The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has accused President Joseph N. Boakai of pampering corrupt officials of his government and not raising the standard for anti-corruption, transparency and accountability, and disclosed that Liberia has performed dismally in the 2024 Corruption Perception Index of Transparency International, scoring 25/100.
CENTAL emphasized that President Boakai should lead by example and set a very high standard for others in government and Liberia to follow, noting that 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,” CENTAL observed.
While observing International Anti-corruption Day on Monday, December 9, 2024, CENTAL indicated that the Liberian government’s efforts in the fight against corruption have not been good enough to send a 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,” the transparency group stated.
According to CENTAL, 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,” CENTAL added.
The group warned that 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,” the group maintained.
“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,” CENTAL noted.
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, CENTAL recommended that President Boakai lead by example and set a very high standard for others in government and Liberia to follow; that government provide adequate financial and logistical support to the Liberia Anti-corruption Commission (LACC) and other public integrity institutions as well as respect their independence and financial autonomy; LACC, GAC and other public integrity institutions be robust, more engaging, innovative and result-driven in their work; and civil society and the media 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.
