By Lincoln G. Peters
A group under the banner Anti-Corruption Campaigner has warned that Liberia’s future is at stake due to the uncomfortable wave of alleged corruption, illicit drug, and impunity.
Addressing a major press conference Wednesday, 12 July 2023 in Monrovia, the group urged the collective efforts of all Liberians in ensuring that the future of Liberia is protected through a robust campaign awareness on corruption and drug abuse.
The group chairperson Ms. Jessica A. Morris said that the ACC is deeply concerned about the rise in the rate of corruption, illicit drug abuse and impunity within the Liberian society.
She disclosed that a report from Transparency International and the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), disclosed that Liberia is ranked on top of countries that are yet to make significant progress in the fight against corruption.
Based on the report from 3 February 2023, Ms. Morris noted that Liberia scored a total of 26 out of 100 and ranked 142 out of 180.
“This ranking means that Liberia has now joined the list of countries that had significantly declined on the index while being placed among the worst declining countries globally,” she lamented.
“The report speaks to the Liberian Government’s inability to address the entrenched culture of impunity by not adequately funding public integrity institutions, not fully enforcing existing anti-corruption laws and policies, and not investigating properly to take drastic actions against officials accused of corruption,” she stated.
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She stated that as Liberia turns 176 years on Wednesday, 26 July 2023, the issue of corruption remains a major concern and problem that is yet to be resolved or has received little or no effort in combating it.
She further indicated that her group will embark on a major anti-corruption awareness on July 19, 2023 so as to awaken the consciousness of Liberians about the wave of corruption in Liberian.
Ms. Morris added that going forward, they are calling on the Liberian people and every civil society organization to join the Anti-Corruption rally to be launched on the 19 July 2023.
She said the rally is to send a strong message across the country that there’s a need to fight against corruption because the majority of the Liberian people are living in very deprivable conditions.
“We believe it will raise consciousness in the Liberian people to join the fight against corruption and impunity within the Liberian society.”
The Pan African International Orthodox Christian Church joins in the call for awareness that good governance is paramount to saving Liberia. The New Liberia will be One Liberia, despite the 16 different tribes and Americo-Liberians and Black Americans, who are intervening in insuring the success of the country we founded. We believe in self-help. The Pan African Church has requested that every Liberian family plant a backyard garden and grow edible crops to feed the family.