A T-shirt could cost Dr. Josiah F. Joekai Jr. his job. The Liberian Senate has asked President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to sanction or remove the Civil Service Agency boss after ruling that his appearance in NIMBO regalia at a pro-Boakai rally breached the National Code of Conduct.
The Senate on Thursday adopted a report by its Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights, Claims and Petitions, which investigated a complaint filed by Gbarpolu County Sen. Amara M. Konneh over Joekai's attendance at a gathering organized by the National Independent Movement for Boakai, or NIMBO, a political movement established to mobilize support for the president's reelection.
The committee, chaired by Sinoe County Sen. Cllr. Augustine S. Chea, found that Deputy House Speaker Thomas P. Fallah organized the event under NIMBO's banner, and that Joekai's visible presence in the movement's branded T-shirt amounted to prohibited political participation under Part V, Section 5.1 of the 2014 National Code of Conduct for Public Officials and Employees, which bars presidential appointees from engaging in political activities while in office.
Joekai denied breaching the law, telling the committee he attended solely to accompany Boakai, the event's guest of honor, and not in his capacity as CSA director general.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
"He maintained that his presence was solely for the purpose of accompanying President Boakai, his boss, who attended the occasion as Guest of Honor, and that he neither delivered political remarks nor actively participated," the report said.
The committee said it reviewed Facebook posts, media reports, promotional materials, speeches and other evidence, all of which identified the gathering as a political event.
"The Committee accordingly invited Mr. Joekai to appear and he did appear before the Committee on Wednesday, July 1, 2026," the report stated. "The Committee also reviewed Facebook posts, media reports, and other relevant evidence pertaining to the event."
The committee concluded that Joekai knowingly attended the event as an appointed public official while wearing a NIMBO T-shirt bearing the movement's political insignia.
"The Committee finds that political participation under the Code of Conduct is not limited to delivering campaign speeches or soliciting votes," the report stated. "Visible attendance at a political event, particularly while displaying the symbols or regalia of a political organization, constitutes participation because it conveys endorsement and lends the prestige of public office to partisan political activities."
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
It rejected Joekai's explanation that he merely accompanied the president.
"If his attendance was solely in his official capacity, there was no legitimate reason to wear the political organization's T-shirt or otherwise identify himself with the political movement," the report said. "The Committee maintains that his conduct exceeded the bounds of official protocol."
The committee further noted that the law provides no exemption allowing appointed officials to take part in partisan political activities simply because the president is present.
It said Joekai's position made the breach particularly significant, as the head of the Civil Service Agency is responsible for promoting professionalism, neutrality and merit within the civil service. Failing to enforce the code against senior officials, the committee warned, could undermine public confidence in the political neutrality of the service and weaken the law's authority.
"The Committee finds that the totality of the evidence establishes, on a balance of probabilities, that Mr. Joekai participated in prohibited political activity contrary to the National Code of Conduct for Public Officials and Employees," the report concluded.
The committee recommended that the Senate affirm its finding and forward the report to Boakai for appropriate administrative action, saying possible sanctions include a written reprimand, suspension without pay or removal from office if the president determines the violation amounts to serious misconduct incompatible with continued service.
On a motion by Grand Kru County Sen. Albert T. Chie, a former Senate pro tempore, plenary adopted the committee's report and endorsed its recommendations, directing the Senate Secretariat to transmit the decision to the Office of the President for further action.
