Corruption in Government

News and Events

Simple Reality of National Development Series 21
Corruption in Government
June 5, 2009

What is the Basis of Corruption in Government?

It is worrisome to citizens and detestable to tax payers to see public funds being ensnared into embezzlement and corruption in the cycle of government. The government of Liberia has solicited information from the public and the media on issues of corruptions in government. Anti corruption commission has been set up to support government efforts in fighting corruption in Liberia. Policy documents have been developed to guarantee the public that revenues and taxes collected will not be siphoned into private accounts. Despite these initiatives, corruptions, financial mal-practices and misappropriation of state funds in government are still eminent. In a more practical and analytical sense, corrupt government officials are not markedly differentiated from those criminals perpetrating armed rubbery and other social vices in society. Experiences have shown that both corruption and social ills in society post challenges to national development and pervade any sustainable initiatives. Hypnotically also, we can not divorce recklessness, negligence and dereliction of duties in state functionaries from issues facilitating corrupt practices in government. Government officials must be accountable for the quality of responsibilities accorded to them to ensure transparency and justification for their appointments in public offices

Eminent Cases of Corrupt in the U.P. led Government

In three years, Liberians have witnessed several million dollars going into insolvencies and misapplication of funds appropriated for development initiatives. Up to the moment, no clear picture about the thousand of dollars allotted to the Kandija projects that was misappropriated, we have heard of five hundred thousands confiscated from a Nigerian but eventually got misappropriated, we have heard several checks being recycled at the Central Bank of Liberia in hundred of thousands of dollars to individuals’ accounts, we have heard cancelled checks at the Finance Ministry being used to withdraw over twenty two million Liberian dollars and deposited into private accounts, we have heard the one point one million dollars transferes from the Central Bank to individuals’ accounts at various banks, we have heard several thousand dollars disappearing at telecom and we have heard allegation of countless corruption scandals in state agencies, some of which are evident in the General Audit Commission and the GEMAP reports. These systematic corruption cases, amongst other financial malpractices unidentified are unleashing the many doubts about the lack of transparency in government.

Institutional Lapses

In a combined press conference held by the honorable Minister of Finance and the honorable governor of Central Bank of Liberia, the public were made to understand that standards and procedures established into their respective institutions supported the tracking of fraudulent perpetrators. What many citizens would question therefore is why are these two financial institutions often entangled into financial malpractices? Perhaps the standards and procedures often being referred, to mitigate the recycling of corruptions in these two institutions are not best in class and do not have leading administrative and financial procedural principles that would safeguard and protect the ministry and the Central Bank from institutional dereliction.

There are immeasurable corruption cases occurring daily in Liberia, some of which do not come to public attention, not only in the ministry of finance and the central bank. Perhaps there is not yet a Liberian law that exclusively targets financial and economic crimes; even though there are various acts and executive orders that criminalize most forms of economic malpractices.

Hypothetically, with the level corruption cases in government, a tentative conclusion can be reached on issues of tax evasion, money laundering, over or under invoicing and embezzlement of public fund, fraudulent licensing of contract and smuggling of illegal items into the country that some official of government may be ignoring to briberies. In other words, the issues of negligence and reckless institutional management are undermining the interest of development and the very Poverty Reduction Strategy that this government has as a road map for sustainable development. Similarly, it must be pointed out that those public officials abusing their positions and privileges accorded to them are marginalizing transparency and accountability in state’s institutions.

The vicious circle of corruption must be broken

The current stance of government on the issue of corruption involves weakened state structures to combat corruption, lack of appropriate legislation, frustrating amount of delays on the part of judiciary in prosecuting corruption case and the general incompetence of the system to confront high profile appointee whose recklessness and negligence have led to huge economic damages. We know that corruption became “a way of life” since independence and got exacerbated in the early 80s. The 14 year civil discord witnessed incredible vicious cycle of corruptions and absolute lack of transparency; a situation that makes it extremely difficult for this government to combat corruptions at the various strata of society. Liberians in general and the government in particular must break the cycle of corruption in our society. We must understand that corruption is killing off the spirit of development and hindering the progress for people in Liberia. Liberians are in a transition of emerging from damage caused by the civil conflicts to repairs, where education, health, water, energy, and roads will be available and accessible at all times to every citizens of Liberia. We must not be captives of corruption to obliterate our progress and destiny.

Mohammed Swaray

swaraymas@gmail.com