State-owned radio worker's grievance against Director- General Charles A. Snetter Jr.

CONCERNED WORKERS

LIBERIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM

PAYNESVILLE, LIBERIA

Mr. George Barpeen

President

Press Union of Liberia

Clay Street

Monrovia, Liberia

 March 22 , 2007

Dear Mr. Barpeen:

Kindly accept our deepest compliments in the premise of nation building.

The workers of the state-owned Liberia Broadcasting System are pleased to submit to your office a dossier enumerating the ill-administrative and financial improprieties being conducted by the present Director-General, Charles A Snetter Jr.

Mr. President, attached is a copy of the LBS 2006 Annual Report submitted to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. The report, besides being error-friendly, has several misleading information. 

One major deception mentioned under Sales in paragraph 1 (page 8) is where the Director- General stated: “All government programs were carried free of charge”. Kindly see other errors highlighted by the concerned workers as a way to draw your attention to the question of the academic qualification of the signatory of that important document.

 Judging from the history of the past when LBS suffered neglect, massive looting and abuse of labor, the workforce welcomed the inauguration of this new political, economic and social order, with the hope that a new day had come in their lives.

Mr. President, based on these financial and administrative improprieties of Mr. Snetter, and with his dismissal record from LBS in 1986, for embezzling Expo 86 funds, we do suggest that he be suspended as Director-General while facing this investigation, in order that administrative and financial records would not be tampered with.

Sir, it will displease you to note that few minutes after the announcement of the constitution of the system’s board, Mr. Snetter instructed the UNMIL and LBS security to stop a number of personnel from entering the compound and receiving their February pay checks. We would also like to inform you that in the midst of the saga, three employees were summarily dismissed by Mr. Snetter in persons of Oxford Brown, Victor Cater and Jerome Toe, without the knowledge and consent of his two deputies.                                  

It is most pleasing therefore; that we catalogue these ill-intents of Mr. Snetter, in order to assist the central government to weed out corruption, the cancer President Sirleaf has proclaimed as “PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE”.

Sincerely yours,

Oxford Brown

For the Concerned Workers

TO      :  The President, Officers and Members

               Press Union of Liberia

               Clay Street

               Monrovia, Liberia.

FROM: The leadership of the Concerned Workers/LBS

 March 22,2007

These are the counts, which constitute our official complaints against Charles A. Snetter Jr., Director-General of the Liberia Broadcasting System

1. FINANCIAL IMPROPRIETY

 A. The government of Liberia is to subsidize LBS annual budget by sixty (60) percent while the balance forty (40) percent is generated from sales and other sources. Since the increment of the monthly budget from ten thousand (USD$10,000.00) to thirty thousand (USD $ 30,000.00) by the central government, there has been no justification of how money generated from sales is being expended.

 All the expenses made during Mr. Snetter’s administration came from government subsidy as is reflected in his budget performance or cash request report. This is sufficient to raise eyebrows as to what is happening to the funds being generated.

B. The British Broadcasting Corporation and Radio France International pay quarterly for service and maintenance of their equipment at the system’s compound. For the first quarter of 2006, (Jan –March) funds received did not go to the system’s account.

There are no indications that the last three quarters of 2006 funds can be accounted for. Equally so, there is no mention of this agreement in his Annual Report of 2006, to the Liberian leader.

Mr. Snetter chose to increase his salary by one hundred and six percent, while some increment were only between (2) two to seven (7) percent.

  2. SALARY AND IDENTIFICATION CARDS DISPARITY

A. LBS is an entity of one hundred and fifty two employees with a monthly salary totaling (USD$9,381.00) nine thousand three hundred and eight one dollars. Under a scheme called "general allowance", only twenty two employees out of the 152 are earning USD allowance totaling six thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars (USD $6,950.00) monthly. Please note that the twenty two recipients of USD allowance are also the highest paid in Liberian dollars. Mr.  Snetter makes USD $1,490.00 as allowance. This policy has demoralized the technicians, announcers, producers, drivers and janitors and serves as a disincentive to productivity and morale of the workers.

B. Just as the two salary structures separate the staff, Mr. Snetter has two identification systems. One group has a computerized card while another group bears a plastic identification card. This discriminates and portrays the latter as impersonator.

 The system towers in Bomi, Bong and Grand Bassa counties are being leased by GSM companies.

There are no records of payments for the lease in the accounts department. Funds are paid directly to Mr. Snetter.

