Liberia News: 40 Reporters Trained in Anti-Corruption and Integrity Building

The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) with international funding, has conducted a day-long anti-corruption and integrity-building training for 40 members of the Legislative Press Pool (LEGISPOOL).

With funding from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), the workshop held on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, in Monrovia, CENTAL executed the training under its National Integrity Building and Anti-Corruption Program (NIBA).

The initiative seeks to entrench the culture of integrity and build partnerships to promote transparency and accountability among journalists at the Capitol Building through LEGISPOOL – the institution that provides leadership for all legislative reporters duly assigned at the Liberian Legislature.

Giving an overview of the workshop, the Executive Director of CENTAL, Anderson D. Miamen, said the activity aims at increasing transparency and integrity at public institutions, especially at the legislature.

“This will entrench the culture of integrity, mainstream gender, and build partnerships to promote transparency and accountability among legislative reporters and educate citizens about anti-corruption law and tools to prevent, report, and eradicate corruption,” he stated.

In addition, Mr. Miamen among other things indicated that the outcomes of the workshop are to strengthen the CENTAL-LESGISPOOL partnership to promote transparency, accountability and good governance at the legislature.

The CENTRAL boss at the same time acknowledged efforts made by Liberian journalists in reporting on corruption matters but urged them to step up their effectiveness in exposing corruption in public and private spaces.

“The journalists have been doing well in their reportage in exposing some corruption practices across the country but I think there is a need for improvements by going beyond the surface of the story. Even we at CENTAL need improvements in some of our anti-corruption programs,” he added.

Mr. Miamen expressed willingness on behalf of the civil society organization to work with the leadership of the Legislative Press Pool (LEGISPOOL) in providing funding and other capacity-building for the equipment of its members. “If you were organizing an activity and you need CENTAL’s support; morally and financially, just let us know in time and we will come in without a dime from you”.

In remarks, the President of the Legislative Press Pool (LEGISPOOL) and Head of News at FrontPage Africa Newspaper, Gerald C. Koinyeneh, Jr., lauded CENTAL for organizing such training for legislative reporters, terming it as insightful and welcoming.

“We remain grateful for this opportunity from CENTAL, and it is our utmost optimism that this gathering will cement a long-term fruitful partnership between LEGISPOOL and CENTAL for the greater good of the public,” Mr. Koinyeneh said.

He also admonished all beneficiaries of the workshop to leverage the knowledge gained in their various reportage and break the shackles of limitation in highlighting corruption issues in the public.

Also speaking, the participants expressed excitement for the day-long organized workshop by CENTAL in collaboration with the LEGISPOOL leadership. They also recommended that such an initiative be extended to other journalists outside of LEGISPOOL and Monrovia to other parts of Liberia to provide others with the opportunity.

“I have gotten a better understanding of the Code of Conduct and some activities that amount to corruption, as well as the kinds of corruption and how reporters are supposed to report on them,” Emmanuel Kollie of State Radio ELBC stated.

Reporter Kollie, who covers the House of Representatives, further thanked the Koinyeneh-Clay leadership for partnering with CENTAL for such training. “It will be a great endeavor if the leadership does this every three months to benefit other colleagues who were not selected for this batch; it will help hone their professional skills and talents”.

Another participant, Miss Laymah Kollie who is assigned to the Liberian Senate and reports for Women’s Online Television, promised to demonstrate the skills acquired through the training in her reportage. “I have actually learned a lot and this training came at the right time”.

The legislative reporters were trained in several topics, including Anti-Corruption Best Practices, Gender and Corruption, Legislative Accountability, Understanding the Code of Conduct and the new Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) Act, and concluded with group presentations and certificates of all 40 participants by CENTAL.