The Informer (Monrovia)
16 November 2009
The Liberia Produce Marketing Corporation (LPMC) has honorably retired 12 staff after diligently serving the entity for at least 25 unbroken years.
Each of the honorees was certificated for 'patriotic' and 'nationalistic' services to the Liberian state and people, through the LPMC, and were given handsome envelops-containing between US$500-US$750-to start life anew.
The LPMC has not honorably retired any of its staff for a quarter century, though the labor law of Liberia mandates so-that civil servants who have served for at least 25 years be retired and pensioned.
The entity's Managing Director Nyah Mantein, during Friday's elaborate program, noted in a statement, that the workers were being retired for their long services, matched by efficiency and dedication, dubbing them as the "cornerstones" of the LPMC.
He said the retirees-some of them who had served the LPMC since 1977-performed sacrificial services, when there were no salaries for months, when the LPMC was hugely indebted both domestically and internationally.
The MD noted that despite the limited funding and financial constraints, the Management decided to honor the 12 staff.
"You worked to ensure that debts and arrears were paid; your sacrifices have been the success of the LPMC-you are the cornerstones of this entity," Mr. Mantein, who said management would always miss the former workers, noted.
Some of them, he noted, would be contacted for consultancy and other forms of services, based on their experiences, when the need arises.
The Managing Director stated that the LPMC was in a state of transformation to gain its original relevance, terming it as a challenge for those left by the retirees.
He urged staff of the public corporation to work industriously and bring back the reputation of the LPMC, as they, too, will someday receive honour for their services to the Liberian state through the LPMC.
"Retirement is not punishment, it is an honour...it is the recognition of your services to the corporation..." Labor Minister Cllr. Tiawon Saye Gongloe told the honorees.
He applauded them for their "achievements" and described them as "great men and women" who have honorably served the LPMC, reminding them that they them to be "ambassadors" of the corporation.
"Retirement is not an arbitrary decision by any management; it is supported by law that people be retired at certain age of work-the labor law requires the decision," the renown human rights advocate (who abandoned his prepared speech to speak extemporaneously after seeing his one-time university student among the retirees) said.
Cllr. Gongloe said the LPMC was fully implementing what the labor law of Liberian required it to do..."to memorize the valuable services by you."
The Labor Minister has in his life delivered many speeches of varying nature, but has never spoken on one of retirement until last Friday. "This speech is historic. This occasion is my first to speak to retirees on their retirement....I therefore congratulate you all on this occasion."
He said the retirees should feel blessed because "you were retired not because of inefficiency or ineffectiveness, but because of long service"-from which they are entitled to pension and social security benefits.
"But we who are political appointees, no mater how long we serve, we are not pensioned. We don't have job security, we get fired anytime," the former Solicitor General, who was transferred to Ministry of Labor two months ago, stated.
Addressing the engrossed audience, Cllr. Gongloe noted that retirement and honoring of long service employees was one of the finest achievements of the government-"recognizing people for what services they have rendered."
He lauded the LPMC management for undertaking the initiative despite the financial constraints facing the corporation, and urged workers and staff of the entity to diligently serve.
Two retirees-Yanquoi Howard (planning department) and Peter Geeplay (quality control)-in separate remarks commended management for recognizing their roles and years of services at the LPMC.
They said they were leaving with pride and dignity having served with distinction, and noted that they would always be willing to render any services, if they are called.
The Assistant Director General of Insurance at the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP) told the retirees that they would begin receiving their benefits in six week.
Mr. Leroy Fleming urged the LPMC management to closely work with the retirees to submit all relevant documents about their years of world at the LPMC which would make pension payment easier.
"Today, the LPMC is retiring you, but we at NASSCORP are opening our arms to receive you," Mr. Fleming said.
"It is time for you to enjoy all the social security money they have been deducting from your salaries for the past 25 years, and we are ready to give them to you," the NASSCORP official said, winning for himself the longest round of applause at the program.
He told them that social security was there to cater to them in their retirement period, "so social security is like a bank for your old age-when you are no longer actively working," he explained, before handling each of the retirees a white envelop of cash.
Retirees who served the entity from 25-28 years got US$500 while those who served from 28 and above got US$700.
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