Monrovia — Gbarpolu County Senator Amara Konneh has criticized the Civil Service Agency (CSA) for terminating government workers accused of "insulting leaders" on social media.
The senator, in a post on his official Facebook page on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, said that most of those fired were supporters of the opposition, raising concerns about fairness and free speech.
At the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism (MICAT) regular press briefing on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, CSA Director General James Joekai urged the Monrovia City Corporation (MCC) to terminate nine employees for what he described as a "deadly social media campaign" targeting senior public officials, particularly President Boakai.
Although Joekai did not publicly disclose the names of the employees, he emphasized that their actions had severely damaged the MCC's reputation.
"These actions have caused significant harm to the reputation and image of the MCC," Joekai stated. "The negative portrayal of government officials by these unscrupulous employees has far-reaching effects on the individuals concerned and the government as a whole. Such unacceptable and sustained behavior on social media is incompatible with the status of the employees in question. Therefore, the MCC must consider terminating their services and promptly notify the CSA of this action."
On August 19, 2024, the CSA issued a circular memorandum with a strong warning to all public servants. The CSA, responsible for maintaining civil service standards, noted a worrying rise in dishonesty, unethical actions, criminal behavior, and disrespectful conduct among government employees. The notice highlighted examples of this misconduct, such as bullying and using disrespectful or false remarks against superiors and coworkers.
In his detailed response, Senator Konneh condemned the dismissals, arguing that they set a dangerous precedent that could make government workers afraid to speak their minds, especially if they don't support the ruling party.
"The CSA's decision to fire workers who are not aligned with the ruling party is wrong," Senator Konneh said. "While it's important to address genuine misconduct, this action appears to be an attempt to silence those who disagree with the government."
The Gbarpolu County lawmaker further expressed concern over how the CSA plans to enforce these rules, particularly in a society where people rarely report bad behavior due to fear of retaliation. He suggested that the CSA might be focusing too much on social media activity, which could ultimately lead to restrictions on free speech.
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"How does the CSA plan to monitor misconduct in a society where people rarely blow the whistle for fear of being ostracized?" Senator Konneh asked. "The CSA may be concentrating on what people post on social media, but this could easily lead to curbing free speech."
Senator Konneh also pointed out that no ruling party members seem to have faced similar repercussions, even though the CSA is supposed to enforce professional conduct for everyone.
"Is the CSA saying that no ruling party members have violated these rules on social media?" Senator Konneh questioned. "It seems the firings were targeted at opposition supporters, which is unfair and could harm the civil service."
Senator Konneh warned that such actions could have serious consequences for Liberia, reminding people that political divisions have historically caused significant problems in the country.
"In politics, the cat chasing the mouse today might become the mouse tomorrow," he said. "These divisions hurt us all, and we are slowly destroying ourselves."
He urged the CSA to focus more on supporting civil servants' development rather than punishing them. He suggested investing in leadership training, team-building, timely salary payments, and tackling corruption.
"We need to move away from the past and create a more civil and respectful work environment," Konneh said. "The CSA has a key role to play in this, and it must be seen as fair and not political. Censorship is not the way forward."