 B. RAFFLE DRAW

In May of 2006, Charles Snetter launched a panorama raffle draw with the purpose and intent of raising funds for the support of the system. The final draw was slated for July 26, 2006, but due to the death of one of our colleagues, Harvey Rogers, (May his soul rest in peace), the draw was re-scheduled for August 24, 2006. Without any announced reason, the draw again was postponed to December 24, 2006. As we speak, no raffle draw has taken place. No account for the funds and the public is wondering over the sincerity of LBS. Many persons have for a matter of fact, lost their raffle tickets. LBS has an unenthusiastic image out there.

  3. PURCHASE AND SELLING OF CORPORATE ASSETS

 A. On July 28 of 2006, Mr. Snetter, without consultation or briefing with the two deputies, declared as scrap a 65 KVA generator donated by BBC, along with a backup transmitter. Those items were trucked out of the compound on PT-006. Two of the staffs were dismissed for reasons ranging from failure to participate in the loading of the truck to demanding a gate pass from the truck driver.

B. On Dec 29, without the knowledge and consent of his two deputies, Charles Snetter negotiated as buyer of three vehicles. The process was not transparent as there was no public bid for the supply of vehicles.

 In January of this current year, two usable vehicles, a twelve -seated bus and an Isuzu Jeep purchased by the last administration of the system in 2004, were auctioned by Snetter under a baffling procedure.

4. DECEPTION

In Mr. Snetter’s Annual Report for 2006 to the Liberian Leader, he willfully misinformed the president that all government ministries and agencies programs were aired free of charge for the reporting period. Please see copy (2006 Annual Report) attached with grammatical errors highlighted by the concerned workers. 

 5. PAYMENT FOR GOODS AND SERVICES

Since Mr. Snetter was confirmed as Director General in March 2006, he has been performing the role as procurement officer by personally purchasing fuel oil, office furniture, stationary etc.

6. SUMMARY DISMISSAL

 A. Marlon Johnson- a long-service announcer, producer and 2005- 2006 beneficiary of the Liberia/Egypt technical cooperation training course was slapped and dismissed for playing music disliked by Mr. Snetter. He can be reached by calling 05952917  

B. Nathaniel Brisbane- A trained electrical technician who served as generator operator was dismissed for not getting involved in the assemblage of the generator and a standby transmitter described as scrap by Snetter. His contact number is 06408417

 C. Thomas Howbott – procurement officer. He was dismissed for Snetter’s claims again, without any consultation with his two deputies that there was no need for procurement department. His contact number is 06511938.

 D. Moses Zulu- A security personnel was dismissed on August 2,2006 for demanding a gate pass and listing of the assets leaving the system’s compound on July 28, 2006. His number is 077384710

7. SUSPENSION OFF THE AIR

 A.    Oxford Brown- an Executive Producer was removed from the air-waves on January 19, 2007, because Moses Dorbor told Snetter that he (Mr. Brown) is not in his (Snetter camp). His contact number is 06513293

B.       Isaac Redd – A live-talk show presenter and announcer was removed from the air-waves since March 2006 by Snetter, who verbally told him that the orders came from the Executive Mansion. Contact number 06517882.

 C.    Victor Carter – A continuity announcer was removed from his continuity schedule on January 4, 2007.  The Assistant Director-General of Radio is quoted as saying “Hon. Snetter was receiving too many calls from the Executive Mansion about him. Contact number is 06414978

 D.   Jerome Toe – producer and reporter was detached from the air waves by the Director of Programs, because he fell out of favor with Mr. Kamaboakai, Snetter’s defacto Deputy Director-General for Broadcasting. He can be reached at 06515802

 8. CONSTANT DELAYS OF SALARY PAYMENT

 A.   With the exception of December and March of 2006 and 2007,             all salary payments were delayed for more than fifteen days.

  B.   Since the President of Liberia instructions to the Ministry of Finance last year for an increment in the pensioners’ benefit, LBS is the only entity of government that has not affected a dollar increment for pensioners. Not only that this is defiance, but equally an agony to those noble sons whose handiworks made LBS an enviable cradle of broadcasting in Liberia.

 9. RECORD SYSTEM

 At all ministries and agencies of government, a complete and systematic record system is kept on each appointee or employee. Quite strangely, Mr .Snetter has repeatedly refused to submit his academic credentials (if any ) to the personnel section . Few others that are appointed by him have failed to subscribe to this administrative procedure.

  10. VETTING

 Mr. Snetter has refused to allow his appointed comptroller to be internally evaluated or vetted by his principle assistants. This leaves the comptroller accountable only to Snetter, which is a practice of bad governance.

The grievance against Director-General Charles A. Snetter Jr., was filed by the concerned workers of the state-owned Liberian Broadcasting System (LBS).