MONROVIA – Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, the dismissed Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), has described the Board of Directors’ recommendation that led to his removal by President Joseph Boakai as “unfortunate,” questioning both the motive and legality behind the board’s decision.
By Gerald C. Koinyeneh, [email protected]
President Boakai on Wednesday dismissed Dr. Nyan based on an 11-count resolution submitted by the NPHIL Board, chaired by Dr. Stephen B. Kennedy. The resolution cited “gross inefficiency” and alleged breaches of institutional procedure.
However, in a detailed response addressed to the President prior to his dismissal, Dr. Nyan rejected the Board’s claims as “unconstitutional” and unsupported by evidence.
“All of the eleven counts of the Board’s request for my removal are unconstitutional and do not satisfy Section 4.4 (ii) of the NPHIL Act of 2016,” he wrote. “It is unfortunate that the resolution did not specify which critical decisions I allegedly made without the Board’s involvement.”
Section 4 of the NPHIL Act provides that the Director General shall serve a tenure of five years and may be eligible for reappointment. The same section also states that the Director General may be removed from office if found to be grossly inefficient, corrupt, or convicted of a crime by a court of law in accordance with due process. However, since the establishment of NPHIL, no Director General has ever completed a full tenure.
According to the resolution, Dr. Nyan’s tenure as head of the country’s lead public health institution was marked by a litany of administrative and managerial failures. The Board accused the Director General of persistently bypassing statutory oversight, operating without transparency, and making unilateral decisions that undermined the governance structure of the Institute.
Specifically, the Board stated that Dr. Nyan repeatedly failed to involve the Board in critical decision-making processes concerning NPHIL’s operations. There was an ongoing lack of coordination and collaboration between NPHIL and the Ministry of Health.
The Board also cited non-adherence to its statutory role as the governing authority of the Institute and noted that Dr. Nyan made numerous foreign trips without informing either the Board or any acting Director General during his absence.
The resolution further indicated that Dr. Nyan sent official communications to both the President of Liberia and the National Legislature without the knowledge or input of the Board. Partners also raised concerns about his leadership and conduct.
The Board noted that the institutional budget was submitted without their approval and institutional affairs were often discussed in the media without their authorization. These issues, the Board said, represent serious governance failures.
‘Baseless and Politically Motivated’
Dr. Nyan maintained that he regularly reported to the Board and accused its leadership of intimidation and conspiracy. He said decisions made under his leadership were duly communicated, including disciplinary actions and financial reports.
He noted that the NPHIL Act grants the Director General operational independence in day-to-day management and that the Board had violated the Act by holding meetings in his absence — yet still requesting “sitting fees” for those sessions.
“The Board has come in violation of the Act by conducting meetings that intentionally excluded the Director General, who is the Secretary to the Board,” he said.
The former NPHIL boss also denied claims that he traveled without informing the Board, stressing that all his international missions were official, donor-funded assignments approved through proper channels.
“All travels I have undertaken since assuming office in August 2024 were official and largely sponsored by the Africa CDC and ECOWAS-WAHO,” he noted. “These allegations are tantamount to an orchestrated conspiracy against me.”
Cooperation, Not Conflict
Dr. Nyan further dismissed accusations of poor coordination with the Ministry of Health and other agencies, citing examples of ongoing partnerships — including the Mpox vaccination rollout with the Ministry of Health, laboratory collaborations with the Ministry of Agriculture, and a Ph.D. program with the University of Liberia.
“If the Board insists that there was a lack of coordination, let it provide evidence,” he challenged. “We have worked with every partner and agency with professionalism and transparency.”
In his letter, Dr. Nyan attached several documents to substantiate his claims. Some of the documents seen by FrontPage Africa include a letter addressed to Health Minister Dr. Louise Kpoto on March 4, 2025, inviting her and her team to an Incident Management System and National Epidemic Preparedness and Response Committee (NEPRC) meeting.
Another letter, addressed to the NPHIL Board Chairman, Dr. Stephen Kennedy, raised concerns about his (Dr. Kennedy) working relationship with the Institute.
Calls for Review
Meanwhile, in his letter, Dr. Nyan urged President Boakai to review the attached documents and evidence, which he said clearly refuted the Board’s claims.
“I only wish to serve my country with transparency, accountability, sincerity, and integrity,” he wrote. “Without those qualities, systemic failure may occur, reflecting poorly on your administration.”
Notable achievements
Dr. Nyan – a renowned biomedical scientist, inventor, and public health expert – was appointed in August 2024 upon the recommendation of NPHIL’s Board of Directors. His appointment was widely praised by the Liberian public for his proven expertise and achievements in medical science.
Under his leadership, NPHIL received commendations for its robust response to the Mpox outbreak and its renewed focus on disease surveillance and laboratory capacity.
As head of NPHIL, Dr. Nyan oversaw the detection and genetic characterization of a new Monkeypox virus strain in Liberia, known as Mpox Clade IIa. This strain, identified at the National Reference Laboratory in Charlesville in 2024, was the first such detection in Liberia in over 50 years and was published in the scientific journal Emerging Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Nyan also holds memberships in the International Society for Infectious Diseases, the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
