Written by General Auditing Commission (GAC)
Source: Liberian Forum
Sunday, 11 July 2010
Republic of Liberia
General Auditing Commission (GAC)
Old Executive Mansion
Office of the Director of Communications
MONROVIA, LIBERIA, JULY 9, 2010: The chairperson of the Governance Commission (GC) Dr.Amos C. Sawyer has lauded the farsighted effort of the Auditor General John S. Morlu, II for carving the idea and vision for the establishment of the National Integrity Forum (NIF).
Speaking Thursday, July 8, 2010 at the launch of the Forum, Dr.Sawyer said the positive initiative taken by AG Morlu was in the right direction to garner consolidated effort from cross section of state and non-state actors in the fight against corruption.
The GC chairperson expounded further that the problems of integrity and corruption is an old-aged problem that can be fought and quashed will robust and combine forces of major stakeholders via intense oneness of advocacy and demonstrable and practical action.
“Without an effort to fight corruption you cannot build integrity,”Dr.Sawyer noted adding that corruption has the propensity to undermine peace and development and it takes the collective and joint effort of all to combat this menace.
Adding his voice of admiring comment to AG Morlu was Labor Minister Cllr.Tiawon S. Gongloe. He said AG Morlu continues to demonstrate his dogged commitment of fighting corruption for the Government as further attested by the AG developing such valuable idea like the Integrity Forum.
Cllr.Gongloe then indentified the problem of conflict of interest as major hurdle of Liberia’s growth and development.
He said it is not a right thing to have government officials owning businesses and using those businesses to defray the government and Liberians’ taxpayers of millions.
‘“This is a major problem that has existed for century and this must stop,Cllr.Gongloe averred.
Most of the over 600 GAC audit findings and recommendations bring to limelight the issues of bribery and conflict of interest.
The program was also graced by several distinguished personalities, including the US Ambassador to Liberia, Madam Linda Thomas Greenfield
Ambassador Greenfield expressed discontentment that there is opposition to reforms by those who placed self-interest and gain instead of the interest of the country.
Greenfield: “As we all know, no one can fight corruption alone, everyone from the president, to the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to Civil Society Organizations, to ministries of Government and to every business and to average person to track and eliminate corruption. But there are few opposition to reforms from persons who placed personal gains ahead of their country’s interest.”
The ambassador called on members of the National Legislature to ensure that audit findings and recommendations are implemented for the good of the public and the country. She also called on the National Legislature to pass the Code of Conduct Act that has been sleeping at the Legislature and that full support should be provided the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to ensure that government officials declare their assets.
“When audit reports are released and calling for simple internal control mechanism, institutions and individuals are made to carry out these mandate and when the Liberian extractive Industries transparency Initiative release a report on tax discrepancies that those recommendations are also implemented to the letter.
The Ambassador then admonished members of the Forum not to limit their advocacies on “empty talk shop” but rather more vigorous, strong and coordinated approach that will yield meaningful impact in the fight against corruption.
“This is a right step at the right time in the fight against corruption”, the Ambassador maintained.
Also speaking at the program is the National Coordinator of Open Society Initiative (OSIWA) to Liberia, Joe Pemagbi. He called on members of the Forum to use this body is a pivotal force taking the corruption and integrity fight to another level of fight for all.
Pemagbi expressed disappointment that his organization spent more than US$5m for educational support to the Government of Liberia but after a year,there was not a cent spent on the targeted project areas.
Msgr. Robert Tikpor attended the program. He summed the issue of integrity as “let your yes be yes and let your no be no.”
Dr.Emmet A Dennis, University of Liberia President gave the key note statement. He said integrity is a virtue that must practice and entirely apply by all Liberians. To protect Liberia’s nascent democracy, he stressed depends greatly on the issue of integrity and corruption.
IMF Resident Representative, Yuri Sobolev and LACC boss Frances Johnson-Morris attended.
The National Integrity Forum (NIF) collaborating institutions are the General Auditing Commission (GAC), Governance Commission (GC), the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC),the Public Procurement and Concessions Commission(PPCC) and the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative(LEITI).
Others are the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL),the Liberia Chamber of Commerce(LCC),the Press Union of Liberia(PUL),the Catholic Justice of Peace Commi9ssion(JPC),the Corporate Responsibility Forum(CRF),the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Labor.
Also included are the Civil Service Agency (CSA), the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs (MPEA), the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) and the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY).
The Forum is headed by LACC chairperson Frances Johnson Morris. It objectives zeroed-on providing a platform that promotes integrity standards in the public and private sectors through effective collaboration and coordination; periodically reviewing progress made towards the promotion of integrity standards; supporting the fight against corruption in a holistic systematic and sustainable manner and recommending effective policy promulgation coordination and implementation mechanisms to advance good governance.
