The Solidarity and Trust for a New Day (STAND), a prominent civil society organization in Liberia, has called on President Joseph Boakai to dismiss the Director General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), Josiah Joekai, for his alleged misconduct and abuse of power.
STAND has accused Joekai of transforming the CSA, a crucial public institution responsible for managing Liberia’s human resources, into a “social media police agency” where civil servants are monitored and dismissed for criticizing the president.
The CSA will uphold the principles of democracy but government employees who bullied “ superiors and subordinates on social and main strain media will be sanctioned, Joekai said Monday in a circular published on his Facebook page
The organization condemned Joekai’s “inflammatory and harmful statements” and his directive to government functionaries to dismiss civil servants for criticizing the Office of the President.
In a statement issued Monday in Monrovia, STAND described these actions as unlawful and damaging to Liberia’s democratic principles, stating that they represent a troubling trend toward authoritarianism where dissent is suppressed and freedom of expression is stifled.
The group said dismissal of civil servants for expressing personal views or criticisms is a violation of their constitutional rights to free speech and expression.
The organization warned that these politically motivated dismissals undermine the CSA’s core mandate and erode public trust in the government.
The civil society group called on President Boakai to urgently address the challenges posed by Joekai and ensure that civil servants are treated fairly and without political bias.
STAND also urged the president to intervene and ensure that wrongfully dismissed citizens receive appropriate redress, as well as to counter the growing perception that he tacitly endorses reckless behavior.
Meanwhile, STAND has invited all unlawfully dismissed civil servants and government employees to a consultative meeting to gather additional details and strengthen its position before officially forwarding its concerns to President Boakai.
