PRESIDENT JOSEPH BOAKAI has ignited a national debate with his recent statement urging corrupt officials to use stolen public funds to bless their own, which supposedly are Liberians.
SPEAKING IN LOFA County, President Boakai was clearer than ever when he encouraged those who want to remain corrupt and steal money to use their loots to bless people.
Howbeit, those remarks come amid ongoing struggle with systemic corruption as reflected in the 2024 Transparency International Corruption Perceptions Index ranking Liberia 145 out of 180 countries, with a score of 25 out of 100 a stark indicator of entrenched governance challenges.
ON WORLD ANTI-CORRUPTION Day, December 9, 2024, the Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), Anderson Miamen, criticized Boakai’s administration for what he described as pampering corruption.
MIAMEN POINTED TO Liberia’s persistent culture of impunity, insufficient funding for integrity institutions, and the lack of political will as critical barriers to progress in the anti-corruption fight.
EVERY PATRIOTIC LIBERIANS must begin to hold the government accountable for its position on corruption as this is no era of condemnations for thievery of public funds because that has not been enough rather, there must be concrete intentional actions to investigate, prosecute, and recover stolen resources.
WHATEVER THE JUSTIFICATION or confidence may be for which such remarks were made, President Boakai needs to, himself, be very cautious when he speaks, as such comments undermine the fight against corruption and weakens the moral authority of his own administration.
INDEED, SUCH REMARKS should come from no leader least to speak of having any existence in a nation that is committed to restoring trust and integrity in governance because Liberia’s future rests on collective efforts to combat corruption if we are to build a society where public resources serve all citizens, not just a privileged minority.
WHAT WOULD REALLY make sense to Liberians now is when the government envisages prioritizing transparency by publishing public spending reports, conducting audits, and prosecuting corruption without fear or favor and speaking about how far it has gone in strengthening institutions like the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and promoting accountability in restoring public trust, building stronger institutions, and ensuring a more equitable and prosperous Liberia.
