Monrovia – The Supreme Court of Liberia has summoned the Executive Branch of Government to appear in Chambers on Thursday, November 13, 2025, over a petition filed by Dr. Dougbeh Christopher Nyan, the former Director General of the National Public Health Institute of Liberia (NPHIL), who is challenging his recent dismissal.
According to court documents, the hearing, scheduled for 3:00 p.m. before Associate Justice Jamesetta Howard-Wolokolie, will address claims that Dr. Nyan’s removal from office was unlawful and unconstitutional.
Dr. Nyan, a well-known biomedical scientist and public health expert, was dismissed by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai on October 15, 2025, following a resolution from NPHIL’s Board of Directors. However, his legal team argues that the decision was made without proper evidence and in violation of the NPHIL Act of 2016, which only allows the removal of the Director General “for cause” and after due process.
The petition further claims that Dr. Nyan was neither investigated nor accused of any misconduct prior to his dismissal, which, they argue, breaches Article 20(a) of the Liberian Constitution and the Administrative Procedure Law.
Since assuming leadership of NPHIL in August 2024, Dr. Nyan had reportedly overseen Liberia’s response to multiple public health outbreaks, including Mpox, Lassa fever, and Measles. His administration also earned recognition from the Africa CDC, which designated NPHIL as a regional center of excellence for disease control and research.
His abrupt dismissal has sparked public backlash, with many calling for transparency and an independent probe into the matter.
Legal analysts have pointed to previous Supreme Court rulings reinforcing the protection of tenured officials from arbitrary dismissal, among them Martin Sallie Kollie v. Executive Branch of Government (2019) and Yealue et al. v. Executive Branch of Government (2024), suggesting that this new case could test the Court’s consistency in upholding its own precedent.
All eyes are now on the Supreme Court as it weighs whether Dr. Nyan’s removal stands on lawful ground or if it marks another breach of tenure protection under Liberian law.
Source: Spoon TV
