By: James Lehmer Hiama, Jr.; 0770334857/0888270604; hiamajames@gmail.com.
Aggrieved protesting Census Enumerators have threatened to burn down the office of LISGIS in Grand Cape Mount County.
During a violent protest in Tahn Town, Gola Konneh District on Wednesday, November 16, 2022, several Enumerators broke into the office of the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information services (LISGIS), and made away with several valuable materials in demand of their just ‘training allowances’ and ‘other payments’ promised them by LISGIS before the training exercises commenced some time ago.
Valuable materials taken away by the protesting aggrieved Enumerators include life-jackets, tablet phones amongst others.
Meanwhile, the aggrieved protesters insist that until their money can be paid by LISGIS, they will not return the materials and equipment.
It can be recalled last Friday, November 11, 2022 following a declaration of a Census holiday by President George Weah, several enumerations nationwide refused to show up and conduct the census in their assigned communities throughout Liberia.
Aggrieved Enumerators in Grand Cape Mount County with light reflectors and other materials taken from LISGIS county office. They have threatened to burn the LISGIS office
The enumerators have over the weeks complained about unpaid training allowances, as well as the lack of deployment of logistics to hard-to-reach communities in Liberia to conduct the census.
Due to the failure of LISGIS to successfully kick start the Census, three days after its failure, President George Weah dismissed the acting Executive Director, Wilmot Smith and the Deputy Director General for Statistics and Data Processing, Alex Williams.
The Executive Mansion press statement stated the two former LISGIS officials were dismissed for administration reasons, IPNEWS learned that their dismissal was due to ineptitude.
IPNEWS also learned that the former Deputy Director General for Statistics and Data Processing had earlier resigned two days before President Weah announced his dismissal. Mr. Williams is said to have given pieces of professional advice to the now dismissed Executive Director Wilmot Smith and Board Chairman Samuel Tweah but fell on duck’s back. So it is learned that he had resigned over policy issues before President Weah dismissed him.
