Published: May 11, 2026
MONROVIA — Nearly three in every 10 employees at the Ministry of Local Government cannot be verified as legitimate government workers, the Civil Service Agency announced last Thursday, ordering an immediate payroll block on 1,381 unverified workers and warning they face permanent removal if they fail to complete verification within 30 days.
The findings emerged from one of the most comprehensive nationwide workforce audits conducted in recent years, exposing what officials described as a systemic breakdown in payroll integrity, personnel documentation, employee qualifications, and staffing oversight across all 15 counties.
“When you count 10 employees, you find three that are unverified,” CSA Director-General Josiah F. Joekai Jr. said at a presentation Thursday at the ministry. “That number represents possible ghost workers, absenteeism, and payroll integrity issues.”
Of 4,724 employees assessed nationwide, 3,325, representing 70 percent of the workforce, were successfully verified. The remaining 1,381, or 29 percent, were not.
Joekai stressed that the payroll block does not constitute immediate dismissal but warned the consequences of inaction are final.
“The truth is that the CSA, in collaboration with the Ministry of Local Government, is blocking 1,381 unverified employees pending their verification in 30 days,” he said. “Blocking is different from removal. But if they are not verified within 30 days, they will be permanently deleted from the payroll.”
Attendance Violations, Dismissals Recommended
The audit uncovered 474 attendance anomalies across the ministry’s workforce. Of those, 77 employees were recommended for salary deductions, 305 face suspension without pay, and 92 were recommended for outright dismissal after investigators found them absent for extended periods without justification.
“Those who are supposed to be dismissed, we found them liable based on the standing orders,” Joekai said. “Everything is evidence-based and data-driven.”
He was direct about the standard going forward. “If you take the money, you work for it. If you can’t work, get out. We have other qualified people ready to work.”
Qualification Gaps Run Deep
The audit exposed a workforce largely lacking in professional credentials. According to the findings, 1,162 employees had no academic or professional qualifications whatsoever, while more than 82 percent of workers either possessed no credentials or held only high school diplomas.
Beyond credentials, 257 employees were found underqualified for their current positions, 55 were overqualified, and 14 had been assigned to roles entirely unrelated to their professional backgrounds.
“There is a gross lack of advanced qualifications,” Joekai said, calling for reclassification, redeployment, and targeted training across affected positions.
Auditors also found pervasive documentation failures throughout the ministry, including missing employment letters, absent identification records, incomplete personnel files, and a lack of professional references. “Weak documentation systems undermine accountability and workforce planning,” Joekai said.
Gender Gap, Retirement Risks Flagged
The ministry recorded 1,238 male civil servants against only 532 women, with leadership and appointed positions overwhelmingly held by men.
“Women remain significantly underrepresented,” Joekai said, calling for more gender-inclusive hiring policies.
On workforce sustainability, 406 employees currently fall within the mandatory retirement bracket of 60 to 65 years, while another 411 are approaching retirement age. The CSA recommended immediate succession planning and transition arrangements through the National Social Security and Welfare Corporation.
Minister Admits Years of Political Interference
Local Government Minister Francis Nyumalin welcomed the findings and pledged full implementation of the CSA’s recommendations, acknowledging that years of weak oversight and political interference had inflated the ministry’s payroll beyond accountability.
“Between 2022 and 2023, over 1,000 people were added to the payroll,” Nyumalin said. “Everybody was on the payroll, and nobody could account for it.”
He said the ministry had begun tightening internal controls before the audit commenced and that retraining would be offered where feasible.
“If you are trainable, we will train you,” he said. “But if you are not trainable, don’t blame us.”
Nyumalin also took aim at the culture of falsified credentials within government institutions. “You claim to have a degree, but you cannot answer five plus eight correctly,” he said. “Still, you want promotion.”
Digital Overhaul Planned
Joekai praised the Ministry of Local Government for extending the verification exercise beyond Montserrado to all 15 counties, calling it a mark of intentional leadership.
He said the CSA is developing a comprehensive digital human resource management system to strengthen personnel tracking, accountability, and future workforce planning.
“This process establishes a clear pathway toward workforce integrity, merit-based employment, enhanced accountability, and improved service delivery,” he said.
The verification exercise was jointly funded by the Government of Liberia and development partners, including the United Nations Development Programme.
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