Corruption: A Societal Problem

MONROVIA – President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has outlined three cardinal issues defining the future of the country, pointing out that transparency and accountability remain a societal problem that every Liberian must work to address.

The President made the ongoing fight against corruption part of her annual message to the 5th session of the 52nd National Legislature, which she delivered on Capitol Hill in Monrovia on Monday.

Against this background, the Liberian Chief Executive said corruption, which she has previously described as systemic, has a long history in Liberia. The problem, she acknowledged, has been exacerbated by the recent years of deprivation in which Liberians were left to fend for themselves and to survive by any means possible.

Corruption, Sirleaf explained, is a value system turned upside down by the conscious destruction of institutions and systems that uphold the dignity of labor and honesty.

“When this Administration took office and declared corruption ‘public enemy number one’, we knew that it would require several measures, some unprecedented, to set the country on the right course. We knew we had to improve compensation levels and introduce financial management systems to minimize vulnerabilities,” she said.

The President indicated that it was clear a transparent budget and financial reporting process would have to be ensured, the Legislature and the public exercising their specific roles.

It was also clear, she added, that the Civil Service would have to be restructured and proper internal auditing systems established.

Sirleaf also told the lawmakers that she was aware that violators of the public trust should be punished through legal action. To that end, she added, measures aimed at enhancing national integrity were introduced.

Some of those measures, the President said, included strengthening the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission (PPCC), supporting and strengthening the Governance Commission (GC) and reorganizing the General Auditing Commission (GAC).

The Executive Branch also established the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) and drafted a Code of Conduct to govern the behavior and action of public servants, a Freedom of Information Act, and a Corruption Offenses Act which, she said, are still before the National Legislature.

She pointed out that she had also required government officials in the Executive Branch to declare their assets and issued an Executive Order to protect whistleblowers.

“This Government, your Government, has had the courage to confront this evil through all of these measures. We have allowed all citizens and the media and the institutional pillars of integrity to expose, without restraint, violation of the public trust,” she asserted.

The former standard bearer of the ruling Unity Party (UP) told the august body that she knows that more needs to be done, particularly in the areas of punishment under the rule of law.

She emphasized that punishment for crimes committed is a step the Government must now climb, a necessary deliverable for the country’s justice system.

“There is also a step that I must climb to protect the reputation of hard work and honesty that I have built over 40 years of development work at home and abroad. Without prejudice to their rights of being innocent until proven guilty, I must act against those, including the ones close to me, whose malpractices have put my credibility and the credibility of the country at risk. I must also act against those in the media and elsewhere who carelessly try to bring our country to shame by maliciously and falsely accusing citizens and institutions only for political relevance or commercial gain,” the President declared.

The President also addressed the final and edited Report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

Substantial local and international resources were expended, she acknowledged, and a significant number of man-hours expended by people of the highest caliber, both from within Liberia and from foreign parts – all investments that went into producing the TRC Report.

While one may not agree with all of the findings and recommendations resulting from the report, Sirleaf explained, there is no doubt that it dissects and analyzes the country’s problems and makes meaningful recommendations for the healing, reconciliation, restoration, peace, prosperity and progress of the nation.

The President contended that it is therefore important that all Liberians must carefully digest the TRC Report and make a conscious national determination to move ahead cautiously and strategically in the implementation of the recommendations.

She intoned that things must be made clear, as Liberians strive to understand the contents and objectives of the report.

“Like you, I took an oath to defend, protect and uphold the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Liberia. It is therefore incumbent upon us all to uphold that oath. I recognize that the TRC Report makes several generalized recommendations, to include: (i) Extraordinary Criminal Tribunal; (ii) Domestic Criminal Sanctions; (iii) Public Sanctions; (iv) National ‘Palaver Hut’ Programs; (v) Economic Crimes Investigations and Prosecutions; (vi) Reparation; (vii) and others,” she pointed out.

She said recommendations that relate to criminal tribunal, criminal and public sanctions, economic crimes and investigations have been the subject of great debate since the report was made public.

To deal with that, the President added, she would propose amendments to the Independent National Human Rights Commission (INHRC) Act of 2005 to enable that body to seize itself of those aspects of the TRC report, and to work in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice to determine those recommendations that are implementable or enforceable under the Constitution and laws of Liberia.

She further told the lawmakers that she would also urge urgent Senate confirmation of those persons nominated to serve the INHCR as Commissioners in order that they may start their work.

Sirleaf told the 52nd National Legislature, however, that she welcomes the recommendations from the TRC report on national ‘Palaver Hut’ programs and reparation as true measures for reconciliation. She pledged her commitment to working with that august body to determine the processes and identify the resources for their implementation, suggesting that the process should start immediately.

The Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) also welcomed the recommendations regarding the Liberian Diaspora, which she said appear to be feasible and do not infringe on any constitutional right of the individual, that Liberians, their relatives and offspring, who migrated to foreign parts on account of the civil crisis or who migrated to foreign parts prior to the civil war but remained in foreign parts on account of the civil crisis and in other instances had to acquire foreign nationalities, should benefit from dispensation of maintaining their foreign nationalities without forfeiting their Liberian citizenship.

“I am prepared to work with you, Honorable Legislators, to give these citizens the opportunity to live in and work for their country once again,” the President asserted.

The third hot topic issue addressed by the Liberian leader was the usage of the County Development Funds (CDF).

The President told the legislators that the application of the CDF, which is an allocation by concessionaires for direct payment to counties to support development priorities, is determined by the people of the counties themselves.

As a result of this policy, Sirleaf indicated that more than US$22 million had been directed to the counties, including direct government appropriation of US$12.5 million; US$9 million from Mittal Steel and US$900,000 from other sources.

In approving such budgetary appropriations, she said, “you gave yourselves, as legislators, a role in determining the development priorities. We welcome this role for you as representatives of the people.”

The President, however, said she was sure lawmakers would agree with her that the implementation of the CDF program had fallen far short of their expectations and that the procedures governing the program must change.

Sirleaf also told the Legislature that while the Executive Branch endorses counties’ selection of those representatives by the citizens who will determine development priorities, she believes that the success of the program will be more rewarding if management of the development process, such as procurement and financing, is left to the Executive Branch to be handled directly and solely through the office of Superintendents and other local government officials.

“This way, I can hold my officials responsible for implementing these programs in accordance with established laws and procedures. You, in turn, can hold the Executive accountable through your constitutional oversight role to ensure that funds are used properly and strictly for the purpose intended.”