{"id":26620,"date":"2022-11-15T10:48:56","date_gmt":"2022-11-15T10:48:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/weah-fires-lisgis-officials"},"modified":"2022-11-15T11:08:55","modified_gmt":"2022-11-15T11:08:55","slug":"weah-fires-lisgis-officials","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/liberia\/all-news\/weah-fires-lisgis-officials","title":{"rendered":"Weah fires LISGIS officials"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Liberia. <\/strong><\/span>President George Manneh Weah has with immediate effect sacked the two officials of the Liberia Institute for Statistics and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS).<\/p>\n

An Executive Mansion press release from Paris, France names the dismissed officials as LISGIS Acting Director General Wilmot Smith, and his Deputy Director General for Statistics and Data Processing, Alex M. Williams.<\/p>\n

The release says President Weah\u2019s decision is based on administrative reasons.<\/p>\n

Both men are ordered to turn over all properties belonging to the institution in their possession.<\/p>\n

LISGIS under the leadership of Mr. Smith and his deputies has been in the public for numerous controversies which include repeated delays of the 2022 National Housing and Population census, alleged corruption, and missing essential gadgets meant to aid the conduct of the census, and census applicants\u2019 protests, among others.<\/p>\n

Lawmakers over the weekend passed a joint resolution 003\/2022, authorizing the Executive Branch to extend the conduct of the National Housing and Population Census from 7 November 2022 up to 15 January 2023.<\/p>\n

The plenary of both houses decided to allow the appropriate authority to ensure adequate preparation for the conduct of the census.<\/p>\n

Through the joint resolution, the lawmakers appropriated an additional amount of US$200,000 to LISGIS to address the current challenges it faces.<\/p>\n

But there have been public criticisms against the way the census has been managed by officials.<\/p>\n

However, the government and its international partners continue to assure the public that the process will be carried out smoothly, and they have urged the public against politicizing it.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, President Weah has designated the LISGIS Deputy Director General for Administration, Lawrence George, to act as Director General while Prof. Francis Wreh is on a leave of absence.<\/p>\n

President Weah also urges all those holding positions of public trust to act with diligence and seriousness in the discharge of their duties.<\/p>\n\r\n