Africa-Press – Liberia. Rep. Augustine Chiewolo has threatened to bring a matter before the House of Representatives following a dispute over the reassignment of registered nurse Hawa Thomas.
Thomas, who was transferred from Chiewolo’s Faith Medical and Laboratory Clinic to the Salayea government clinic, claims her reassignment was an attempt by the Lofa County Health Team to undermine Chiewolo’s clinic.
In a radio interview on March 17, 2025, Thomas explained that after being assigned to the Salayea clinic on November 6, 2024, she was instructed by County Health Officer Moses U. Weidehgar to leave the clinic and return to her previous employer.
According to Thomas, this directive was a response to Rep. Chiewolo’s concerns that the move was an effort to undermine his clinic.
“I am not blocking anyone’s employment. My concern is that the health team’s actions disrespected my clinic’s efforts,” Chiewolo remarked. He explained that after being informed of Thomas’s reassignment, he reached out to the health team, expressing his belief that moving Thomas, who had worked at Faith Clinic for over six years, to the Salayea clinic was disruptive and undermined his efforts in the district.
Despite her willingness to remain in her new role, Thomas accused her former employer of mistreating her and withholding two months of salary after her reassignment.
She resigned from Faith Clinic on January 10, 2025, after efforts to resolve the situation failed.
Chiewolo, lawmaker of Lofa’s District Five, made it clear that his concerns were not personal against Thomas but centered around the actions of the health team, which he feels undermined his clinic.
He warned that if the issue remained unresolved, he would raise it in the House of Representatives.
Meanwhile, Lofa County Health Officer Weidehgar has reversed his previous stance on Thomas’s reassignment. In support of Thomas’s decision to work at the Salayea clinic, Dr. Weidehgar argued that if she had been treated well by her former employer, she would not have sought reassignment.
He emphasized that the health team would not be influenced by political pressure and urged Rep. Chiewolo to allow Thomas to move forward in her career.
“I’m not afraid of Plenary. If the lawmaker was treating Hawa well, she would not want to leave,” Dr. Weidehgar said. “Let her work where she feels mentally stable.”
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