GBARNGA, Aug. 6 (LINA) – The Ministry of Agriculture has embarked on mechanisms to restore the Center for Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) in Bong County to its pre-war status following strike actions by employees.

Speaking at CARI in Suakoko District recently, The Minister of Agriculture, Madam Jeannie Cooper, said CARI has lost its credibility due to “poor management” at the entity.

According to Minister Cooper, the many reports from the institution regarding impropriety, including employees’ dissatisfaction as a result of media reports on alleged missing items from the entity, drew the attention of her office, describing this as “very unfortunate.”

The Agriculture Minister pointed out that senior staffs of the ministry have on several occasions met with the CARI Administration to resolve matters of concern to the employees.

Minister Cooper said following her intervention, recommendations will be made to the office of President George Manneh Weah.

The MoA boss noted that her presence at CARI recently was not meant to put workers against each other, but instead to amicably resolve matters that will make CARI a more viable institution and a national pride.

“The impression is that there are more professional and potential young people at CARI. But unfortunately, the institution is not functioning to expectation as a result of dissatisfaction among the workers. Before the war, CARI was the largest agricultural research institution in West Africa, and it must get back to that status; so I will get to the bottom of the issue,” she said.

For his part, the Chair of the House Committee on Agriculture, Representative Prince Tokpa, said his presence at CARI recently which was aimed at addressing the concerns of employees, brought “total relief” to residents of Suakoko and employees of the entity.

Representative Tokpa promised that the plight of aggrieved employees will be handled professionally.

In remarks, Bong County Development Superintendent Anthony Sheriff encouraged employees of CARI to stop their strike actions and return to work, adding that he will ensure that speedy investigation is launched into the matter.

For several months now, since the appointment of Madam Paulette Findley by President George Manneh Weah as head of CARI, there have been series of strike actions by employees of the entity on grounds that several items, including a 50KVA generator, have gone missing from the compound of the institution.

The workers last week Wednesday and Thursday blocked the main entrance of the facility in demand of the immediate suspension and subsequent investigation of the CARI Administration relative to the alleged missing items.