By Laurina B Lormia
President Joseph Boakai has officially commissioned the Ombudsman Office to enhance transparency, justice, and accountability in the government and will be remembered in Liberia’s history as the first President to publicly sign the Code of Conduct.
Encouraging others to sign and uphold its standards, the event was held on Wednesday August 7, 2024 at the Executive Mansion in Monrovia geared towards discussing the vital role of the Ombudsman in tackling governance issues and upholding ethical standards for public officials.
Making remarks, President Boakai highlighted the critical role of the Ombudsman in improving state-society relations and enforcing high ethical standards and also emphasized the need to respect and uphold the Code of Conduct, urging all officials to publicly declare their assets.
According to him, the Code of Conduct seeks to address excesses in public service across the three branches of government but, because of the problems associated with the appointment of the ombudsman, the code became the most violated legal instrument in the country, becoming as others have put it, a “paper tiger.”
The Ombudsman, as stipulated by Article 90© of the Liberian Constitution, is tasked with investigating complaints against government agencies and ensuring adherence to a Code of Conduct.
The establishment of this office aims to address past obstacles related to funding and political support that have hindered progress in promoting public accountability.
President Boakai asserted that, he is the first President in the nation’s history to publicly sign the Code of Conduct adding that this new office is designed to address critical governance issues and provide a platform for citizens to voice their concerns.
“With the commissioning of this office, the government is now in a better position to complete the process of ensuring public accountability. This milestone allows us to move forward with implementing a code of conduct, which is a crucial step in enhancing accountability and oversight in our institutions,” he stressed.
He added that, his government has long faced obstacles in establishing the office of the Ombudsman due to insufficient funding and unambiguous political support stating that, these challenges have slowed their progress in promoting public accountability, improving performance and service delivery.
“The appointment of the Ombudsman is a significant step in the government commitment to a reform agenda and strengthening its democracy. Upon agreeing that certain sections of the Code need to be expanded and amended to address current realities, the government should still embrace the Code of Conduct to help build a society where justice and integrity prevail, and the rule of law serves the people of Liberia with fairness,” he said.
The Ombudsman is an independent official appointed to investigate and address complaints against government agencies or other institutions regarding the violation of the code of conduct.
However, the Ombudsman is also expected through his work to ensure public officials are held to high ethical standards and accountable for their actions; promote fairness in the resolution of disputes and help to promote good governance.
He concluded that, upon taking office, he committed to striving for a fairer and better-governed Liberia. He reminded officials in the three branches of government about the unique, once-in-a-generation opportunity to reform and transform the country for the good of the people.
He emphasized the importance of respecting the laws by declaring their assets, as Liberians expect of them and stressed that they must act now or risk failing generations of Liberians to come.
