By: Laymah Kollie
Monrovia — The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), through its Integrity Club, over the weekend launched an inter-university debate aimed at deepening discussions around integrity, transparency, accountability and the fight against corruption among young people.
The debate brought together students from Stella Maris Polytechnic University and the University of Liberia in the first motion, while the African Methodist Episcopal University and the United Methodist University also squared off in a separate round of competition. The motions focused on whether whistleblowing is more effective than investigative journalism in exposing corruption, and whether a specialized anti-corruption court is the key to ending impunity in Liberia.
In her overview of the Integrity Club, Coordinator Jerryline T. Wonde said the initiative was created to shape the minds of young people around integrity values and to encourage them to become active voices in the national fight against corruption. She explained that the club began at the University of Liberia in 2017 and expanded in 2020 to other universities, including Stella Maris Polytechnic University, the African Methodist Episcopal University and the United Methodist University.
Wonde added that CENTAL now has 13 Integrity Clubs in universities and high schools, stressing that the goal is not only to train students, but also to give them platforms to apply what they have learned through peer-to-peer learning, campus awareness and outreach engagements.
Speaking at the event, CENTAL Executive Director Anderson Miamen said the debate was designed to move beyond classroom performance and create awareness on how to report corruption, what constitutes corrupt practices, and how citizens, journalists and whistleblowers can play complementary roles in building a more accountable society. He applauded the participants for their roles played.
The program also featured remarks from representatives of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, the Ministry of Justice and the Witness Protection Unit.
Atty. Teklo Maxwell Grisby II, Executive Director of the Witness Protection Unit told the gathering that whistleblowing and investigative journalism are both important tools in combating corruption, but emphasized that strong legal frameworks, witness protection measures and anti-retaliation laws are essential if citizens are to report wrongdoing safely. The speaker also noted that corruption is not limited to the public sector, arguing that it affects every part of society. He affirmed commitment to supporting the next batch of competition between the winners.
The competition also highlighted the importance of student participation in national governance issues. Judges praised the teams for their arguments, while organizers said the debate forms part of CENTAL’s broader effort to strengthen civic consciousness among young people and encourage them to become active partners in the anti-corruption drive.
At the end of the first round, judges declared University of Liberia winner over Stella Maris Polytechnic University after scoring 80 percent to 76 percent. And in the second round African Methodist Episcopal University emerged winner over the United Methodist University in a score of 82 percent to 80 percent. The occasion was held on the Campus of the Stella Maris Polytechnic University in Monrovia.
