House Gives Civil Service Agency Green Light for Headcount

Monrovia — The House of Representatives has mandated the Civil Service Agency (CSA) to commence a comprehensive head count of all employees in the central administration of the Legislature.

This directive comes amid growing concerns about unaccounted employment and delayed salaries within the House’s administration.

On Monday, Chairperson of the House Committee on Rules, Order, and Administration, Representative Josiah Marvin Cole, voiced strong comments regarding the situation, notably calling for the dismissal of CSA Boss Josiah Joekai. Cole’s call for Joekai’s dismissal followed the CSA head’s raising of alarms over the continuous employment of individuals within the House’s central administration without the agency’s knowledge.

In a heated exchange, CSA Director Josiah Joekai also accused Speaker Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa of attempting to endanger his safety under the guise of a meeting regarding the delayed salaries of House staff.

However, on Wednesday, a potential breakthrough occurred. Representative Cole, on behalf of Speaker Koffa, presented a formal communication to a team of CSA officials to begin the head count of all central administration employees. During the presentation, Cole asserted, “We are not afraid of the head count as it is being perceived by the public. We want transparency and accountability in our administration.”

Cole urged the House’s Human Resource Office to fully cooperate with the CSA team by providing all necessary documents to facilitate the head count.

He emphasized the House leadership’s commitment to ethical standards under Speaker Koffa’s guidance, stating, “This head count will pave the way for staffers who didn’t receive their salary for July to finally get paid.”

For their part, the CSA team pledged to conduct the head count in a transparent manner, seeking full cooperation from all parties involved. “We assure you that this exercise will be carried out with utmost transparency. We call on everyone to cooperate fully to ensure its success,” a CSA official remarked.