United States Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, has spoken hard about corruption, something she intimated that is eating-up the future of the country even to the extent that it has denied Liberia’s place in history.
Ambassador Greenfield made the statement over the weekend when she officially kicked off a panel marking the 200-year commemoration of U.S.-Liberia ties.
She stated, “Liberia as a nation, has a serious problem right now, and that’s taking on a number of issues, foremost among them, is the issue of corruption and this is an issue that we are seeing across the board, not just in Liberia, but in other places.”
According to the US envoy, “corruption is an act of robbery, plain and simple. It’s a cancer in our societies.?It is government stealing from the people of Liberia, from the mouths of children.?It takes away access to health care”.
“It denies citizens their right to public safety. It stops young people of Liberia from getting the education they deserve. It takes the future away from them; it prevents the country from having the healthy business environment that it needs to lift Liberians out of poverty; it has denied Liberia its place in history, a successful and prosperous country with so many resources to contribute to its people’s well-being,” she said.
She added, “Corruption is a democracy killer and we cannot have that in a place like Liberia, which we are counting on as a bulwark for Africa’s democracy. To me, this is the most pressing issue; it’s the most forward-looking challenge facing Liberia today.?And it is frankly one that we need to work on and its frankly up to the leadership of Liberia to fix it.”
“Only Liberia’s leaders, with the backing of and pressure from the people of Liberia, can create the environment of transparency and accountability the country needs,” she asserted.
“I do believe Liberia has a bright future. I am an absolute fan of Liberia. I believe that because it is a country founded upon the ideas of hope and freedom, the same ideas we celebrate today, that future can be bright,” she stated.
? “I believe that because it is a country with a rock-solid partner in the United States, that future can be bright. Our 200-year partnership is as strong as it is deep.?And I know that Liberia’s future is bright, because I have come to know the people of Liberia and I know the people of Liberia know me. They know me to be someone who will speak truth to power. They know me to be someone who can be self-critical, but also criticize my friends in the spirit of being a constructive advisor,” the U.S. Envoy said.
“So not just do the leaders of Liberia know me, but the people in the markets, the people on the streets, the everyday Liberians who are determined to improve their lives and their future, all know that I am speaking truth right now. So together, we must take on corruption. We have to defend democracy, and push for a better future for the Liberian people,” she intoned.
“We cannot continue down the path that Liberia is on right now. It is time for Liberia to live up to its principles, to live up to its foundation, and be the leader on the continent of Africa that we know Liberia can be. It’s a small country, it’s mighty, your resources make you that,” Ambassador Greenfield concluded.
