‘Tough-Talking Atty. Kofi Woods Blocked from Speaking on Int’l Labor Day’ 1 May 2019

MONROVIA – The Liberia Labour Congress was constrained to rescind its decision to make Atty. Samuel Kofi Woods keynote speaker of this year’s May Day (Labour Day) celebration after a confrontation from the Ministry of Labour, FrontPage Africa has gathered. tty. Woods, a human rights lawyer and activist, is renowned for being vocal in speaking against ills in society and bad governance. On March 29, 2019, the Liberia Labour Congress extended an invitation to Atty. Woods requesting him to serve as keynote speaker of the May Day Celebration in recognition of immense sacrifices made by workers in both the public and private sectors. However, a summersaulting move, the Labour Congress on April 30, again wrote Atty. Woods: “We are constrained to inform you that the Liberia Labour Congress has decided to withdraw the invitation extended to you to serve as Keynote Speaker on the 2019 International Labour Day Program due to some circumstances.”

FrontPageAfrica has obtained a chain of leaked emails exchange revealing the International Labour Organization’s (ILO) decision not to fund the Labour Congress’ preparation for the May Day Celebration, instead referring them to the Ministry of Labour which would coordinate the day’s programs. Accordingly, the Ministry of Labour, headed by former Lofa County Representative Moses Kollie, is exerting lots of influence as to who becomes the keynote speaker of the day.  FrontPageAfrica reliably gathered from sources within the Ministry and from lines within the email exchange that the Ministry cannot tolerate having Atty. Woods serving as keynote speaker as it would not mean well for the image of the government.

…“The fear is that Kofi Woods being who he is most likely to say some things would not mean good for the image of the government. So, the Minister is not comfortable with him being given such a platform,” a Labour Ministry source said…He termed the government’s action as a contradiction to its pro-poor agenda, adding that “any attempt to tamper with workers right under this administration it will be resisted strongly by the Liberia Labour Congress.”