Africa-Press – Liberia. The Director General of the Civil Servant Agency has begun threatening civil servants who exercise their free speech with dismissals.
The Director-General of the Civil Service Agency (CSA), Josiah F. Joekai Jr., has threatened to dismiss vocal Civil servants here without fear.
According to Joekai, the CSA will not condom acts of disorderly conduct, and will not resist firing unbecoming conduct, disrespectful civil servants in keeping with job policies, under the Civil Service Standing Order, an act that led to the establishment of the Liberian Civil Service.
“We have to have employees who are respectful, respect for each other, respect for their leaders, respectful of themselves, and people that our country can rely on,” he said during an unveiling program at LACRA on Tuesday.
He said civil servants who do not fall in line and act contrary will be booted out.
The CSA Boss, warning comes following protest by workers of the Liberia Agricultural Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA), who rampaged the entity primacy on Tuesday, demanding accountability of revenues generated by the administration from April 2023 to March 2024.
The aggrieved LACRA employees also cited corruption and lack of leadership skills under Director- General, Christopher Sankolo, calling for President Joseph Boakai, immediate intervention.
But speaking at the occasion, CSA Boss Joekai warned the LACRA employees, cautioning them not to be disrespectful to their leaders, and denigrate the government they served.
“We cannot have employees spreading lies, disinformation, undermining, and denigrating the image of this government.
“Where you will sit, spread lies and destroy the very government they serve, and there is no policy that says we must keep them, no,” he argued rhetorically.
Joekai reiterated in his warning to Civil servants, referencing the nine employees of the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC), who were allegedly illegally dismissed in August 2024, against freedom of speech.
“When few employees of MCC took to social media and spread lies about the government, we took action and dismissed them.
We cannot have employees denigrating the image of the government, and be protected, and in as much the government has the social responsibility to the economic needs of the people, to provide jobs, but we will not condom disorderly conducts, it is unacceptable in keeping with our laws and policies.
And we will penalize employees, without fear, in keeping with the Civil Service Standing order, and I, as Director-General of the CSA, will ensure there is decency in the Civil Service of Liberia.” He said
At the same time, CSA Director Joekai vows to investigate and dismiss the employees of LACRA, who protested against the leadership of Christopher Sankolo, during the ceremony if facts are not shown in their complaints.
“The things that are said here, are not things people should just say loosely,” Joekai said adding, “I’m not saying they are not facts, but when they are documented- We will look into it, and make sure, they are speaking the facts, otherwise, the situation will be treated base on the provisions of the standing order that guides all of us.”
He immediately instructed LACRA Boss Sankolo to Submit a formal communication complaining the protesting staff for onward investigation.
Also speaking briefly, LACRA- Board Chairperson and former Representative Josephine George Francis cautioned employees to value their jobs.
She urged them to desist from unwarranted claims, only because of self- interest, but to work hard in ordinance.
“You know we have thousands of Youths that are unemployed, but when walking through, Red Light market, I see hundreds of Women, boys, and men selling just to survive.
Even though they are in the informal sector, but they wake up every day to get ends meet, but for those of you, who have job at LACRA, you better hold it strong, because there are lot of people out there, who are competent, and willing come to LACRA,” she cautioned.
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