Liberia News: CSA Boss Must Resign Or Be Dismissed

By: Moses M. Tokpah

Liberia-Civil Service Agency Director General Josiah Joekai is coming under intense consistent public pressure for series of actions he has undertaken that are deemed counter-productive, intolerable and outlandish to legal norms and public service dignity.

The CSA has dismissed or removed several Liberians from government payroll who could not be seen or counted during a headcount exercise at various agencies of government and acknowledged the dismissal of nine Liberians at the Monrovia City Corporation for expressing their political views on social media.

The decision has since sparked harsh responses from public including several officials of government, including members of the national legislature who viewed his actions as overstepping the legal periphery.

Adding his voice to the many calls for the CSA boss to go is US- based Liberian, A. Patrick Sowah, who also thinks Mr. Joekai went overboard in his reforms initiatives and needed to resign or dismiss to save the agency from overclouding politics.

Mr. Sowah said the CSA Boss did not behave appropriately by calling for the firing of the nine Liberians for expressing their views, indicating that his actions could undermine public service dignity.

He specifically called on President Boakai to do the honorable thing by getting rid of Mr. Joekai because his actions could exemplify unacceptable behavior in public office and that he should be held accountable for his actions.

Sowah also reminded the Liberian leader that Josiah’s action violates Chapter 9, Section 2 of the Code of Conduct for public servants which states that “civil servants should exercise responsible conduct at work and off duty, and refrain from actions that undermine public service dignity.”

“The call to dismiss Liberians due to their political beliefs is not by bad conduct but Joekai’s actions demonstrate lack of respect for the rule of law and all citizens, regardless of their beliefs,” he added.

 “Joekai’s actions could set bad precedence for future political decisions, and could also create a hostile environment for public servants, leading to a lack of trust and respect among the public and government officials, and could negatively affect Liberia’s democracy, he said.

According to him, such behavior can erode public trust in government institutions, leading to citizens questioning the fairness and integrity of their leaders, and stressed that when public servants are perceived to act based on political biases rather than merit, it undermines confidence in the system.

Sowah argued that Joekai’s decision also sets a dangerous precedence for other government officials and sends a negative message to Liberians who rely on individuals’ public services, noting that his decision should not be taken lightly.             

A clinical mental health counselor, Sowah said upholding ethical standards is crucial to maintaining public institutions’ integrity and credibility, and emphasized that when public officials adhere to ethical guidelines.

He told President Boakai that ethical conduct is the foundation for a stable and just society where government actions are transparent and accountable.

“Public officials should always be held responsible for their actions and any violations of ethical standards. Failure to do so will lead to a loss of confidence in the government and its ability to function correctly,” he concluded.