By Vaye Abel Lepolu
The National Port Authority (NPA) has honored 18 retirees and long-serving employees for their years of dedicated service, in keeping with Civil Service Agency (CSA) regulations. The colorful ceremony brought together the NPA management team, staff, labor unions, port users, and families of the honorees.
Serving as guest speaker, former NPA employee and ex-President of the Dock Workers Union of Liberia, Madam Grace-Tee Kpaan, praised the retirees for their commitment to duty over the years. She described their recognition as a “testament of loyalty, perseverance, and excellence,” noting that many who served before them never reached the point of being formally honored.
Madam Kpaan lauded NPA Managing Director Sekou A.M. Dukuly and his administration for accomplishments including hosting the Harbor Masters Conference, updating the Port’s master plan, acquiring new equipment, and strengthening international training opportunities for staff.
However, she also used the platform to highlight key governance lapses affecting port operations. She urged management to address violations of the NPA Act, restore transparency, strengthen board composition in line with the law, and prioritize the employment of Liberian seafarers especially given Liberia’s position as one of the world’s largest ship registries.
The former union leader stressed the need to finalize the Collective Bargaining Agreement and ensure fair wages and improved working conditions for employees. She also appealed for the continuation of annual Christmas bonuses, a request the Managing Director approved on the spot, drawing cheers from the audience.
Meanwhile Madam Kpaan recommended infrastructure modernization, improved labor relations, continuous staff training, reinstatement of cargo scanners, and stronger collaborations with government agencies and international partners. She further called for increased community engagement in counties hosting port facilities.
Meanwhile, Madam Kpaan also addressed key governance and operational challenges facing the Authority, particularly violations of the NPA Act and the need to strengthen oversight, transparency, and compliance.
“The Act that established the National Port Authority must be respected. If we do not like the laws, we must amend them, but we cannot continue to operate outside them,” she stressed.
She also recommended reconstituting the NPA Board to reflect the legal structure, prioritizing Liberian seafarers in employment opportunities under the world’s second-largest ship registry, and strengthening labor relations to ensure fair wages and improved working conditions.
Highlighting her time as the first female President of the Dock Workers Union, she recalled negotiating the Collective Bargaining Agreement that elevated workers’ salaries from LRD 350 to USD 312.
Madam Kpaan appealed to management to finalize the current CBA and restore annual Christmas bonuses. Her announcement that the Managing Director had agreed to give employees a Christmas bonus was met with loud applause.
She further recommended investments in infrastructure, consistent training, merit-based staff selection, reinstatement of continuous scanners to combat illicit imports, and strengthening partnerships with government and international stakeholders.
Speaking earlier, Managing Director Sekou A.M. Dukuly expressed gratitude to the retirees, describing them as the “lifeline of the NPA” whose sacrifices sustained the country through critical periods, including Ebola and COVID-19.
He assured employees of management’s commitment to reforming the pension system, improving staff welfare, and strengthening operational efficiency. “You may be retiring from your positions, but you will always remain part of the NPA family,” he said.
Director Dukuly concluded by announcing a bonus increase for employees, affirming that management remains focused on making the Authority stronger, more efficient, and more supportive of its workforce.
