MONROVIA – President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., has relieved Dr. Dougbeh Chris Nyan, Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), and his deputy, Dr. Adams K. Lincoln, of their duties, effective immediately.
The announcement, made in a press release from the Executive Mansion on Wednesday, cited “administrative reasons” for the removal of the two top officials at the nation’s flagship public health agency.
“President Boakai has relieved, for administrative reasons, the Director General and Deputy Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL),” the release stated, marking the most prominent personnel action in a series of new government appointments.
To ensure the institute’s stability, the President has directed Dr. Sia Wata Camanor to serve as Interim Director General (Officer-in-Charge). Dr. Camanor has been tasked with collaborating closely with the NPHIL Board, the Ministry of Health, and international partners to maintain the continuity of the institute’s critical operations until a permanent Director General is recruited.
The leadership change at NPHIL comes at a time when the institute is central to Liberia’s disease surveillance and epidemic preparedness efforts. The move signals the President’s direct focus on the performance and management of key national institutions.
The administration framed the decision as part of a broader commitment to accountability. “These actions by the President are consistent with his commitment to fostering effective leadership, accountability, and institutional efficiency across all sectors of government,” the release from Presidential Press Secretary Atty. Kula Bonah Nyei Fofana affirmed.
The press release also announced several other appointments across the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, including the confirmation of Atty. Teklo Maxwell Grigsby, II, as Director of the Witness Protection Unit and Mr. Amos T. F. Kemeyah as County Relieving Commissioner for Lofa County.
