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MONROVIA-The Ombudsman’s office has reprimanded several government officials and recommended their removal from public service for violating Part V of the Code of Conduct, a statement signed by its Chairman, Cllr. Finley Y. Karngar says.
Due to their violation of Part V of the Code of Conduct, the Ombudsman determined that 36 public officials were guilty and recommended their removal from public service for the sake of the public good.
The recommendation has been forwarded to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai for the necessary actions.
The officials involved include, Daniel O. Sando-Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Information; Dr. Luther Tarpeh, Chairman of the National Port Authority Board of Directors; Emmanuel Tulay, Chairman of the Liberia Electricity Corporation Board of Directors; Ambassador Sheikh Al Moustapha Kouyateh, Ambassador-at-Large, Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs; Kansualism B. Kansuah, Member of the Board, Liberia Special Economic Zone; among others.
Also, the Ombudsman informs the public that Mr. Sekou Dukuly, Managing Director, National Port Authority (NPA), and Cllr. Pei Edwin Gausi, Legal Counsel of the National Port Authority (NPA), are reprimanded to undergo administrative training at the Liberia Institute for Public Administration for violation of the Code in the NPA.
The Ombudsman has also found the Central Agriculture Research Institute (CARI) guilty of repeatedly failing to provide necessary tools to Dr. Nykoi Jomah, despite CARI continuing to pay his salary and benefits. Dr. Jomah has been instructed to submit his report for the past three years to his supervisor within 40 days.
The Office of the Ombudsman has recommended to President Boakai to dismiss the following government officials for violating Sections 5.1(a)(b)(c) and 5.8 the Code of Conduct:
Those recommended for dismissal include, Emmanuel Tulay-Board Chair of LEC; Cooper Kruah-Minister of Labor, Lucia Yallah-EPA; Emmanuel Zorh-Ministry of Labor; Luther Tarpeh-NPA Board, Amos Tweh -LPRC MD, Cornelia Wonkerleh Kruah-Deputy Minister of State; Whroway Bryant. Montserrado Superintendent and Emmanuel Kunneh Wreh Farr-National Fire Service.
Others are, Sheikh Kouyateh-Ministry of State; Ben Fofana-Ministry of State; Patience Randall-Liberia Business Registry; Edmund Forh-NTA; Togar Melvin Cephas-NTA; Lucia Tarpeh-Dev. Supt, Montserrado; Robert Bestman-Paynesville City Mayor; James Yolei-Ministry of Internal Affairs; Collins Tamba-Ministry of Youth and Sports; Selena Mappy-Ministry of Internal Affairs and Kansualism Kansuah-Liberia Special Economic Zone.
Still others include, Kuku Dorbor-Liberia Special Economic Zone; Jacob Smith-LPRC; Daniel O. Sando-Deputy Minister of Information; Ansu Dulleh-NDMA; MacDella Cooper-Ministry of State and Kelvin D. J. Mattaldi-Ministry of Commerce.
The baffling question is whether President Boakai will implement the Ombudsman’s recommendation or whether he will party politics becloud his decision.
Opposition to the ruling Unity Party Government has always accused the Liberian leader of being one-sided in dealing with officials who violate the laws of the land.
On many occasions, they have accused him of ‘pick and choose’ in punishing or suspending officials who are accused of corruption, while leaving out those who mainly are partisans of the ruling Unity Party or associates and have alliance with the UP.
One of the instances always cited by opposition politicians when it comes to President Boakai’s fight against corruption in government is that he ‘picks and choose’ in who faces the law when it comes to alleged corrupt acts in government. While he suspends others, he leaves some off the hook.
There have been calls by Liberians for President Boakai to take action against his own Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Sylvester Grigsby for allegedly instructing NASSCORP to provide hundreds of thousands United Stated dollars used to rent vehicles during the inauguration of President Boakai for guest to use, while he was not even Minister of State.
Also, Mamaka Bility, Minister of State without Portfolio at the Ministry of State is still on the job despite being accused of shady deals in yellow machine procurement exercise that put the government in public dispute when it was discovered exorbitant fees were being charged for those machines to satisfy personal egos at the detriment of the state.
With those few examples, most pundits and the opposition bloc as well as Liberians are beginning to question whether President Boakai will have the political will to dismiss those very government officials the Ombudsman have recommended for dismissal for violating the Code of Conduct.
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.