MONROVIA – The Executive Director of CENTAL, Mr. Anderson Miamen, has said that President Joseph N. Boakai is undermining his own fight against corruption. He offered a scathing critique of how Pres. Boakai is handling his fight against corruption.
“Marginal Improvement in Government’s Fight Against Corruption, Yet, Many Governance and Accountability Missteps/Weaknesses Exist that Must be Addressed.
During President Boakai’s first year in office, Liberia went up by 2 points, from 25 to 27, on the 2024 Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International. Under the CDC-led Government, the Country dropped from 32 in 2018 to 25 in 2023 on the same CPI. This shows marginal improvement in the current government’s fight against corruption and other accountability issues.
However, President Boakai is somehow undermining his own efforts, through his actions and inactions. Below are Four of many governance missteps undermining President Boakai’s anti-corruption and overall good governance efforts, which he should timely address:
1. The protracted acting statuses and roles of the current batch of commissioners of a major entity like the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA). This is pure bad governance, as most people acting in positions with tenure security will do anything to please the appointing authority, knowing that any contrary action (s) will lead to their removal. Could the President have ulterior motives for having the LTA folks to act perpetually? Reasonably, no one will be faulted for thinking that way.
2. Unlike others, the President has not suspended or dismissed the acting head of LTA for being implicated in a General Auditing Commission’s report for corruption. It has been more than one year since Mr. Abdullai Kamara was indicted in a GAC report. Interestingly this is the very reason for which his predecessor and others were removed. Yet, Kamara continues to serve in government, while others have been removed or dismissed. This, too, is gross selective accountability.
3. Maintaining Mr. Dorr Cooper as Inspector General of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, despite being investigated and found liable for academic fraud by past and current authorities of the University of Liberia. The University has boldly suspended and dismissed those who helped Mr. Cooper to execute his plan. Yet, he continues to enjoy the confidence of the President. This is purely ironical, when his position requires someone with high degree of accountability and integrity.
4. And, having the Civil Service Agency to retain and use salaries and benefits seized from public officials who refused to timely declare their assets, incomes and liabilities, in line with the Code of Conduct for public officials. Taking nothing away from the largely good work of the Civil Service Agency, this is not their function. They can’t be seizing these funds and using them at the time, even if the projects and activities are approved by the President. It is not Civil Service Agency’s mandate to procure logistics for government, especially chairs for schools and students.
Selective Accountability has not helped Liberia. The President is undermining his own Anti-Corruption efforts, when he should be seeking marked improvements in performance.”
