GAC Launches “Culture Of Integrity” Program

By Bill W. Cooper
The General Auditing Commission (GAC) yesterday launched a “Culture of Integrity” outreach program for both public and private schools in the country aimed at ‘promoting good governance via accountability and transparency in the public sector.’
The launching which took place at the GAC office brought together principals from both private and public schools including representatives from the Civil Society Organization as well as students from various private and public schools.
The General Auditing Commission (GAC) is an ‘integrity’ house created by legislation to audit all government ministries and agencies that are said to have been alleged with corruption practices.
Announcing the launching of the program, the Auditor General of the Republic of Liberia, Yusador S. Gaye noted that over the past years, the GAC has been having series of workshops for the media, the CSO, especially the student community, which she said they are trying to build a culture of integrity to understand the functions of the GAC.
Among many things, the GAC boss indicated that the work of the GAC is to hold people accountable for what they did, ranging from how the country resources is being spent, how are the populace benefiting from these resources and if they are performing as government among other things.
“Do these resources reach you and even affect our student’s population. How many schools are been supported and how the facilities at these schools are. How are these funding that sometimes tax payers paid, that donors give us and how are they reaching our communities and our people?” Madam Gaye added.
The Auditor General further alarmed that the country does not have a good reputation right now abroad, adding, “We need not put these things under the carpet, as it is the fact. Because of the way we talk whenever we see the GAC report, the way we post on the internet; are we reading it right or are we looking at the system?”
“Nationally, you see what is going on, and every day in the news, we got so many things going on that we do not even know how to say it anymore. Right now, it is the time to start because of all the things that are now going on and then internationally, how they look at Liberians has changed our perception,” she averred.
Madam Gaye then eluded that if you get an audit report that says; “No Systems,” the citizenry must understand and hold their Lawmakers or somebody accountable, stressing “look these people are saying if the system is not there, we are not going anywhere and what are your doing about it?”
“We as Liberians, the way we want our country to be, that’s how it will be because if I want to tell the truth that’s how it will be, if I don’t want to tell them that culture, but you see if you develop that culture it is a hard thing to break,” the auditor general intoned.
In remarks, Prisie J. Badu from the Adventist High School and the VP/SA of the William V.S. Tubman High School, Addo H. Dorley lauded the GAC for the initiative stating that culture of integrity is everybody’s business, while at the same time called on the GAC to put mechanisms in place for the sustainability of the program.
For their parts, student A. Adolphus Tugba of the G.W. Gibson and student Cheahol H. Sidibey of the Muslim Congress High School praised the GAC for the program, stressing that it will be prudent that the cut across all public and private schools in the country.
The Culture Of Integrity Outreach Program campaign is intended to be active only during the period schools will be opened. Therefore, the campaign will be sustained by the rigorous effort of the General Auditing Commission and the support of the schools. The General Auditing Commission intends to sustain this campaign for its operational budget no matter how minute it may seem since this outreach initiative aspire to be one of the signature projects of the Auditor General, Madam Yusador Gaye. It is convenient that since the campaign will be implemented recurrently, this outreach program will also traditionally be implemented likewise to maintain its sustainability.