MONROVIA – The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND), a prominent civil society organization in Liberia, has called on President Joseph N. Boakai to dismiss the Director General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), Mr. Josiah Joekai, citing his failure to focus on his duties and responsibilities. In a press statement issued in Monrovia on Saturday, August 17, 2024, STAND highlighted that Joekai’s conduct is not only causing daily chaos within the CSA but is also fostering an environment of lawlessness that threatens Liberia’s peace and stability.
The CSA, established in 1973, plays a crucial role in managing Liberia’s human resources, overseeing career development, recruitment, and training. However, STAND expressed disappointment that Mr. Joekai has disregarded these important tasks, instead reducing the civil service to what they describe as a “social media police agency,” where posts and comments by citizens are monitored to determine their retention, demotion, or dismissal from public service.
STAND views this approach as a significant decline in public service standards, arguing that Joekai’s actions and inflammatory statements undermine the integrity of the CSA and threaten Liberia’s progress. Particularly alarming to STAND are reports that Joekai has instructed government functionaries to dismiss civil servants who criticize the Office of the President. Such actions, according to STAND, are unlawful and damaging to Liberia’s democratic principles.
“The dismissal of civil servants for expressing personal views or criticisms is a violation of their constitutional rights to free speech and expression,” STAND stated. The organization warned that these actions signal a troubling trend toward authoritarianism, where dissent is suppressed, and freedom of expression is stifled.
Liberia has endured significant challenges in its history, and STAND emphasized that the nation cannot afford to revert to an era where individuals were intimidated or even killed for exercising their right to free expression. STAND remains committed to resisting actions that threaten to erode the democratic progress Liberia has achieved over the years.
While condemning any insults directed at the Office of the President, STAND underscored the importance of distinguishing between baseless insults and constructive criticism. The organization supports the right of every citizen to offer constructive criticism of government policies but denounces the use of profanity and insults, which have become increasingly common in recent years. According to STAND, such abuse of language is counterproductive and detrimental to national dialogue.
Nevertheless, STAND made it clear that dismissing civil servants for their criticisms or political disagreements constitutes an abuse of power and violates the principles of good governance that President Boakai has sworn to uphold. The organization views Joekai’s actions as politically motivated, accusing him of aligning more closely with a political party than with serving the President and the government of Liberia impartially.
STAND reminds Joekai that the CSA’s primary responsibility is to serve the people of Liberia without political bias. The organization stressed that civil servants should be treated fairly, regardless of their political affiliations or personal opinions. Politically motivated dismissals by the CSA, STAND argues, undermine its core mandate and erode public trust in the government.
In light of these concerning developments, STAND has called on President Boakai to intervene urgently to address the challenges posed by individuals like Joekai, whose unchecked behavior damages the image of the presidency. STAND also urged the President to ensure that wrongfully dismissed civil servants receive appropriate redress, countering the growing perception that he tacitly endorses such reckless behavior.
STAND concluded its statement by inviting all unlawfully dismissed civil servants and government employees to a major consultative meeting scheduled for the coming week. The information gathered from this meeting will be used to strengthen STAND’s position as it prepares to officially forward these concerns to President Boakai.
This latest call to action from STAND underscores the growing concern among civil society organizations regarding the current state of governance in Liberia and the need for swift corrective measures to uphold democratic principles and the rule of law.
