Buchanan — A new wave of malicious campaigns to besmirch the hard-earned integrity of the Security Experts Guard Service of Liberia, SEGAL, owned and operated by Liberian entrepreneur, philanthropist, and politician Momo T. Cyrus has been launched by some unscrupulous losers attempting to bulldoze their way to win a contract with ArcelorMittal through scam.
In a story published by Ablee-Jay Radio/TV and Bassa TV, some concerned guards supposedly in the employ of our company are said to be agitating over salary delay for the past two months and at the same time “debunking claims” allegedly made by Mr. Cyrus, the company’s CEO, that some of the company’s guards were being paid US $380, and that on such account Hon. Matthew Joe, Representative of Electoral District 3, Grand Bassa was inviting him for clarity.
We are left wondering why Ablee-Jay or Bassa TV hasn’t contacted us to hear our side of the story even though we have a visible office that is very receptive in the county. Isn’t ‘balancing of news’ one of the things we learn sooner at the elementary level of professional journalism?
But again, as a company that has consistently stayed atop of the private security industry in Liberia for the last several years, we are not surprised by such attempts by some losers to undermine our credibility through chains of calculated lies and propaganda launched to dent the high image of our noble company through various means and platforms.
We can only be more worried about the risks of believability such shams pose to the unsuspecting public if we don’t hasten to immediately provide the facts, disinfect the air of these outright lies and permanently confine them to the dustbin where they rightfully belong.
And so therefore, let the facts lead as always…
First, we currently owe no single employee a dime for salary.
For the last several years of our operation, we have always managed and been able to keep our salaries current for our employees, despite the fact that at times, as a company, we encounter challenges just like any other company would do.
As a company that has thrived through excellence, integrity and respect for human dignity over the years, we’ve nurtured a culture of openness and frankness in our company when it comes to grievance management and have fostered a great employer-employee relationship which makes it nearly impossible for any of our staff to have to resort to taking their issues to the media or elsewhere rather than to handle it with a management that has always lent a listening ear.
Therefore, the letter of complaint, which has no signatures, no names nor contacts, purporting to be coming from some of our employees dubbed as aggrieved securities is farfetched, blatantly misleading and can only correctly be suggested to be a device of our detractors.
It’s therefore concerning that such a letter with absolutely no identifiable authorship could form the basis for enquiry for the district 3 lawmaker.
As a respecter of the law, however, our team met with Hon. Matthew Joe at his capitol building office to provide these facts and address any concerns the lawmaker may have had.
But just as we knew is from the very start, the ghost aggrieved guards said to be from our company didn’t appear for the conference with the lawmaker. Not even one.
The truth is, lies are very difficult to defend.
English Poet Alexander Pope was right when he said “he who tells a lie is not sensible oh how great a task he undertakes; for he must be forced to invent twenty more to maintain that one”.
Second, at no time has our CEO ever made radio comments disclosing our guards’ salaries in the amount of US$ 380 or whatever amount for that matter.
Come to think of it, which entity goes on public media to disclose the salaries of employees, which is their sole privacy?
Certainly, a professional security company as ours with wealth of experience in the industry spanning several years will never do such.
In fact, for the last 4 months, our CEO Mr. Cyrus has made no media comments or appearances around the company’s operations, more so to disclose employees’ salaries to the public. He was engaged in intensive stakeholder engagements in his home county of Lofa where he craved the blessing of fellow citizens to represent them at the house of elders.
Therefore, the story about our company owing some employees in Grand Bassa for two months and about our CEO making radio disclosure of how much they make as salaries is totally fake.
We didn’t owe employees that long during our formative years when we experienced struggle and can certainly not do so now during our years of flourish.
This misleading information circulating various platforms chatrooms is the handiwork of some detractors that shouldn’t be taken seriously.
As a credible institution, we pride ourselves for being the Liberian-owned business with highest employment.
We’re glad to be helping government ease its burden through the creation of job opportunities for more than three thousands (3,000) Liberians in 13 of the 15 counties of Liberia and will do everything within our means to keep the smiles on the faces of these employees, majority of whom are breadwinners for their families.
We are equally grateful to long-standing client ArcelorMittal for an enduring partnership that spans more than 16 years, which has simply been solidified by trust and performance by upholding the terms and conditions of our security contract.