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For Further Information, Please Contact Ernest S. Maximore
Director of Communications, GAC: Tel:06578796/04949926
E-mail: esmaximore1@gacliberia.
News Headline
Everyone is a genius
Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. – A Einstein
Drawing the line in Liberia
Crimes sponsored, committed, or masterminded by handful of individuals cannot be blamed upon an entire nationality. In this case, Liberians! The need for post-war justice is a step toward lasting peace, stability and prosperity for Liberia. Liberia needs a war crimes tribunal or some credible legal forum that is capable of dealing with atrocities perpetrated against defenseless men, women and children during the country's brutal war. Without justice, peace shall remain elusive and investment in Liberia will not produce the intended results. - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Men with unhealthy characters should not champion any noble cause
They pretend to advocate the cause of the people when their deeds in the dark mirror nothing else but EVIL!!
When evil and corrupt men try to champion a cause that is so noble … such cause, how noble it may be, becomes meaningless in the eyes of the people - Bernard Gbayee Goah.
When evil and corrupt men try to champion a cause that is so noble … such cause, how noble it may be, becomes meaningless in the eyes of the people - Bernard Gbayee Goah.
If Liberia must move forward ...
If Liberia must move forward in order to claim its place as a civilized nation amongst world community of nations, come 2017 elections, Liberians must critically review the events of the past with honesty and objectivity. They must make a new commitment to seek lasting solutions. The track records of those who are presenting themselves as candidates for the position of "President of the Republic of Liberia" must be well examined. Liberians must be fair to themselves because results from the 2011 elections will determine the future of Liberia’s unborn generations to come - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Liberia's greatest problem!
While it is true that an individual may be held responsible for corruption and mismanagement of funds in government, the lack of proper system to work with may as well impede the process of ethical, managerial, and financial accountability - Bernard Gbayee Goah
What do I think should be done?
The situation in Liberia is Compound Complex and cannot be fixed unless the entire system of government is reinvented.
Liberia needs a workable but uncompromising system that will make the country an asylum free from abuse, and other forms of corruption.
Liberia needs a workable but uncompromising system that will make the country an asylum free from abuse, and other forms of corruption.
Any attempt to institute the system mentioned above in the absence of rule of law is meaningless, and more detrimental to Liberia as a whole - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Liberia's Natural Resources
Besides land water and few other resources, most of Liberia’s dependable natural resources are not infinite, they are finite and therefore can be depleted.
Liberia’s gold, diamond, and other natural resources will not always be an available source of revenue generation for its people and its government. The need to invent a system in government that focuses on an alternative income generation method cannot be over emphasized at this point - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Besides land water and few other resources, most of Liberia’s dependable natural resources are not infinite, they are finite and therefore can be depleted.
Liberia’s gold, diamond, and other natural resources will not always be an available source of revenue generation for its people and its government. The need to invent a system in government that focuses on an alternative income generation method cannot be over emphasized at this point - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Liberia needs a proper system
If Liberians refuse to erect a proper system in place that promotes the minimization of corruption and mismanagement of public funds by government institutions, and individuals, there will come a time when the value of the entire country will be seen as a large valueless land suited on the west coast of Africa with some polluted bodies of waters and nothing else. To have no system in place in any country is to have no respect for rule of law. To have no respect for rule of law is to believe in lawlessness. And where there is lawlessness, there is always corruption - Bernard Gbayee Goah
If Liberians refuse to erect a proper system in place that promotes the minimization of corruption and mismanagement of public funds by government institutions, and individuals, there will come a time when the value of the entire country will be seen as a large valueless land suited on the west coast of Africa with some polluted bodies of waters and nothing else. To have no system in place in any country is to have no respect for rule of law. To have no respect for rule of law is to believe in lawlessness. And where there is lawlessness, there is always corruption - Bernard Gbayee Goah
Solving problems in the absence of war talks
As political instability continues to increase in Africa, it has become abundantly clear that military intervention as a primary remedy to peace is not a durable solution. Such intervention only increases insecurity and massive economic hardship. An existing example which could be a valuable lesson for Liberia is Great Britain, and the US war on terror for the purpose of global security. The use of arms whether in peace keeping, occupation, or invasion as a primary means of solving problem has yield only little results. Military intervention by any country as the only solution to problem solving will result into massive military spending, economic hardship, more fear, and animosity as well as increase insecurity. The alternative is learning how to solve problems in the absence of war talks. The objective of such alternative must be to provide real sustainable human security which cannot be achieved through military arm intervention, or aggression. In order to achieve results that will make the peaceful coexistence of all mankind possible, there must be a common ground for the stories of all sides to be heard. I believe there are always three sides to every story: Their side of the story, Our side of the story, and The truth – Bernard Gbayee Goah