The Liberia National Police is reportedly engulfed by division and disenchantment in the aftermath of a recent pronouncement made by Director Christopher Clarence Massaquoi that salary increment for police officers would only affect college graduates.
Director Massaquoi made the statement during a ceremony to honor 20 police officers who returned from a 3 month training in the United States last Wednesday.
"There will be salary increment for those police officers who are college graduates; this is the decision of the government, and that is it," Massaquoi noted. Despite the disgruntlement, Massaquoi insisted that his statement remained unchanged once it came from the government through him.
But his statement has instigated division and disenchantment within the police, with one group (who preferred to remain un-named) indicating to this paper Monday in Monrovia that they would protest the decision.
"We will stage public demonstration against the statement made by Massaquoi because it is selective and discriminatory against some personnel of the force," one of the sources said.
Though Massaquoi did not state what the increment would be and when would it take effect, anti-Massaquoi pronouncement believe that the increment must be across the board other than being on "academic qualification."
"There are people who are in the police claiming to be university or college graduates, but their performances (results) do not worth talking about," another source from the group hinted this paper. Other sources disclosed wide-spread "nepotism and corruption" as the hall-mark of force, which is stalling the growth of the institution.
"It would be good for Massaquoi to replace those who are not college or university graduates and are in the police force," another source contended. Investigation continues.
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Wow! WOW!! But the director has the right to choose and compensate the members of his team if he is to be held responsible for the team’s performance. The allegation of corruption and nepotism by members of the LNP is old and tired. And the source does not lend it any credibility – please, a lot of us have horror stories about dealings with the LNF. Count your blessings if you have not. Now you want to talk about corruption? Anyway, I would have dealt with this in the totally different manner; not that I am second guessing the director in any manner. I would have created an employee performance evaluation system (not that I know that one does not exist) whereby education would be heavily weighted on a score card that also included such things as, longevity, complaints against an officer and their resolutions, etc., etc. Of course because education would be so heavily weighted, college graduation would account for, say, 90% weight or so. And to the rest, I would throw out a "bone,” as the old adage says. Whereas this would not necessarily squelch the noise, it would provide me an explanation, should such noise arise. But then again, I am not the director, nor do I have any ambitions to be one.