Liberian President Joseph Boakai has suspended Director General of the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA) Emma Glassco and directed that a probe be launched into allegations of corruption at the government agency.
According to the president, Glassco’s suspension was “due to managerial and financial inefficiencies and insulting behavior.”
“This conduct, considered unbecoming of a public official, was reportedly exhibited during an official investigation meeting,” the president’s office said in a statement. “President Boakai has urged the suspended director general to fully cooperate with the investigations in order to address the concerns raised.”
The suspension, Boakai said, came at the recommendation of NaFAA’s board of directors, which comprises representatives from the Liberian ministries of agriculture, national defense, finance and development, commerce and industry, and the nation’s maritime authority.
NaFAA workers have been calling for an investigation into Glassco for multiple years, claiming she has illegally dismissed workers and unfairly deducted observer dues and denied them insurance.
Protesting workers have also claimed their salaries have not increased since around when Glassco assumed her position; others claim they have been kept on temporary employment status for too long, which runs contrary to Liberian labor laws.
Though workers have long levied accusations toward Glassco, the NaFAA organization at large had, until recently, backed Glassco’s leadership, saying in February 2024 that Glassco had been unfairly targeted and defamed despite her “hard-earned reputation.”
With the NaFAA board now breaking from its loyalty to Glassco, Boakai has subsequently ordered the nation’s Ministry of Justice and Anti-Corruption Commission to carry out an investigation into the allegations before making a final decision on the fate of Glassco’s position.
Glassco, an ocean governance expert with more than 10 years of professional experience working in the fisheries and maritime sectors of Liberia, has pledged to cooperate with the investigating agencies and ruled out mounting a legal battle against Boakai’s decision.
Glassco has claimed in the past that such accusations are politically motivated, as she was appointed to office under former Liberia President George Weah in February 2018, a four-year appointment the Weah renewed in January 2022.
A recent editorial published by Front Page Africa asserts a similar claim, saying that Boakai has been engaging in a political purge of Weah-appointed officials across the Liberian government.
“Without clear evidence or specific allegations to support these claims, the justification appears conveniently broad – a tactic often used to justify politically motivated dismissals,” the editorial said.
In an interview with local media after her suspension, Glassco denied any wrongdoing, saying she is “deeply concerned about the motivations behind the decision and the impact it has on my reputation.”
“I have worked tirelessly to build my reputation, and I will fight to protect my character,” she said.
NaFAA was created in October 2017 as an autonomous body to regulate the Liberian fishery sector.
Under Glassco, the agency has overseen the adoption of a national plan of action to combat illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in line with nationwide and regional plans. During her time at the helm, NaFAA also inked a USD 40 million (EUR 36.6 million) investment with the World Bank to improve management of Liberia’s fisheries sector.
