The Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has officially started the hiring process for more than 200 people who have worked as auxiliary agents for over 11 years without having a formal job position.
By Kruah Thompson
Monrovia, July 29, 2025: As reported by LDEA representatives, the organization has issued an announcement encouraging all experienced assistants who are not part of the government's salary list but have aided the agency's efforts against drug trafficking to begin the official integration procedure.
Candidates were asked to provide academic records, a criminal background check, and additional pertinent documents prior to finishing an official application form.
After completing the documentation process, candidates sat for an ability test, with the outcomes displayed at the LDEA office, indicating who succeeded and who failed.
Qualified individuals were subsequently directed to the National Police Training Academy in Paynesville, where they completed physical fitness tests.
Nevertheless, on Monday, July 28, 2025, the LDEA released the list of individuals who successfully completed the physical examination.
The applicants who have been shortlisted will move on to the next stage of the hiring process. Following this, those who succeed will be added to the government's payroll as permanent agents.
Although the decision has been praised by many as a much-needed action in response to demands for the official recognition of auxiliary agents, some of whom have labored without compensation or benefits for more than ten years, others, including certain applicants, perceive it as a late move that has already harmed the agency's public reputation.
They claim that the extended use of unpaid support staff at the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) has resulted in improper behavior, with certain officers reportedly engaging in extortion or "taking money" from the profits of drug raids as a way to make ends meet.
In an exclusive conversation with this outlet, a present LDEA agent, who has requested anonymity, mentioned that the current hiring process is intended to put 200 of these volunteer agents onto the government's payroll, as part of initiatives to enhance the agency's staff and acknowledge the efforts of those who have worked for a long time without official employment.
He argues that the public's negative reaction to the agency's recent hiring of just 200 assistants is unfounded.
Currently, people view the new Director as the villain for choosing only 200 out of the many auxiliaries," the officer stated. "But in my opinion, it's a positive move. It will assist in decreasing the public noise and complaints that LDEA is corrupt or inefficient.
He stated that, over the years, the agency has been involved in many hiring processes; nevertheless, since they have not yet been added to the payroll, the number of auxiliary staff has kept increasing.
If the DEA had maintained a consistent approach to hiring and compensating them, there wouldn't be so many individuals still waiting," he remarked. "Employing auxiliary agents is a worst-case situation. These individuals make daily sacrifices, but if something occurs to them, the law or the agency does not offer them full protection.
The officer noted that the significant number of auxiliaries continuing to gather near LDEA headquarters indicates a failure by previous leadership to properly integrate or oversee those who worked under prior administrations.
He also mentioned that certain auxiliary agents finished the recruitment procedure under Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's administration but were never added to the payroll because of insufficient government funding.
They aren't able to take everyone all at once," he said. "That's why the new Director has selected only 200 for now. Perhaps the next time, another group will be summoned.
He also remembered that during the George Weah administration, roughly 100 auxiliaries were trained directly at the LDEA facility in Sinkor.
When the late LDEA Director Marcus S. Zehyoue, who succumbed to COVID-19, assumed leadership, he aimed to hire annually. However, after his passing, the hiring initiative ceased. This is why numerous auxiliaries remained assisting the agency without being part of the government's payroll.
During a phone conversation with The New Dawn, Olando Demey, the Public Relations Officer of the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), stated that the specific number of candidates currently in the hiring process cannot be disclosed for security purposes.
"For security reasons, we are unable to reveal the total number of applicants at this time. Sharing this information might endanger our agents," Demey said.
He called the applicants "action agents," a designation for people who have been working on a voluntary basis with the organization.
Demey mentioned that the hiring process for this year is taking place in multiple stages, involving both internal recruitment aimed at long-term volunteers and external recruitment open to the general public.
As per his statement, the procedure started with a public notice on the LDEA's official Facebook page, encouraging applications from high school diploma holders within a defined age bracket. Nevertheless, not every candidate fulfilled the fundamental criteria and were removed during the initial stage.
"The initial step focused on reviewing documents. Individuals who did not satisfy the requirements were excluded. The second stage consisted of physical training and fitness evaluations, and once more, some were removed for failing to meet the standards," he stated.
Demey also mentioned that the process has now entered the third phase, which is the testing and assessment stage set to take place this week.
He stated that only those who successfully complete this phase will move on to the final interview.
"After the interview, those who succeed will be accepted into the academy, and after completing their studies, they will be officially joined by the LDEA," he added.
He verified that on Tuesday, July 29, 2025, candidates would go to their main office in Sinkor to obtain their examination numbers as part of the continuous procedure.
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