In a small but bustling office within the Civil Service Agency (CSA) of Liberia, Director-General Josiah F. Joekai Jr. sat behind his desk, reviewing reports that signaled a new chapter for the country's civil service sector. The weight of responsibility sat heavily on his shoulders, but so did a sense of purpose.
Months earlier, when his administration took over, the conditions of civil servants were dire. Salaries had been slashed, health workers were demoralized, and hundreds of dedicated volunteers remained unpaid. But today, as he prepared to address the nation, Joekai knew that things were finally beginning to change.
One of the most critical challenges the government faced was ensuring fair pay for healthcare workers. The country's hospitals and clinics were staffed by dedicated doctors, nurses, and pharmacists, but their salaries were unacceptably low.
A young doctor in Monrovia, Dr. Tamba, had struggled for years, earning a meager salary that barely covered his family's basic needs. But under the new reforms, he and over 120 doctors had been reclassified, their salaries increasing from $2,300 to $3,500 per month. The CSA had committed $3.9 million annually to making this a reality.
Across the country, health volunteers like Martha, who had worked for six years without pay, were finally seeing hope. With the Ministry of Health and CSA working together, legitimate volunteers were being identified and placed on payroll. For Martha, this meant that she would finally receive the dignity and financial security she had long deserved.
Beyond improving salaries, Joekai and his team were tackling a deeper issue--accountability. Earlier that year, President Joseph Boakai had suspended over 400 officials who failed to declare their assets. For years, government officials had enjoyed privileges while avoiding transparency.
With the support of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), the CSA had withheld $90,808.56 from non-compliant officials and secured $79,177.65 in an escrow account. But the battle was not yet over. 212 officials from State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) were still resisting compliance. If they did not act soon, the President would be forced to take stronger action.
In a bold move, the government decided that all recovered funds would be used to support President Boakai's One-Child-One-Chair Initiative, ensuring that schools across Liberia had the resources they needed.
Joekai knew that Liberia's civil service needed more than salary reforms; it needed discipline and modernization. Inconsistent attendance had long been a problem, with government employees failing to show up for work without consequences.
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To combat this, the CSA introduced a salary deduction system for absenteeism. Employees who missed work without valid reasons saw deductions in their salaries, with $8,802.36 already recovered from absences across nine government agencies. Additionally, $5,699.00 had been deducted from human resource directors who failed to submit attendance reports.
But the real game-changer was technology. The CSA was working to automate payroll, attendance, and performance management using biometric identification. Soon, employees would clock in using fingerprint and facial recognition, ensuring that only those who worked received full pay.
As Joekai stepped onto the podium to deliver his speech, he reflected on how far they had come. The road ahead was still long, but progress was undeniable. Health workers were finally being paid what they deserved. Corrupt officials were being held accountable. And the civil service was on its way to becoming a model of efficiency and transparency.
