Incompetence Crisis Hits G/Commission -As Former Staffers Protest against Nominees

MONROVIA – Concerns continue to deepen within Liberia’s Governance Commission (GC) as the nomination of Madam Cytirus K. Kerbay and Sianeh Sackie Juah to the Commission faces mounting scrutiny. Former staffers of the GC who preferred anonymity is warning that confirming a nominee who does not meet the Commission’s legal qualifications could severely undermine the GC’s core mandate and weaken the country’s broader governance reform agenda.

A formal objection letter submitted to the Senate Committee on Internal Affairs and Good Governance, chaired by Hon. Johnny K. Kpehe, Sr., cites explicit provisions of the Governance Commission Act, arguing that Kerbay and Juah’s academic and professional backgrounds are inconsistent with the Commission’s legally defined mandate.

 The GC is one of Liberia’s principal state institutions for governance reforms. It was established to spearhead national transformation, strengthen democratic governance, and promote accountability across the public sector. According to Part II, Section 2 of the Governance Commission Act, the Commission is mandated to “Propose, advocate, and coordinate governance reforms aimed at creating a more effective, accountable, and participatory system of governance.”

Furthermore, Part IV, Section 4.1 of the Act outlines the core mandate areas of the Commission, including political and legal reforms, public sector reform, civic education and national visioning, the national integrity system, and monitoring, evaluation, research and publications. These areas form the backbone of the ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, AAID Pillar 4 (Accountability, Anti-Corruption, Integrity, and Decentralization), which seeks to improve governance outcomes and strengthen public institutions.

Experts emphasize that because the Commission drives such highly technical governance processes, its leadership must consist of individuals with demonstrated competence in fields directly related to governance, public policy, law, public administration, institutional reform, or similar disciplines.

Statutory Requirements for Commissioners

The objection letter cites Part V, Section 5.3 of the Act, which states that a Commissioner must possess “at least a bachelor’s degree in a discipline and occupation related to one or more of the mandate areas of the Commission” and have proven competence in those areas. However, Madam Kerbay’s academic qualifications, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Public Health, are not considered aligned with the governance-focused nature of the GC’s mandate. Similar concerns have been raised about Acting Vice Chair Madam Sianeh Sackie Juah, who also has a clinical background.

Another former staff member who was forcefully retired during the CDC regime explained, “The GC is not a health institution. Its work is governance, policy reform, anti-corruption, and institutional strengthening. Appointing individuals whose academic training is unrelated to governance clearly contradicts the Act and risks weakening the Commission’s output.”; as well as an internal source added, “When the law says ‘related to mandate areas,’ it means political science, public administration, law, governance, public policy, not nursing or clinical practice.”

Fears of Undermining the AAID Pillar and National Reform Agenda Political Analysts warn that appointing commissioners who lack governance-related expertise could undermine Liberia’s progress under the AAID Pillar 4 of which the GC serves as sector lead, which heavily relies on the GC for developing integrity frameworks, decentralization strategies, public sector reforms, and national governance assessments. Without leadership grounded in governance disciplines, they argue, the quality of policy recommendations and national reform proposals are likely to diminish.

A GC staff member familiar with reform processes commented, “This Commission leads major governance reform blueprints such as anti-corruption frameworks, decentralization policy, integrity surveys, and law reform recommendations. If commissioners lack the technical background to guide these processes, the entire pillar weakens.”

Although the claims in the objection letter have not been independently verified, insiders continue to allege political influence behind the nomination. They claim the appointments of both Kerbay and Juah were reportedly pushed by a senior official from the office of the president with close personal ties to the nominees.

New developments have also emerged from the Legislature. Madam Kerbay, who recently appeared for confirmation alongside nominee Matthew Kollie, was reportedly denied by the Senate oversight committee due to what sources describe as a “poor performance” during her hearing, and that Ndorloh Sengbe, Secretary of the Senate, has assured Madam Kerbay that he would help lobby on her behalf to secure confirmation despite the reported statutory shortcomings.

Observers argue that confirming nominees whose qualifications do not align with statutory requirements sets a troubling precedent that could erode the integrity of governance reform institutions. A policy analyst who tracks governance reforms stated, “The GC is a backbone institution for governance reforms. If Commissioners are appointed without adherence to clear legal standards, the credibility of the entire governance reform enterprise, including Liberia’s commitments under the AAID Pillar, faces serious risk.”

As of press time, the Senate Committee has not issued an official response to the concerns raised in the objection letter or the allegations surrounding the confirmation proceedings.