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Liberia: Church and Media are not exempted as President Sirleaf decries corruption
Mar 10, 2008
by Michael Kpayili / Staff Writer

Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has condemned the successive wave of corruption in the Liberian society which she said the Church and Media are inclusive of the corrupt practices. President Sirleaf said successive Governments have always decried corruption and argued that a successful fight against corruption rest not only with the Government, but rather the involvement of Priests, Imams, Journalists and all civil society organizations desire to see Liberia progress.

Succeeding Government normally accused existing Government of corruption once their terms expired. The People’s Redemption Council Government of President Samuel K. Doe accused the Government of President William R. Tolbert of “rampant corruption”, resulting to the public execution of thirteen officials of Government in the Tolbert’s regime. President Samuel K. Doe Government was also accused of corruption and subsequently removed; while the Unity party led Government headed by President Sirleaf, prior to its ascendancy accused the Charles Taylor administration of rampant corruption.

The interim Government of Chairman Charles Gyude Bryant was dubbed as the worst corrupt administration in Liberia’s history. Former Chairman Bryant and scores of former officials in the two year transitional Government are currently undergoing investigation for economic sabotage charge as the result of which the former Head of State Bryant was temporarily jailed for two days at the Monrovia Central Prison.

Despite of her constant standing on the fight of corruption in Liberia, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Government was accused of being three times more corrupt than the historically corrupt Government of Charles Gyude Bryant. The accusation was made by Liberia’s Auditor-general John S. Morlu.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf also stressed the need for a multi-prone approach in the fight against corruption in Liberia. The Liberian Leader was speaking at the launch of the Corporate Governance and Forensic solutions in Monrovia during which time, she stressed that poverty and corrupt feed off each other account for the depletion of the country’s wealth as well as deters investments.

President Sirleaf also disclosed that the fight against corruption must start with political accountability via democratic system, open political dialogues, debates and appropriate checks and balance on the three branches of Government. She said corruption causes harm to the poor who are the hardest hit by economic deprivation. “Accountable political leadership can not develop in a corrupt climate as it undermines people’s trust”, she maintained.

Also speaking at the launch of the Corporate Governance and Forensic solutions over the weekend in Monrovia, the head of the Corporate Governance and Forensic Solutions, University of Liberia Lecturer Theo Joseph, said frauds affects all organizations which according to him exist in almost all individuals.

About the Author:
Michael Kpayili is a staff writer for TheLiberianTimes.com. Kpayili has written articles which have appeared on TheLiberianTimes.com since late 2005, and his hard hitting investigative journalism has earned the respect of the Liberian press community.

Michael Kpayili may be contacted at mkpayili@theliberiantimes.com.