In a major move to transform Liberia’s public sector workforce, the Civil Service Agency (CSA) has released its most expansive human resource assessment reports to date, exposing serious irregularities and calling for immediate institutional reform at the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), and Lofa County University.
The reports, presented during a high-level event at the CSA Headquarters in Congo Town, detail findings from weeks-long personnel and credential verification missions carried out by CSA teams. The exercise uncovered widespread issues ranging from ghost names and forged credentials to payroll mismanagement and policy violations.
CSA Director General, Dr. Josiah F. Joekai, Jr., said the reports represent “a critical turning point in restoring transparency, accountability, and meritocracy in the public service.”
“At CSA, we don’t have anything to hide. We must be that mark of transparency and accountability. If we are to restore meritocracy to our public service, we must do it by example,” Dr. Joekai declared.
Addressing the MCC findings, he revealed that of the 777 employees listed on payroll, only 736 were verified—leaving 41 names unaccounted for, which raises strong suspicions of ghost employees. Those unverified individuals will be blocked, not deleted, from the payroll system.
“Blocking and deletion are different,” Dr. Joekai clarified. “We will block them and then work with MCC to investigate why they don’t have the requisite documents in their files.”
Out of the 736 verified employees, only 456 presented legitimate and verifiable credentials, while 36 individuals presented falsified documents. A total of 244 employees had no formal academic qualification whatsoever, while 325 held only high school certificates.
In the area of attendance, the CSA found troubling absenteeism: 75 employees were absent for three to six days, eight for seven to thirteen days, two for over 14 days, and 11 employees had no attendance record at all. As per CSA policy, those absent for 14 days or more will be dismissed.
The MCC also inherited a two-payroll system: one managed by the CSA and another managed internally to supplement low salaries. While the intention was to retain staff, Joekai warned of serious risks, including double payments and fiscal irregularities.
He called for a “unified payroll system,” in line with the 2019 Standardization and Remuneration Act, which mandates a single national payroll across government.
“This won’t be an abrupt collapse. We’ll work professionally and technically to merge the systems without disrupting livelihoods. But it must happen,” he said.
The CSA has now requested MCC to block all 150 staff hired unlawfully on April 3, 2023, pending investigation. Dr. Joekai emphasized that those responsible for the mass hiring would also be blocked and potentially suspended.
He said no authorization for these appointments was received from the Office of the Mayor, describing the move as a “flagrant violation of CSA and MCC hiring protocols.”
He also criticized the misuse of transfers as punitive actions and warned institutions that the CSA would not honor such moves unless properly investigated and justified.
“If you transfer someone just because you don’t like them, CSA will not remove them from the payroll. Transfers must not be used as punishment,” he said. “We encourage performance-based promotions and evaluations. It must not be about who you know or how you feel about an employee.”
Dr. Joekai praised the current MCC leadership for inviting the CSA and demonstrating transparency. “It is not easy to take over an institution inundated with these many HR problems. But you’ve mustered the courage, and we applaud you for it.”
The Director General also spoke of strategic staffing reforms, calling for alignment of hiring with actual institutional needs and capacity gaps, not political pressure.
He announced that CSA is now pushing all entities to transition to biometric attendance systems and digitized HR records. Entities will be mandated to adopt these systems and submit monthly reports through a centralized platform.
The report on the Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA), a paramilitary institution, was not publicly discussed due to national security concerns.
“We will not be telling the public what our Drug Enforcement Agency constitutes in terms of structure, strength, or manpower,” Dr. Joekai emphasized. “But I can assure you that the issues are not different from the other entities, and we will work with LDEA to implement every recommendation scrupulously.”
Although less detail was disclosed during the public briefing, the CSA noted that its team spent three weeks on-site at Lofa County University conducting a similar personnel and credential verification exercise. The institution reportedly struggles with severe human resource constraints, which the report addresses through strategic recommendations.
According to Joekai, the CSA reviewed 149 personnel files. Of those, 103 were found to be outdated. Ten suspected ghost workers were identified and will be blocked immediately. Nine individuals submitted questionable academic credentials, while 133 had verifiable ones. The CSA recommended that 33 employees be reclassified and redeployed, and 25 employees who were absent for 3-4 days have their salaries prorated accordingly. Fifteen employees who missed 7 to 13 workdays will be suspended, and four employees who were absent for 14 days or more will be dismissed.
The university was also advised to shift hiring focus toward academic and technical roles, as instructional, IT, research, and M&E departments remain critically understaffed. A total of 31 staff were found to be misplaced or underqualified for their current roles and will be reassigned.
CSA urged the university to begin credential verification during the hiring process, adopt performance-based assessments for promotions, and transition to digital HR systems. As part of broader reforms, all institutions are being asked to develop a five-year strategic staffing plan aligned with projected academic and operational growth.
“Record keeping must be improved, and outdated HR systems must be reformed,” Joekai said. “Credential fraud must be flagged, and corrective action must follow swiftly. We cannot allow people to just try their luck with forged credentials.”
The event ended with a strong message of encouragement for institutional leaders to embrace reform, transparency, and accountability.
“To the leadership of MCC and Lofa County University, thank you. Your willingness to open your doors to CSA sets an example for others to follow,” Dr. Joekai concluded. “Let’s collectively commit to cleaning up our public service and restoring professionalism to government.”
The CSA’s next phase involves deploying teams to additional ministries, agencies, and commissions, with or without formal invitations. The agency says its work is supported by statutory mandate and national urgency, even though it currently receives no budgetary allocation for these reforms.
“Some entities still refuse to accept CSA’s regulatory authority over human resources. But just as financial and procurement systems are regulated, HR must be too,” Joekai said. “We are not backing down.”
Dr. Joekai concluded by affirming CSA’s commitment to working with all entities to ensure transparency, fairness, and improved productivity across government institutions.
“This exercise is not a witch hunt—it is a reform tool. And we must face these issues head-on if we want to deliver services that meet the expectations of the Liberian people.”
Dr. Joekai disclosed that the entire assessment initiative has no budgetary allocation from the national government.
“This process is not supported by the national budget. What we’re doing is based on the President’s call for collaboration and resource pooling,” he explained. “But we need every support to sustain and expand this initiative.”
Liberia has 105 spending entities, and CSA plans to conduct similar assessments across all, with or without formal invitations.
“Whether you invite us or not, we will come,” Dr. Joekai warned, drawing laughter from the audience.
