In a major push to restore transparency and accountability in the Liberian civil service, the Civil Service Agency (CSA) has uncovered widespread payroll and staffing irregularities across three key government institutions: the Monrovia Consolidated School System (MCSS), the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), and the House of Representatives (HOR).
The findings are detailed in a comprehensive audit report presented this week by CSA Director General Dr. Josiah F. Joekai, Jr., who described the revelations as alarming and indicative of deep-rooted inefficiencies that are costing the country millions in wasted public funds.
“The integrity of our public payroll is under serious threat,” Dr. Joekai said during the report presentation. “These audits are not just numbers—they reflect institutional dysfunction that must be addressed if we are serious about reforming our civil service.”
The CSA’s audit of the Monrovia Consolidated School System focused on 977 government-paid staff and 604 volunteer teachers serving across 27 public schools. The review revealed significant disparities between reported and verified personnel.
“Liberia’s taxpayers deserve transparency and accountability. It is unacceptable that their money funds non-existent workers or idle employees,” said Dr. Joekai. “We must overhaul the system, install biometric attendance, enforce merit-based hiring, and conduct regular audits.”
According to him, many employees listed on the payroll could not be confirmed during verification exercises. Additionally, the system’s failure to maintain accurate attendance records and personnel files raised serious concerns about oversight and administrative capacity.
“When schools can’t properly track who is showing up to teach, the quality of education and public spending both suffer,” Joekai noted.
At the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority, which employs 209 workers, the CSA conducted a forensic review aimed at identifying payroll anomalies and strengthening human resource management. The audit found a disproportionate number of administrative staff compared to technical experts, raising questions about workforce optimization and operational efficiency.
Furthermore, attendance records showed an average absenteeism rate of 1.80 days per month for female employees and 2.06 days for male employees—figures that CSA analysts say suggest a troubling pattern of absenteeism.
“NaFAA is a technical agency by mandate. The imbalance in its workforce structure undermines its mission,” Joekai said. “We must realign staffing to meet functional needs, not political preferences.”
Perhaps the most shocking findings came from the audit of the House of Representatives. Out of 958 employees and 604 volunteers reported, only 704 employees and 459 volunteers were verified. The difference indicates the presence of potential “ghost names”—individuals who draw salaries but do not exist or do not work in the institution.
The audit also uncovered credential gaps: 309 of the verified employees held only high school diplomas, while 60 staff had no academic qualifications whatsoever. Attendance monitoring showed that 216 employees (31.3%) had four or fewer absences, while 104 employees (15.1%) had 14 or more absences and were recommended for warning or disciplinary action.
“If the lawmakers’ own institution cannot enforce standards of attendance and qualification, what message does that send to the rest of government?” Joekai asked. “The House must lead by example.”
The audits identified several systemic problems across the three institutions including a consistent gap between reported and verified employee counts, poor or nonexistent personnel record management, rampant absenteeism without accountability, unqualified individuals receiving government salaries and a need for automated systems to track attendance and credentials
Dr. Joekai emphasized the necessity for structural reform, including the institutionalization of regular personnel verification exercises and stricter hiring protocols.
“We cannot continue to waste limited public resources on individuals who do not exist or do not perform,” he said. “We must embrace performance-based hiring, digital attendance tracking, and real accountability if we want to build a credible and effective civil service.”
The CSA’s report has been formally submitted to relevant oversight bodies, including the Executive Mansion, the Ministry of Finance, and the General Auditing Commission. Joekai urged swift action on the recommendations and stressed the need for political will.
He announced that the CSA will extend similar audits to additional ministries, agencies, and commissions in the coming months, as part of President Joseph Boakai’s broader public sector reform agenda.
Civil society actors, including budget watchdogs and education advocates, have already begun to call for public hearings and disciplinary actions based on the findings.
The CSA’s audit report is the latest in a string of efforts to clean up Liberia’s bloated and inefficient public sector. While the revelations are deeply concerning, observers say they offer a crucial opportunity to enforce reforms that have long been delayed.
As Dr. Joekai warned, “We are at a crossroads. Either we clean up our institutions and protect public trust, or we allow the rot to deepen. The choice is ours.”
