The leadership crisis at the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL) is said to be far from political as the public has begun raising concerns about the integrity and operational effectiveness of that public health institute.
Since the Board of Directors recommended the suspension of the institute’s Director General Dugbeh Chris Nyan for one month without pay on violations of several sections of the NPHIL’s Act along with indefinite suspension of NPHIL’s deputy director, Adams Lincoln, due to his ongoing investigation of his involvement in allegations of vehicle theft, which led to his suspension by President Joseph Boakai recently, there have been no updates as undeminers are trying to seriously bent the decision reached within the corridors of the executive.
The ACT creating NPHIL was established in 2016 and subsequently passed into law in January 2017.
The institute was established to enhance public health in Liberia, and has proven pivotal in managing health crises, including the Ebola outbreak, the COVID-19 pandemic and now the fight against Monkeypox (Mpox) and other diseases that pose a threat to the country.
However, the recent turmoil within its leadership and backed by the Board of Directors’ dissatisfaction over the running of the institute, has sparked fears about the institute’s ability to fulfill its statutory mandate effectively with such team.
The Board of Directors, in its resolution signed by its chairman and six other members, said its decisions further stem from a series of alleged violations of the NPHIL’s Act, which governs the operations and conduct of the institute’s leadership.
Those who signed the resolution are Dr. Stephen B. Kennedy, Chair, Board of Directors, Dr. Sia W. Camanor, Co-Chair, Atty. Siaffa B. Kemokai, Ministry of Justice-Co-chair, Inquiry Committee, and Dr. Bernice T. Dahn, member, University of Liberia. Others are Mr Patrick Guzeh, a member of the Ministry of Health, Dr Angela O. Benson, a member, and Dr Samuel Dopoe, a member.