16/03/2024
CORRUPTION is why Liberia fails to address CORRUPTION; a Brief history of attempting to control corruption through direct presidential involvement. 🙏🗣️
In 1975 former President Tolbert established by Executive Order, the National Force on the Eradication of Corruption (NFEC). The NFEC worked in President Tolbert’s office. It made NO impact and gradually got dissolved.
After the country’s years of civil upheaval, a comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) was reached in Accra, Ghana; among others, established a National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL), pending the general elections of demoncratic government in 2005. Charles Gyude Bryant was selected Chairman of the NTGL; he served from 14 October 2003 to 16 January 2006. In June 2005, determined to eradicate corruption, Chairman Bryant established the Executive Task Force on Corruption. It was headed by a cabinet Miniter. By the end of 2005, the Task Force was dissolved without a single impact. Itself was accused of corruption.
President Johnson-Sirleaf took office in January 2006. She Named corruption “public enemy number 1”. By the end of her 12-year tenure in 2017, she acknowledged complete failure of her administration to control corruption. During her reign, several anti corruption institutions were established and a task force, as well. Many officials of her regime including her children were accused of corruption. No investigation exenorated them.
For lack of trust to work with the country’s anti corruption commission established by former President Johnson Sirleaf, succeeding President Weah established his “Assets Investigation Restitution and Recovery Team (AIRReT)” in similar way, and promised to recover lost assets worth over US $4billion hidden locally and internationally. In 2020, the AIRRET ended with the resignation of its Chairman due to non cooperation of the same executive branch that created it. Attempting to quietly walk with impunity like Johnson Sirleaf and her officers, international sanctions targeting spoils of the Weah’s regime brought some sense of addressing corruption in Liberia.
Historically, the lack of political WILL beyond mere pronouncements to act and impunity have been Liberia’s impediments to addressing corruption. In short, CORRUPTION is the reason why Liberia fails to address CORRUPTION. Liberia has therefore settled into a patronage system rather than a democracy. A system in which a political party, after winning an election, gives government jobs to its supporters, friends (cronyism), and relatives (nepotism) as a reward for working toward victory, and as an incentive to keep working for the winning party.
Political campaigns are different from leadership. Just a hint. Use your best players void of political alignment and rewards. Adopt the collective action approach, and see. To succeed, Law enforcement is principally about TRUST and not political alignment.
Ref. Anti-Corruption Strategy of Liberia (December 2006) and open sources.
