In its bid to track and account for all employees and by extension validate the payroll, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has embarked upon a nation-wide employees' re-documentation exercise.

According to MIA's Deputy Minister for Administration, Hon. Varney A. Sirleaf, the general objectives of this exercise are as follows: to rationalize the payroll, distinguish between employees and non-employed staff, and determine the number of employees that have reached retirement in accordance with Civil Service Regulations and plan quality capacity development programs for personnel.

The exercise which actually began in May 2012 will enable MIA to determine the strength of the work force in all 15 counties with the view to rationalizing various counties' payrolls.

It will enable the administration to make informed decisions relative to employees' welfare. It will also help MIA to design robust socio-economic development programs and quality capacity building plans aimed at enhancing the skills, knowledge and abilities of the staff to be able to respond to challenges that are associated with decentralized governance structures.

Already, the Ministry has concluded the re-profiling of employees of its Central office in Monrovia, Bomi, Gbarpolu, Grand Cape Mount, Montserrado, Margibi, Bong, Grand Bassa and RiverCess Counties.

Hon. Varney A. Sirleaf: “The result of this exercise in these counties was a resounding success, as several irregular employees were identified and deleted from these counties' payrolls”.

The exercise resumes this week, with the Ministry conducting similar exercise in Sinoe, Grand Kru and Rivergee counties. A 12 (twelve) man Re-documentation Team headed by the Assistant Minister for Administration, Hon. Momolu S. Johnson will be visiting several designated communities to carry out the employees re-profiling exercise.

“We have communicated with the three county superintendents, asking them to sensitize and mobilize their employees for the successful conduct of this exercise; as employees who fail to be re-documented would risk being dropped from the payroll”. Mr. Momolu Sirleaf, Coordinator of the Re-documentation Exercise told MIA Renaissance.

According to a memorandum to the counties, heads of the various localities (e.g. Commissioners, Paramount Chiefs, Clan Chiefs, General Town Chiefs, etc.) are to accompany their employees to the designated sites so as to identify them.

The Ministry is emphasizing that in order to do this successfully; each Paramount Chief who is head of any particular chiefdom should be present with all those that are assigned in that Chiefdom before the re-documentation team as per attached visitation schedules in order to be identified”.

The Ministry warned that failure on the part of any employee to submit to this process will be considered as ghost.

Meanwhile the Re-documentation Coordinator, Mr. Momolu Sirleaf has released names of designated sites where the team will meet employees for the exercise.

In Sinoe County; the Re-documentation Team will cover employees at the following points: Greenville Administrative Building, Jacksonville, Government Camp, Bilibokree Administrative Building, Juarzon and Payne Town.

Employees in Grand Kru County will meet the Team at the following points: Gee City Buah Statutory District, Sass Town in Jroah Statutory District, Behwen City in Trehn Statutory District and Barclayville City.

At the same time, employees in River Gee County will gather in Fish Town in order to be fully re-documented.