Monrovia – The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), with international funding, recently conducted a day-long training on anti-corruption and integrity building for 40 members of the Legislative Press Pool (LEGISPOOL). The workshop, held on Tuesday, August 20, 2024, in Monrovia, was supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) and executed under CENTAL’s National Integrity Building and Anti-Corruption Program (NIBA).
The initiative aims to foster a culture of integrity and build partnerships that promote transparency and accountability among journalists covering the Liberian Legislature through LEGISPOOL, the body representing legislative reporters.
Workshop Overview
CENTAL’s Executive Director, Anderson D. Miamen, provided an overview of the workshop, highlighting its purpose of enhancing transparency and integrity within public institutions, particularly the Legislature.
“This workshop is designed to entrench a culture of integrity, mainstream gender considerations, and build partnerships that promote transparency and accountability among legislative reporters. It also aims to educate citizens about anti-corruption laws and provide tools to prevent, report, and eradicate corruption,” Miamen explained.
He further emphasized that one of the key outcomes of the workshop is to strengthen the partnership between CENTAL and LEGISPOOL to advance transparency, accountability, and good governance within the Legislature.
Miamen also acknowledged the efforts of Liberian journalists in reporting on corruption but urged them to improve their effectiveness in exposing corruption in both public and private sectors. “Journalists have been doing commendable work in uncovering corruption across the country, but there is room for improvement. We need to go beyond the surface of the stories. Even at CENTAL, we are striving to enhance our anti-corruption programs,” he added.
Miamen expressed CENTAL’s commitment to supporting LEGISPOOL, offering both moral and financial backing for capacity-building initiatives. “If you are organizing an activity and need CENTAL’s support, whether morally or financially, just inform us in advance, and we will be there to assist, without any cost to you,” he assured.
LEGISPOOL’s Response
Gerald C. Koinyeneh, Jr., President of LEGISPOOL and Head of News at FrontPage Africa Newspaper, praised CENTAL for organizing the training, describing it as insightful and highly beneficial.
“We are deeply grateful to CENTAL for this opportunity. We are optimistic that this workshop will lay the foundation for a long-term and fruitful partnership between LEGISPOOL and CENTAL, ultimately benefiting the public,” Koinyeneh stated.
He also encouraged all workshop participants to apply the knowledge gained in their reporting, urging them to break through limitations in covering corruption issues.
Participant Feedback
The participants expressed their appreciation for the workshop and recommended that similar initiatives be extended to other journalists outside of LEGISPOOL and beyond Monrovia, enabling more reporters across Liberia to benefit.
“I now have a better understanding of the Code of Conduct, different types of corruption, and how journalists should report on these issues,” said Emmanuel Kollie of State Radio ELBC, who covers the House of Representatives. Kollie also thanked the Koinyeneh-Clay leadership for partnering with CENTAL and suggested that such training be conducted quarterly to benefit more of his colleagues.
Miss Laymah Kollie, a reporter for Women’s Online Television assigned to the Liberian Senate, vowed to apply the skills acquired during the training in her future reporting. “This training came at the perfect time, and I have learned a great deal,” she said.
Training Content
The legislative reporters were trained on a variety of topics, including Anti-Corruption Best Practices, Gender and Corruption, Legislative Accountability, Understanding the Code of Conduct, and the new Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) Act. The workshop concluded with group presentations and the awarding of certificates to all 40 participants by CENTAL.
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