By Amos Harris
IPNEWS: The Government of Liberia, through the Civil Service Agency (CSA), has begun a nationwide personnel and credential verification exercise targeting employees of the Ministry of Local Government as part of ongoing reforms to strengthen transparency, accountability, and integrity within the public sector.
The verification process, which officially commenced on March 9, 2026, is being conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government formerly known as the Ministry of Internal Affairs with technical and logistical support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
Government officials say the exercise forms a key component of Liberiaโs broader public sector reform agenda aimed at improving personnel management systems, ensuring payroll integrity, and enhancing efficiency across government institutions.
Nationwide verification effort
According to the CSA, the nationwide verification will focus on confirming the identity, academic credentials, job placement, and employment status of personnel currently serving within the Ministry of Local Government structure across Liberia.
To facilitate the exercise, specialized verification teams from the Civil Service Agency have been deployed to four operational regions covering fourteen counties across the country.
The deployment structure includes, Region One: Gbarpolu, Bomi and Grand Cape Mount Counties
Region Two: Margibi, Grand Bassa, Rivercess, and Sinoe Counties, Region Three Lofa, Bong, and Nimba Counties
Region Four: Grand Gedeh, River Gee, Grand Kru, and Maryland Counties
Officials noted that Montserrado County which includes the capital Monrovia was already verified earlier through a separate process due to its large concentration of government personnel.
The CSA teams are currently stationed across the various regions and are expected to remain in the field for approximately ten days.
During this period, they will work closely with county administration offices and officials of the Ministry of Local Government to review personnel files and verify employment records.
Strengthening payroll integrity, the Civil Service Agency explained that the verification exercise has several strategic objectives intended to improve public sector management.
Among the key goals are,
ensuring that individuals listed on the government payroll are legitimately employed and properly assigned to their respective positions.
Validating academic and professional credentials of staff members.
Aligning personnel records with the governmentโs human resource management framework.
Strengthening payroll integrity and accountability within Liberiaโs decentralized governance system.
Authorities say the exercise will help eliminate inconsistencies within government records and support efforts to address issues such as ghost names on payroll and unverified staff credentials.
Call for cooperation,
the CSA has urged all employees of the Ministry of Local Government within the targeted counties to fully cooperate with the verification teams to ensure the success of the exercise.
Employees are required to present essential documentation including official identification cards, appointment letters, academic certificates, and other relevant employment records during the verification process.
Officials warned that failure to comply with the verification requirements could lead to administrative consequences, including potential removal from the government payroll until records are properly validated.
Speaking ahead of the official commencement of the exercise, CSA Director General Dr. Josiah F. Joekai Jr. described the verification initiative as a critical step toward improving human resource management within Liberiaโs public service.
Dr. Joekai emphasized that strengthening the integrity of the government payroll and personnel management system remains a priority for the administration as it works to modernize public institutions.
He noted that the exercise will also support the ongoing institutional transition and capacity strengthening of the Ministry of Local Government following its restructuring from the former Ministry of Internal Affairs.
โThe personnel verification exercise is a vital component of our broader reform agenda aimed at ensuring that the public service is transparent, accountable, and staffed by properly qualified personnel,โ Dr. Joekai stated.
Partnership With International Development Partners
Dr. Joekai also expressed appreciation to both the Ministry of Local Government and the United Nations Development Programme for their continued collaboration and support in implementing what he described as an important national initiative.
Development partners say such verification programs are essential for improving governance, strengthening accountability mechanisms, and enhancing the effectiveness of decentralized public administration.
The CSA maintains that the outcome of the verification exercise will help create a more reliable government workforce database and reinforce public confidence in the management of Liberiaโs civil service.
The personnel verification program forms part of the Government of Liberiaโs broader efforts to reform the public service sector by strengthening personnel oversight, ensuring that government resources are properly managed, and improving service delivery across counties.
Officials believe that once completed, the exercise will help eliminate irregularities in staffing records while ensuring that government payroll expenditures accurately reflect legitimate public sector employees.
As the verification teams continue their work across the country over the coming days, authorities remain optimistic that the process will significantly improve transparency and efficiency within Liberiaโs decentralized governance framework.
