IPNEWS: Civil Service Agency (CSA) Director-General Josiah F. Joekai is under intense public scrutiny after claiming that “there is no civil servant on the payroll in Liberia making less than US$150.”
Speaking Thursday at the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism’s (MICAT) regular press briefing in Monrovia
Mr. Joekai hailed what he described as a “reformed and standardized salary structure,” asserting that payroll improvements have eliminated ghost names and promoted fairness in government employment.
But his declaration has drawn sharp criticism and disbelief from public workers, civil society advocates and policy analysts who say the statement is not supported by facts on the ground.
Across ministries and agencies, especially in the education and health sectors teachers, janitors, and rural healthcare workers have dismissed the CSA boss’s assertion as “a distortion of reality.”
Several employees interviewed by this paper said they continue to receive between US$90 and US$100 per month, with additional allowances amounting to just 5,000 to 6,000 Liberian dollars, far below the figure cited by Mr. Joekai.
“We are tired of hearing false claims about salary harmonization,” said one junior employee at a government ministry who requested anonymity.
“Every month, our pay slips tell a different story from what is being said at press conferences.”
Civil society organizations have joined the debate, urging the CSA to publish comprehensive payroll records to substantiate the Director-General’s claim.
They argue that without transparency, such pronouncements only widen the credibility gap between the government and its workforce.
Labor analysts say glaring salary disparities still persist across government institutions.
Employees with similar qualifications and job descriptions often earn vastly different salaries depending on their ministry or agency.
“Standardization has not been achieved,” noted one policy observer, “Some civil servants in certain ministries make US$300, while others in the same grade receive barely US$100, this is not fairness it’s systemic inequality.”
Sources within MICAT confirmed that some of its staff earn well below the US$150 threshold, describing the ministry as “one of the least-paid institutions in government.”
Observers warn that Mr. Joekai’s statement risks eroding public confidence in the Boakai administration’s promise of transparency and fairness.
Many recall that similar controversies over pay disparities and delayed salaries contributed to the erosion of trust in the previous government.
“Salary injustice was one of the main reasons Liberians turned against the former administration,” one political commentator remarked.
“President Joseph Nyuma Boakai must not repeat that mistake.”
Despite the widespread criticism, Mr. Joekai insists that the CSA’s ongoing biometric payroll verification system will soon correct any inconsistencies and ensure every civil servant receives what they rightfully deserve.
However, as skepticism deepens and demands for transparency grow louder, the controversy surrounding Joekai’s claim has become a major credibility test for the Boakai government. By Amos Harris
