Joekai Weaponizes CSA for Political Control: 9 NPHIL Staffers on Advanced Study Become Collateral in His Latest Power Play
- Michael T
- Oct 1
- 2 min read
MONROVIA, Oct 1—Liberia’s effort to build a skilled public health workforce has stalled after staff sent abroad by the National Public Health Institute were dropped from the state payroll for two months. The group detailed accumulating hardships—late rent, and growing anxiety—after Civil Service Agency (CSA) Director General Josiah F. Joekai Jr. removed them from pay, a move they describe as arbitrary and life altering.
According to the affected employees and NPHIL management, all study leave agreements and required documentation were signed and submitted. Despite these assurances, their appeals for reinstatement remain unanswered by the CSA, which claims the necessary Memorandum of Understanding was never provided—a stance directly disputed by NPHIL officials, who insist all paperwork was in order.
For Director Joekai, the payroll standoff is just the latest controversy in a tenure marked by charges of arbitrary decision-making and disregard for procedure. In recent months, lawmakers and civil servants have accused his office of “arbitrary” removals, nepotism with key jobs reportedly handed to family and friends, and a heavy-handed approach to dissent within the ranks.
At stake is more than the fate of nine mid-career professionals. With global outbreaks on the rise and the demand for specialized technical staff growing each year, Liberia’s decision makers had hoped to build a cadre of experts prepared for the next crisis. “This goes well beyond lost wages,” NPHIL’s director, Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, wrote in a letter urging action. “To fight future public health threats, these skills are not optional—they are strategic.”
As the impasse drags on, consequences are mounting for staffers thrust into hardship by an agency head whose heavy-handed approach is increasingly criticized as abuse of power rather than effective leadership.
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