”
The board had instructed the agency to bring in competent people and that Gould’s salary was approved by the board and was “very negligible” compared to his experience and expertise.
“So I don’t know him from anywhere, but it will interest you to know that he is one of the best lawyers we have in the country, and the board instructed that we bring competent people,” he clarified.
He claimed that Cllr. Gould is a driving force behind some of the good regulations LACRA boosts of today, stressing “The organization has been there all the time, they did not have any regulations beyond the little they were doing. All of the regulations they have are done by Cllr. Gould who came in as a lawyer.”
“What we giving, we had to beg him to take it, as an experienced lawyer, to pay him a $1,500 is very negligible, but because of his love for mission, for country, he took what we give him.”
DG Saryee emphasized that he was working to improve the agency and that allegations of nepotism were unfounded, saying “I do not pursue any agenda of bringing relatives and putting them in my workplace”.
“In my office, I have different people, from Lofa, Margibi and other places. I do not pursue any agenda of bringing relatives and putting them in my workplace,” he asserted, while also denying that Obest Saryee is his son.
“But this is untrue, we are working down there and setting the standards for professionalism. So, who ever told you, that is not true. Everything that is being done is done based on the guidance of the board, and done based on decisions that were made.”
Acting DG Saryee said LACRA is working to improve its services and implement reforms, and urged the public to focus on the agency’s mission rather than “trivial politics”.
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