Liberia: Over 2,000 Applicants Fail Mandatory Drug Test

11 October 2024
The New Dawn (Monrovia)

-As Liberia Immigration Service vets 500 candidates

According to the LIS, more than 2000 applicants seeking employment with the Liberia Immigration Service reportedly fail drug tests.

By: Kruah Thompson

Monrovia, Liberia, October 11, 2024--The Commissioner General of Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) Attorney Stephen J.H Zargo reveals that over 2,000 Immigration Service applicants failed a mandatory drug test.

On July 18, 2024, the Liberia Immigration Service announced the recruitment of 500 applicants to replace 318 retired officers.

With the application process opened from July 22 to August 2, 2024, LIS received a flood of applications from various counties, including River Gee, Sinoe, Grand Gedeh, Lofa, Bong, and Nimba.

A total of 9,743 candidates were shortlisted for vetting, which included written exams, physical fitness tests, and a critical medical drug screening.

According to LIS, 8,100 of the 9,743 shortlisted candidates passed the written test, and 6,300 passed the physical test.

However, only 1,989 applicants successfully passed the medical drug test conducted by the African Medical Union.

Speaking at a news conference in Monrovia on Thursday, October 10, 2024, Commissioner Zargo revealed that the Service has now selected its target of 500 candidates.

According to him, these individuals will undergo training at the Liberia Immigration Service Training Academy (LISTA) in Foya, Lofa County, which is scheduled to commence on Monday, October 14, 2024.

Dr. Humphrey B. Taylor oversaw the drug testing process and explained that the tests were conducted in two phases: one for the presence of illegal substances and another for medical scanning.

He states that illegal substances were found in many samples but also acknowledges that some applicants may have tested positive due to prescription medications they were taking.

Taylor emphasizes the importance of transparency during the testing process, noting that if applicants did not disclose their medications, any unexpected substances in their samples would lead to automatic disqualification.

He says some individuals who contested their results claim they had not used any illegal drugs, though these complaints are still under review.

Despite these issues, Commissioner Zargo affirms that the selected 500 candidates have met all requirements and are ready to begin training here.

Read the original article on New Dawn.

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