-CENTAL pleads with LACC new Commissioners.
By: G Bennie Bravo Johnson I
CENTAL has called on the new batch of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commissioners to restore the hope of Liberians in the fight against corruption and lead by example during the discharge of their duties.
Addressing a news conference Tuesday, September 12, 2023, at the office of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia, the institution Executive Director, Anderson Miamen urged the new batch to change the negative narratives and make impunity for corruption an issue of the past.
It can be recalled that on September 6, 2023, the Liberian Senate confirmed the seven LAC’s Commissioners who were nominated by President George Weah on June 8, 2023.
Those confirmed by the Liberian Senate included Cllr. Alexandra Kormah Zoe, Chairperson, Mr. Ernest R. Hughes, Vice Chairperson, and Mr. Randolph E. Tebbs, Commissioner for Monitoring and Investigation.
At the same time, Dr. Miatta Jeh and Atty. Samuel F. Dakana were confirmed as Commissioners for Monitoring and Investigation, while Cllr. Oretha Snyder Davis and Cllr. David Wilson were confirmed as Commissioners for Prosecution respectively.
However, Mr. Miamen stressed that considering the criticality of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) in the fight against corruption in Liberia, and with the confirmation of these officials, the public expects to see a new, energized, and robust LACC, especially now that it has Direct Prosecutorial Power, which has since been lacking.
“CENTAL, the public, development partners, and other stakeholders will be keenly watching to see if this new LACC will live up to expectation by serving the Liberian people, instead of the appointing authority or so-called big hands in government and other places in society. We urge the new leadership to endear itself to the public by robustly, timely, and impartially investigating and prosecuting alleged incidences of corruption, including those involving “big hands” in the government,” he asserted.
The CENTAL Boss indicated that Liberia needs a robust, independent, well-resourced, and public-interest driven LACC more than ever before, noting that this is particularly important as Corruption is becoming pervasive in the country, especially in the public sector.
A the same time, Mr. Anderson Miamen averred that the lack of actions against public officials sanctioned by the United States Government for alleged significant corruption shows lack of will and major gaps in the Liberian government’s anti-corruption efforts.
He also called on the citizens to reject all sanctioned public officials, including Senators Varney Sherman and Prince Y. Johnson of Grand Cape Mount and Nimba Counties respectively and the three resigned officials of the President George Weah government: Minister of State Nathaniel McGill, National Port Authority Managing Director Bill Twehway and Solicitor General Sayma Cyrenius Cephus.
“Thankfully, on the other hand, citizens are becoming more concerned and demanding of accountability and transparency from their government,” he added.
Meanwhile, Mr. Anderson Miamen has called on national government to provide adequate financial and logistical support to the LACC to operate robustly and independently.
He further urged the Commission to forge meaningful partnerships with stakeholders, including civil society and citizens, if it must succeed in her work.
“Additionally, we call on development partners to provide financial and logistical support to the Commission to be fully operational. We firmly believe that the success of Liberia’s anti-corruption endeavors hinges on collective vigilance and collaborative efforts,” CENTAL Executive Director, Anderson Miamen concluded.
