NaFAA Boss Glassco under fire

Workers’ agitation at the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority signals a brewing tension that could have a spillover effect on the fishing industry.

By Bridgett Milton

Monrovia, May 7, 2024-All is not well at the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, or NaFAA, as the entity’s Worker Association declared a vote of no confidence in Director General Emma Metieh Glassco’s leadership.

The general secretary of the Workers Association, Isaac Patrick Johns, alleges that Madam Emma Glassco has become dictatorial and overbearing in listening to her professional colleagues at NaFAA to move the entity forward for the betterment of Liberia.

He says that for the last time, Madam Glassco has refused to adhere to intervention from the Board Chairman of NaFAA, the Houses’ Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries & Forestry, and other well-meaning Liberians. 

“The DG has violated the rules and regulations on employment, dismissal, retirement, etc. set forth by the Competent Authorities (CSA Standing Order, Decent Work Act of Liberia 2015 and Labor Practice Laws of Liberia) and the rule of law in general”, he says.

Speaking in a news conference on Monday, May 6, 2024, in Monrovia, Jones further noted that DG Glassco has consistently violated Section 6.6 of NaFAA Human Resource Policy by removing employees’ names from payroll while on study leave and utterly disregards and violates Sections 2.7 (Workplace Harassment) and 18 (Progressive   Discipline for Policy Violators) of the revised NaFAA HR Manual, persistently for more than six (6) years.

‘’The regime of Madam Glassco is highly characterized by huge salary disparities despite same qualification and job title, and frequent restructuring of budget due to off-budget spending even though the budget has never supported line activities reflected in departmental work plans under her stewardship, all employees’ salaries are subject to NASSCORP deduction, but never remitted, thereby affecting employees’ future benefits.”

He also accuses the NaFFA Boss of involvement in financial improprieties, wrongful revenue generation, and non-beneficial to the Government of Liberia (registration of shrimp vessels, namely SOKONE, AMINE, and KANBALL III). 

According to him, the above-mentioned vessels carried out experimental fishing activities in Liberian territorial waters for two (2) years (2021 and 2022) instead of the six (6) months intended due to personal financial benefits, establishing a huge offshore account in Senegal.

The Worker Association reveals that Madam Glassco has unilaterally canceled construction of NaFAA’s state-of-the-art administrative building valued at US$3.5 million but chose to misappropriate the funds by buying herself a car costing US$138,000), generators, and renovating a 3-bedroom house as an office building for over US$ 250,000.00.

“The World Bank has again proposed the recent restructuring of the Liberia Sustainable Fisheries Management Project (LSFMP) and the construction of the headquarters, but again, she has unilaterally told the Bank that NaFAA does not need it, even with the limited workspace and the unprofessional work environment.”

Jones adds that the DG has also refused to provide transportation (Bus) for staffers while she rides a luxurious US$138,000.00 car for the past six years, stopped Directors from using assigned vehicles, and instead uses those vehicles to commute her hair stylists from Ghana, personal investors and friends from Nigeria. Editing by Jonathan Browne