Tension Mounts On Capitol Hill

-As Workers Disrupt Session Over Salaries

Normal Legislative session was on Tuesday disrupted due to protest action from workers of the House of Representatives.

Members of that body have just started deliberations in their jammed packed agenda when workers of the House of Representatives stormed the entrance of the Chambers in demand of their Liberian dollar salary which they claimed has not been paid since the beginning of this year.

House of Representatives’ Speaker, Dr. Bhofal Chambers upon hearing the noise from outside during the ongoing deliberation stopped and requested that a representation from the angry workers come to make a presentation of their plights.

Making the case for the staff, T. Benjamin Myers said the law passed by members of the House of Representatives to harmonize salaries of lawmakers did not affect them as far as the law is concerned.

Myers said the law was clear when it came to apportioning areas and institutions that will experience harmonization; adding that it was in clear terms that only members of the House of Representatives would have been affected.

Myers in his argument made members of the House to establish that the staff at upper House makes more money as compared to them in the Lower House.

He wants after all investigations are conducted, they want their money paid retroactively.

It can be recalled that recently, staff of the House of Senate also protested for similar actions which draw the attention of the Liberian Senate.

In the same direction, the Speaker of the House of Representatives mandated its committee on Ways, Means and Financial to probe the situation.

The mandate came in a motion raised by Montserrado County electoral district eight lawmaker, Acarous Moses Gray.

In his motion, the Montserrado County lawmaker said the committee should work with four of its members with knowledge in financial matters.

It was based on the motion that Speaker Chambers named Representatives Richard Koon, Dixon Seboe, Johnson N.  Gwaikoloand, Rep. Rosannah G.D.H Shaack.

They are to work with their colleagues to ensure that the issues of the adjustment made are the rate at which it was done be presented to the plenary of the House of Representatives to reach a decision on this Thursday.