The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has honorably retired 17 of its employees, who have attained the retirement benchmark age of 65 and above or the minimum tenure of 25 years. The youngest of the retirees is 53 years old while the oldest is 73 years.

Jeremiah Voker, who has been at the Ministry for the last 39 years, was the longest serving retiree; while Arthur Jimmy (71) served for nine years. Others served between 15 and 36 years. Of the 17 retirees, five persons were retired having obtained the required age and tenure.

According to a Foreign Ministry release, speaking at the retirement program held at the Foreign Ministry’s C. Cecil Dennis Auditorium at the weekend, the personnel director, Jacob W. W. Williams, informed the honorees that the Civil Service Agency (CSA) standing orders require that every citizen employed, unless otherwise requested, must be retired at age 65 or after a minimum of 25 years of service as specified under Section 1 of the Government’s Employee Pension Act.

Mr. Williams stated that the 17 employees, who were being retired had honestly served the Liberian Government and having reached the retirement benchmark, were being honorably retired.

Making special remarks, the Deputy Director-General of the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation (NASSCORP), Mr. Nyan D. Twayen, Jr., educated the workers about their benefits with the Corporation.

“Firstly, as you are aware, NASSCORP has an old-age pension scheme meant to take care of you when you are old and can no longer work. Those who are retired based on tenure are not automatically qualified under the scheme because many times, they have not yet obtained the required age of 60 or above,” Mr. Twayen, Jr. said.

He disclosed that the Corporation and other relevant agency of government were drafting a bill to submit it to the National Legislature that when passed into law, will terminate the tenure pension scheme, “because pension is costing government a lot of money.”

Mr. Twayen stressed that the money may look small today. “Benefiting from that money are those who were making L$800 to L$1000 in previous governments. But as salaries have grown under this administration and over the next few years, if we continue with the two pensions, by the year 2027, NASSCORP will collapse and CSA will take on all of the burden. They will be paying 50 percent of the national budget toward pension. If that happens, our economy will be broken and we won’t have money to carry out any development,” he warned.

He requested the ministry’s personnel director to quickly submit the names of those who have reached 60 years and above among the retirees to the CSA, which will in turn submit those names to the Corporation, adding: “By the time we receive the list, within six-weeks retirees will start to receive their benefits; those of you who have reached 60 years and above.” He informed them that each of them is entitled to 25 percent of their last salary.

Mr. Twayen, Jr. received applauds from the Ministry’s employees when he said NASSCROP is responsible for the wellbeing of workers; adding: “When you are coming to work and get involved in an accident, NASSCROP is responsible to take you for treatment even if it means to heaven. Between 8 a.m. and 5p.m., going to and coming from work, you are covered under the NASSCROP scheme and any injury that is job-related, NASSCROP is responsible.”

Speaking in behalf of fellow retirees, Mr. Robert P. Dean, Jr., said, “There is time for everything. Once your services are engaged, there has got to come a time when your services are disengaged.”

Mr. Dean, Jr., who served until retirement as the Director of Diplomatic Security, also used the occasion to thank former workmates and also apologized to his colleagues, those that they might have offended in the discharge of their duties to forgive them.  “As we leave especially for us in the security, I think we are leaving people who are capable to carry on the duties,” he added.

Speaking in behalf of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, H. E. Ms. Marjon V. Kamara, Acting Foreign Minister B. Elias Shoniyin said that the day was interesting because it brought mixed emotions. “I have interacted with every one of you. The emotion that I won’t see you again as often as I saw you over the last 11 years is something.”

He noted that life is such that often one has to shut one door in one’s life and open another. He extended best wishes and thanked them for their dedicated services to the Ministry and the people of Liberia.

Acting Foreign Minister Shoniyin also used the occasion to urge the Ministry’s employees to serve not looking at personal gains but the greater good of the Ministry and their nation.