-Boakai Officials Violate Code of Conduct
MONROVIA, Liberia – The administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, which championed the full operationalization of the Office of the Ombudsman as a cornerstone of its governance agenda, is now the primary violator of the very law it pledged to uphold. This follows the conspicuous participation of dozens of high-ranking appointed officials in a partisan political event, the “UP Homecoming,” on Saturday, December 6, 2025, while adorned in their political party regalia.
By Jerromie S. Walters/wjerromie@womenvoicesnewspaper_i2sktp
The event, organized by the ruling Unity Party (UP), saw the attendance of officials including Finance Minister Augustine Ngafuan, National Port Authority Managing Director Sekou H. Dukuly, Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation Managing Director Mohammed Ali, J. Luther Tarpeh, Board of Directors National Port Authority (NPA), Amos B. Tweh, Managing Director Liberia Petroleum Refining Company.
The group further included Presidential Press Secretary Kula N. Fofana, Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah, and Assistant Minister for Administration Cornelia Kruah. National Commission on Disabilities Executive Director Samuel Dean and several other appointed officials also participated in the event.
This incident places the Boakai administration in the position of being a prime violator of a law it vowed to uphold. The administration had previously criticized the prior government of President George Weah for similar ethical lapses and championed the enforcement of the code. The National Code of Conduct was enacted to ensure ethical behavior and prevent conflicts of interest within government. Its key provisions strictly separate public duty from partisan political activity for appointed officials.
The law forbids officials from using state resources, equipment, or facilities for any private or partisan purpose. It also mandates comprehensive asset declarations for officials in specified positions upon taking office and at regular intervals thereafter.
Additional provisions within the code prohibit nepotism, barring officials from appointing or promoting family members within their agency. The overall legal framework is designed to uphold the integrity and impartiality of Liberia’s public service.
Following his ascendancy to the presidency, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. officially commissioned the Office of the Ombudsman. Many considered this a significant milestone in Liberia’s quest for enhanced transparency and accountability in government.
The Ombudsman, as stipulated by Article 90(C) of the Liberian Constitution, is an independent official tasked with investigating and addressing complaints against government agencies and institutions concerning violations of the code of conduct.
This role is vital for holding public officials to high ethical standards, promoting fairness in dispute resolution, and advancing good governance.
The Ombudsman office was officially created during President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s administration, with its legal framework established in 2014. However, its full operationalization faced delays due to challenges such as insufficient funding.
The Office of the Ombudsman, tasked with enforcing this code, has not issued any public statement regarding Saturday’s event. The independent office is chaired by Counselor Findley Karnga. This silence follows a major enforcement action by the Ombudsman just months ago. In early August of this year, the Office of the Ombudsman in Liberia recommended to President Joseph Nyuma Boakai the dismissal of nearly two dozen public officials for allegedly violating the National Code of Conduct law.
However, the recommendation was not considered by the Executive. The Office of the Ombudsman is tasked with enforcing and overseeing the National Code of Conduct for Public Officials Law. The Law, which was enacted by the National Legislature and signed into law by former Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, aims to ensure ethical behavior and prevent conflicts of interest among those in government.
The Ombudsman receives and investigates complaints against public officials and national institutions, ensuring they adhere to the Law.
In a report released in Monrovia on Wednesday, August 6, 2025, the Office of the Ombudsman recommended the dismissal of Emmanuel Tuley, Board Chair of Liberia Electricity Corporation, Cooper Kruah, Minister of Labour, Lucia Massalee Yallah, Environmental Protection Agency, Emmanuel Zorh, Jr. (Ministry of Labour, J. Luther Tarpeh, Board of Director National Port Authority (NPA), Amos B. Tweh, Managing Director Liberia Petroleum Refining Company, Cornelia Kruah Togba, Minister of State, and Whroway Bryant, Superintendent Montserrado County.
Others were Emmanuel K. Farr, Deputy Director- National Fire Service, Ambassador Sheikh Al Moustapha Kouyateh, Ministry of State, Ben A. Fofana, Commissioner, Liberia Telecommunication Authority, Patience Randall, Director General, Liberia Business Registry, Edmund Forh and Melvin Cephus, National Transit Authority, Lucia Tarpeh, Development Superintendent, Montserrado County, Robert Bestman, City Mayor, Paynesville, and James Yolei Ministry of Internal Affairs.
The rest included Collins Tamba, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Selena P. Mappy, Ministry of Internal Affairs, Kansualism B. Kansuah, Member of the Board, Liberia Special Economic Zone, Cllr. Kuku Y. Dorbor, Liberia Special Economic Zone Authority, Jacob Smith, Liberia Refining Company, Daniel Sando, Ministry of Information, Ansu V. S. Dulleh, National Disaster Management Authority, and Macdella Cooper, Senior Political Advisor to the President, Ministry of State.
The report from the Office of the Ombudsman disclosed that its action to recommend the dismissal of these public officials stemmed from an investigation launched into multiple phone calls, written, and face-to-face complaints from citizens regarding potential violations of the law by them. The investigation specifically focused on political participation, specifically violations of sections 5.1(a)(b)(c), and 5.8 of the Code of Conduct (as amended), and covered from July 30, 2024, to May 23, 2025.
Section 12 of the Code of Conduct empowers the investigation to report on any issue of misconduct investigated by the Ombudsman, within the public service and private sector.
