MONROVIA – After hearing arguments on January 15, 2026 before Chambers Justice Jamesetta Howard-Wolokolie, the Supreme Court of Liberia is scheduled to rule in the wrongful termination case of Dr. Dougbeh Christopher Nyan v Executive Branch of the Government of Liberia for a Writ of Prohibition. The ruling will be handed down on February 16, 2026 after 2:00 PM at the Supreme Court of Liberia.
Dr. Nyan, a globally acclaimed biomedical scientist and public health expert, filed a petition on October 23, 2025 challenging his removal — as Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) — by Liberian President Joseph Boakai on October 15, 2025, acting on the “unconstitutional” NPHIL Board resolution that provided no evidence of wrongdoing.
During the arguments before Justice Wolokolie, government lawyers seemed unprepared as they submitted no briefs, but relied solely on the NPHIL Board resolution and two affidavits from the Minister of Health Louise Kpoto and NPHIL Board Chair Stephen Kennedy. Both affidavits which amplified the NPHIL Board resolution, were infused with personal administrative attacks and “political statements” that are unrelated to the legal issue at hand. Government lawyers also argued that the President can terminate “at will,” but cited no legal basis for “at will” termination of the fixed 5-year tenure Director General, Dr. Nyan. Under questions, they entered no materials into evidence, had no evidence of an investigation, and no findings of any investigation.
Dr. Nyan’s team of lawyers led by Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe and Cllr. Kabineh Ja’neh submitted into evidence a comprehensive brief (see attached) citing all relevant articles and sections of the laws that point to the violation of the NPHIL Act of 2016 and procedural law of Liberia. Dr. Nyan’s legal team also cited well documented precedent cases including Yealue et al. v. Executive Branch
His petition further argued that the president’s acts constitute a flagrant violation of the law and procedure and constitute reasons for prohibition as recognized by the Supreme Court in past tenure cases.
Since taking office on August 19, 2024, Dr. Nyan has been credited with strengthening NPHIL’s administrative and technical capacities, leading successful responses to Mpox, Lassa fever, and measles outbreaks. NPHIL also gained international recognition under his leadership, earning designation from the Africa CDC as an “Africa Regional Center of Excellence for National Public Health Institute Development.”
These achievements of “substantial progress” and collaboration across agencies under Dr. Nyan were validated with independent reports from the General Auditing Agency and the NPHIL Annual Reports of 2025, which sharply contradict the NPHIL Board resolution of “gross inefficiency.”
Dr. Nyan, a globally recognized biomedical scientist and inventor is well known for his contributions to infectious disease diagnostics and research. He has been named as “Africa CDC Champion of Biomedical Science and Research” for West African Region and received the 2025 African Genius Award (AGA) for his impactful scientific work and inventions that promotes science and technology, public health, and innovation in Africa.
As the Boakai’s government comes under international scrutiny to conform to the rule of law, observers note that the outcome of Dr. Nyan’s case could set a significant precedent for the protection of tenure positions across government institutions, reinforcing good governance, the rule of law and the separation of powers.
Dr. Nyan restated his confidence in the judiciary to uphold constitutional order, justice, and fairness so that due process is respected in public service.
