By Ethel A. Tweh
Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) Executive Director Anderson Miamen says the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)-led government has continued to decline drastically in the fight against corruption.
Mr. Miamen made the claim while speaking as a special guest at the Borough Intellectual and Development Forum over the weekend in New Kru Town, Bushrod Island.
He said the country continues to decline in the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) report.
CENTAL is a civil society institution that champions the fight against corruption and promotes transparency and accountability in national governance.
Mr. Miamen said the CDC regime met Liberia’s score in the fight against corruption at 32 as reported by the CPI and other international institutions in 2018.
He detailed that in CPI’s 2021 report launched in 2022, Liberia dropped to 29 and again declined by 3 points, thus scoring 26 in the CPI report released in 2023.
Mr. Miamen noted that the highest score Liberia ever had was 41 as quoted by the CPI, and ranked 75 among 175 targeted countries.
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Mr. Miamen stressed that the CPI report is done in such a way that countries will have low scores, indicating a high increase in the practice of massive corruption. He said the higher the score, the lower corruption is practiced.
The CENTAL Boss told the forum that it is so frustrating that corruption persists despite the availability and efforts of several integrity institutions across the country.
He called on the citizens to demand accountability and transparency from their national leaders.
Miamen said it is worrisome that those in power continue to abuse the country’s resources to the detriment of the ordinary people.
Ahead of the October 10, 2023 presidential and legislative elections, Mr. Miamen admonished Liberians to examine themselves and determine what is best for them.
He said the citizens have the responsibility to critique those wanting state power and try to graduate from begging them for handouts in the name of poverty.
He urged them to set high standards and project people who have a track record in terms of transparency and accountability before entrusting them with national leadership.
Mr. Miamen also called on Liberians to rate the performances of previously elected officials, while most of them are seeking re-election in the October 10, 2023 polls.
At the same time, he encouraged citizens to express their feelings to their leaders without the use of invectives.
According to him, it is the responsibility of the people to be civil, respectful, and bold to speak truth to power in the faces of their leaders.
