Anti Corruption: International Anti-corruption Day 2024: CENTAL Craves the Government of Liberia to End Impunity for Corruption

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen of the press, fellow Liberians. Today, December 9, 2024 marks another International Anti-corruption Day, recognized globally as the day to reflect on the fight against corruption by identifying progress made, challenges encountered, lessons learned, and plans for the future. We applaud all Liberians, the government of Liberia, development partners, ad other stakeholders for playing key roles in driving the country’s anti-corruption and accountability agenda.

We celebrate this year’s international anti-corruption day knowing that we have public integrity institutions, civil society, development partners and other groups to look up to in the fight against corruption. Recently passed laws such as the Whistleblower Law and the Witness Protection also give us reason to celebrate. Somehow, the Liberia Anti-corruption Commission, General Auditing Commission, Internal Audit Agency, Liberia Extractives Industries Transparency Initiative and other institutions continue to play their roles in leading and shaping the country’s anti-corruption efforts. In particular, there have been welcoming efforts to track, investigate and prosecute few corruption cases and even suspend and dismiss public officials and others at the center of corruption allegations and other abuses.  Even citizens, civil society, and the media have shown great interest in the process and played crucial roles in this regard, as well as development partners that are supporting government, civil society, and other groups to tackle the menace of corruption.

However, the Liberian Government’s efforts have not been good enough to send a very strong message to the corrupt and deter others from feasting on public resources and assets. The biggest threat and missing link of the country’s anti-corruption drive is government’s gross failure to end the culture of impunity for corruption, heavily fueled by inadequate funding of public integrity institutions and limited presidential and legislative willpowers. This continues to be the biggest challenge, which has haunted the country for too long. Successive governments have made flowery anti-corruption promises/commitments. Sadly, they have not matched them with the required individual and collective robust and holistic actions/deeds. If the fight against corruption must succeed, the President must lead by example and set a very high standard for others to follow. While leadership from lawmakers and other actors in government is important, President Boakai has the greatest power and responsibility to shape the country’s fight against corruption in the right direction.

As we celebrate this year’s international anti-corruption, we wish to remind President Joseph Nyuma Boakai Sr. that Liberia’s score on the Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International is 25/100. This means that the Liberian public sector is at its lowest level in terms of being corrupt. While a challenge, it presents an opportunity for the President and his government to boldly lead the country in ways that help to reverse this negative trend.

In order to reverse this situation, end the culture of impunity, and move Liberia upward the Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International and other key governance indices, we strongly recommend the followings:

3. President Boakai should lead by example and set a very high standard for others in government and Liberia to follow. At the moment, the President has not raised the anti-corruption, transparency and accountability standards very high, as he is still pampering his officials, including those in gross violation of the Code of Conduct for Public Officials, especially the component on asset declaration. In part, strong political will means timely acting on matters involving those perceived to be closer to the presidency and ruling party. To this end, the President must suspend and dismiss those at the center of corruption and violators of the code of conduct and other related laws.
4. The Liberia Government should provide adequate financial and logistical support to the Liberia Anti-corruption Commission and other public integrity institutions as well as respect their independence and financial autonomy. Adequate financial and logistical support to these institutions will enable them to fully execute their mandates by identifying, investigating and prosecuting corruption cases involving current and past public officials. This will go a long way in ending the culture of impunity for corruption and other abuses in Liberia.
5. LACC, GAC and other public integrity institutions must be robust, more engaging, innovative, and result-driven in their work. LACC now has enormous assets declaration information and corruption cases. They must move to make the most of these cases and asset declaration and other vital information in their possession. They must timely investigate and prosecute current and former government officials sanctioned by the US Government for public sector corruption. While the public fully supports anti-graft institutions, they must do enough to continue enjoying the support and confidence of the public.

4. Civil society and the media should continue to raise consciousness regarding the dangers of corruption and rally citizens to take decisive actions against those engaging in corruption and those whose inactions lead corruption to flourish. In doing so, members of civil society and the media should themselves lead by example in their respective organizations and in their engagements with partners and members of the public.