β¦ππ₯π¨ππ€π¬ π,πππ ππ§π―ππ«π’ππ’ππ ππ¦π©π₯π¨π²πππ¬ π¨π§ πππ πππ²π«π¨π₯π₯
BY Amos HarrisΒ
The Civil Service Agency (CSA) has taken another major step toward strengthening transparency and accountability within Liberiaβs public sector with the presentation of a comprehensive Personnel and Credential Verification Report to the Ministry of Local Government (MLG).
The report, which also included the unveiling of a Human Resources Digital System on Personnel Management, is being described by officials as a landmark achievement aimed at improving efficiency, productivity, and credibility within government institutions.
The Personnel and Credential Verification Exercise was launched in December 2025 following a formal request from the Ministry of Local Government, then known as the Ministry of Internal Affairs, beginning in Montserrado County before extending to the remaining fourteen counties in February 2026.
The nationwide exercise targeted all employees of the Ministry of Local Government across Liberia and was conducted over a 24-day period under the leadership of CSA Director-General Dr. Josiah F. Joekai Jr.
Presenting the findings in Monrovia on Friday, May 8, 2026, Dr. Joekai disclosed that a total of 4,724 employees, representing the entire workforce of the Ministry, were targeted during the verification exercise.
According to the report, 3,325 employees, representing 70 percent of the workforce, were successfully verified, while 1,381 employees, constituting 29 percent, failed to complete the verification process.
Dr. Joekai described the exercise as a critical intervention intended to restore confidence in the government payroll system and eliminate irregularities affecting public sector management.
He noted that the findings revealed the urgent need for reforms within the Ministryβs documentation and personnel management systems, particularly in areas relating to accountability and workforce planning.
The CSA Director-General explained that civil servants account for 1,770 employees or 37.5 percent of the workforce, while appointees receiving government salaries total 1,555, representing 32.9 percent.
He further disclosed that another category classified as Special Case Appointees consists of 830 employees who are expected to be enrolled onto the national payroll system.
Dr. Joekai emphasized that despite legitimate excuses presented by 18 employees through the Ministryβs Excuse Ledger, the report still found that nearly three out of every ten workers remained unverified.
According to him, the exercise uncovered significant weaknesses in employee documentation, with many personnel files lacking employment letters, academic credentials, recommendation letters, and national identification documents.
βWhat that shows is a weak documentation system, and that undermines accountability and workforce planning.
It needs immediate intervention,β Dr. Joekai stated during the presentation.
The report also revealed serious attendance anomalies involving hundreds of employees across the Ministry of Local Government.
Dr. Joekai disclosed that 474 cases of attendance irregularities were identified, with recommendations including salary deductions, suspensions without pay, and dismissals for employees found in violation of government regulations.
Under the recommendations, 77 employees are expected to face salary deductions for absenteeism, 305 employees have been recommended for suspension without pay, while 92 workers are facing dismissal.
The CSA boss said the attendance irregularities point to broader productivity and efficiency challenges that require urgent corrective actions from the Ministryβs leadership.
On the issue of qualifications, the report showed that 1,160 employees possess no academic or professional credentials, while 290 employees hold only high school diplomas.
The findings further revealed that only 156 employees hold Bachelorβs Degrees, 12 possess Masterβs Degrees, 63 have Associate Degrees, 86 hold vocational certificates, and only one employee possesses a PhD qualification.
Dr. Joekai stressed that the findings demonstrate the urgent need for an aggressive national capacity-building and educational development program within the Ministry of Local Government.
The report also highlighted gender disparities within the Ministry, revealing that men continue to dominate both civil service and appointed positions.
According to the Gender Disaggregation Analysis, male civil servants account for 69.94 percent of the workforce, while females represent 30.06 percent.
Among appointees on government payroll, males account for nearly 90 percent, compared to just over 10 percent for females.
The verification exercise additionally examined employee placement and alignment based on qualifications and job responsibilities.
The findings showed that 1,444 employees were appropriately placed in their positions, while 257 workers were under qualified, 55 were overqualified, and 14 employees were misplaced.
Dr. Joekai warned that nearly 18 percent of the Ministryβs workforce requires immediate human resource intervention through reclassification, redeployment, reassignment, and targeted professional training.
On workforce sustainability and retirement planning, the report indicated that 406 employees have already reached retirement age, while 411 workers are approaching retirement between the ages of 50 and 59.
The CSA also discovered that 17 employees did not have dates of birth recorded in their personnel files, a situation officials say further highlights the need for improved records management.
As part of the key recommendations, Dr. Joekai announced the immediate blocking of the 1,381 unverified employees from the government payroll pending further verification in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government.
He warned that employees who fail to appear for verification within 30 days risk permanent removal from the payroll in accordance with CSA policy guidelines.
Dr. Joekai praised the Ministry of Local Government and the United Nations Development Programme for supporting the verification process, describing the initiative as a giant step toward comprehensive public sector reform in Liberia.
According to him, the exercise aligns with the CSAβs broader mandate to modernize human resource management systems across all 109 government spending entities.
Receiving the report, Minister of Local Government Hon. F. Sakila Nyumalin, commended the Civil Service Agency for conducting what he described as a professional and comprehensive verification exercise capable of guiding future policy reforms within the Ministry.
The presentation ceremony brought together employees of the Ministry of Local Government, representatives of the United Nations Development Programme.
The Ministry of Education, and the Governance Commission, all of whom applauded the CSA for advancing transparency, accountability, and efficiency in Liberiaβs public service sector.
