Monrovia- President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. has dismissed both the Director General and Deputy Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), amid ongoing efforts to reform government institutions and improve service delivery.
By Willie N. Tokpah
The decision, according to the Executive Mansion, is a move signalling renewed scrutiny over public health leadership.
Those relieved of their posts are Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, Director General, and Dr. Adams K. Lincoln, Deputy Director General.
The Executive Mansion, in a statement issued Wednesday, cited “administrative reasons” for the dismissal but gave no further details.
The President has appointed Dr. Sia Wata Camanor as Interim Director General, Officer-in-Charge of NPHIL, pending the recruitment of a permanent replacement.
Dr. Camanor has been tasked with coordinating the Institute’s operations in close collaboration with the NPHIL Board, the Ministry of Health, and international and local partners to ensure continuity and institutional stability.
“The President’s decision is consistent with his commitment to fostering effective leadership, accountability, and institutional efficiency across all sectors of government,” said Atty. Kula Bonah Nyei Fofana, Presidential Press Secretary, in the release.
Though no misconduct was officially stated, sources within the public health sector say tensions have simmered in recent months over the direction and internal management of NPHIL, a crucial agency tasked with epidemic response, disease surveillance, and biomedical research.
The abrupt change in leadership comes at a time when Liberia’s public health infrastructure remains under pressure from post-COVID health system recovery efforts, renewed disease surveillance concerns, and the need to rebuild public confidence in government-run health agencies.
In a separate development, President Boakai has also made several new appointments in the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as part of his governance overhaul.
At the Ministry of Justice, President Boakai appointed Atty. Teklo Maxwell Grigsby, II, as Director, Witness Protection Unit, Varney Ali Sheriff, Deputy Director, Witness Protection Unit and Dr. Stephen D. Paye, Probation and Parole Administrator.
At the sametime, President Boakai also appoint Amos T. F. Kemeyah as County Relieving Commissioner, Lofa County, at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The appointments underscore the Boakai administration’s continuing push to position experienced professionals in roles central to justice delivery, internal security, and community-level governance, the Executive Mansion averred.
With Liberia’s governance and reform agenda under increasing public scrutiny, President Boakai’s latest moves may signal a readiness to make difficult administrative decisions in pursuit of institutional efficiency and integrity, even in politically sensitive agencies.
As the health sector absorbs the impact of the NPHIL leadership shake-up, stakeholders will be watching closely for policy direction, operational stability, and the outcome of the pending recruitment process for a new Director General.
