GoL Not Dismissing, Suspensing Civil Servants CSA Boss Responds to ‘People Working to Derail Reforms’

Amid wide public outcries against the Unity Party-led government for what some pundits call “political purging” or “targeted retrenching” of government officials and civil servants deemed loyalists of the former Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), the Director General of the Civil Service Agency has been barking at people he believes are “heralding misconceptions, misinformation, disinformation as well as half-truths” in an attempt to derail “our ongoing critical reform efforts”.

At a Regular Press Briefing of the Ministry of Information, Culture Affairs and Tourism on October 1, 2024, Josiah F. Joekai, Jr said the CSA “is not going around firing or dismissing people and removing them from the Government’s payroll”. The Analyst reports.

The Director General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA) has reported that the Agency is well on course with critical reform initiatives geared toward lending credibility, professionalism, and productivity in the public service and ensuring the integrity of the Government of Liberia’s (GoL) payroll.

He said with the consolidation of efforts, the government’s civil service professionalization objectives would be met, and that productivity across the government will be tremendously increased.

“On behalf of the CSA, I want to assure you of our commitment to the terms of the MOU and as Co-Chair of this Arrangement, we will provide the required leadership,” he said.

Joekai spoke of the signing of a historic tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) involving the Chairman of the Governance Commission, Professor Alaric Tokpa, Nee-Alah T. Varpilah, Director-General of the Liberia Institute of Public Administration, and the CSA.

“First off,” he growled, “we would like to clear up some misconceptions, misinformation, disinformation as well as half-truths that are being promoted and heralded by individuals who are bent on derailing our ongoing critical reform efforts.”

“The CSA is not going around firing or dismissing people and removing them from the Government’s payroll. That is very untrue,” Joekai said.  “If half of this were even true, one can imagine the number of protests that would be staged had legitimate government workers been removed from the payroll.”

To this end, he reassured the Liberian people of government resolve to uphold integrity and “fairness in our employee management system.

“Our payroll sanitization effort has affected people in various categories that include individuals who have abandoned their assignments for periods beyond the statutorily allowed time but still drawing paychecks from the CSA system. He said some traveled for prolonged unexplained reasons while others are right here but do not show up to work.

Other government workers in the categories are recipients of study leave who have stayed beyond the agreed-upon duration of their leave agreement without any explanation about pursuing additional or further studies but are still drawing paychecks from our system, and recipients of sick leave who have neither communicated with their HR or Administration about the status of their recovery nor provided any medical certification signed by a recognized practitioner as required by the Standing Orders for the Civil Service but are still drawing paychecks from our system.

According to the CSA boss, “There are still even some people who are on two different payrolls – the double dippers. And worst of all, as you will come to find out later during my statement, some individuals have absolutely nothing to do with the government but are being paid huge salaries via the Mobile Money payment platform.

“The public can be assured that at no time has the CSA removed any names from the GoL payroll outside of the established standards.”

“So, you see, the CSA is not witch-hunting anyone,” he continued. “Our work is guided by established frameworks – whether it is the Standing Orders for the Civil Service, the Act creating the Civil Service Agency, the Human Resource Policy Manual as well as Human Resource manuals across spending entities of government.”

“The product of our work will continue to speak for itself and posterity will be kind to us. I am proud of my team and the accomplishments we have achieved so far in the face of adversities and scarce resources. I also would like to thank the thousands of Liberians who continue to repose confidence in what we are doing at the CSA. We will not fail you.”

He announced that with immediate effect, the freeze on transfer between and within agencies is hereby lifted, adding: “Section 3.4.9 of the Standing Orders for the Civil Service is hereby fully restored and HR Directors are required to strictly adhere to the provision thereof. (REPEAT). A circular memorandum to guide the transfer procedures of employees between and within entities will be issued tomorrow.”

He brought spending agencies’ attention that they who are at the CSA were aware that individuals who are not employees of or work for the government are within proximity to the government and its functionaries.

This does not only violate very basic principles of institutional probity but also a sheer dereliction of their duties to ensure that only those duly within the employ of the government should access government facilities, he said, noting: “We are also aware that some heads of Spending Entities are hiring individuals and using enhancement funds that are meant to support programs and activities at their institutions to pay these individuals outside of established procedures laid out in the relevant hiring policies of the government, particularly the Standing Orders for Civil Service and Human Resource Policy Manual. We are asking them to desist as we will not hesitate to call them out.”

He said the civil service plays a crucial role in ensuring the effective functioning of the government by recruiting qualified individuals to fill various public sector roles.

“However, a reliable, transparent, and efficient mechanism for testing and evaluating potential candidates is essential to maintain high standards of public service – hence the idea of a National Civil Service Testing Center,” Joekai emphasized.

“The proposed Testing Center will streamline the recruitment process, enhance transparency, and promote meritocracy in the public sector.”

He stressed that eligible Liberians desirous of entering the civil service for a testable position will take a computer-based test beginning three weeks from now.

On the issues of conducting credential verification for public service employees, the CSA boss said it is essential to maintaining the integrity and professionalism of the civil service.

“It ensures that all employees possess the necessary qualifications, skills, and expertise to perform their duties effectively,” he said. “In a time where efficiency, competence, and accountability are critical to government operations, verifying the credentials of public servants ensures that the right individuals are entrusted with responsibilities that directly impact the public.

“This process reinforces public confidence in the civil service and upholds standards of merit based employment. Additionally, credential verification helps to prevent fraudulent qualifications from undermining the system.”

He said: “Unqualified individuals occupying positions for which they are not trained or educated can lead to inefficiencies, poor service delivery, and potential harm in critical sectors such as healthcare, education, and law enforcement. By ensuring that employees’ qualifications are legitimate and relevant to their roles, the government can safeguard the quality of its services and avoid costly mistakes that arise from incompetence or lack of expertise.”