Corruption and Reconciliation: Recognizing Challenge Does Not Mean Failure

When, in her annual message to the people through the legislature on January 23, 2017 President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said that her administration still faces challenges in fighting corruption and realizing national reconciliation, it didn’t take long for pundits and political commentators, echoed by some opposition leaders to use her words against her.

While the President recognized the challenges, she never said she failed.

In this highly sensitized political season, everything becomes a brick for the ambitious.

The President reminded everyone that if families, religious institutions, schools do not teach honesty and integrity, it will always be hard to fight corruption. The lack of these moral pillars in places that are supposed to mold the hearts and minds of the young people is what makes corruption a cancer.

The breakdown of family and community order during the 14-year war has almost eradicated the notions of shame and moral integrity in our society.

When Counsellor James Verdier of the Liberian Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) said, “we celebrate [known] thieves” he means that for most Liberians stealing is acceptable. He went on to point fingers at trial judges who boggle most cases put before them.

The breakdown of basic social values during the war are still well palpable in the country. For many, breaking the rules of decency is tolerable and turning public institutions and wealth into personal fiefdom is acceptable in almost every sector of society. This is what poses the challenge in combating corruption.

This administration has carried out its campaign promises on tackling corruption. For those who remember the 2005 campaign, candidate Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had promised the following steps:

1. Give people decent living wages that would put an end to petty theft of government resources. This was necessary against the background of low salaries ($20 US dollars on average monthly) and the irregularity of payments (2-to 3 times a year). This has been reversed, with lowest civil servants getting at least $200 and everyone who works for government is paid on time every month. Promise number 1 kept successfully;

2. Educate Liberians about corruption and its effects on society: thanks to an atmosphere of total freedom of expression, an independent media, a vibrant civil society, everyone in this country now knows what is corruption and how it negatively impacts society. A whistle blower act was passed, a freedom of information act allows people to ask questions about anything regarding public goods in their midst. Promise number 2 kept successfully;

3. Prosecution for corruption: this administration has arrested, exposed and prosecuted every official indicted for corruption. A few years ago, Theperspective.org wrote an editorial about “untouchables” around President Sirleaf, people who seemed to operate above the law and who got away with everything. Seven years later, all those people have been fired and some are facing prosecution today. The fact that many prosecutions end with acquittal may be an issue for the justice system and not the Executive. The separation of power has is a reality and clearly demonstrated every day. Again, promise number 3 kept, successfully;

4. Create integrity institutions to fight corruption, theft and waste on many fronts: This administration has created more control mechanisms than any other to set the foundation of integrity and accountability in society. If anything, one can say that this country is over-regulated, because of so many institutions of integrity: PPCC, LRA, GC, LACC, GAC, IA etc. The foundation to fight graft, waste and corruption has been set.

Against this background, one cannot say that this Administration has not fought corruption.

Regarding national reconciliation, many Liberian political commentators and actors seem trapped in certain interpretation of what is reconciliation. They seem trapped in narrow interpretation of the recommendations of the Truth & Recommendation Commission (TRC) which were not visibly enforced, with monuments and spectacular events.

The primary responsibility of the in-coming administration in 2006 was to establish an independent human right commission to implement the findings of the TRC.

There are different views on restorative and retributive justice. The recommendations of the Comprehensive Accra Peace Accords of 2003 called for restorative justice rather than retributive justice. Are Liberians ready to re-examine some of the issues negotiated in haste to end violent conflict in Accra?

Fighting corruption as well as instilling reconciliation are not events, they are long processes that begin with the transformation of the behavior and aspirations of the people. Corruption exists everywhere in the world; the difference is how it is fought and this Administration has taken every step to fight it. If people are sent to court and manage to get away, does that mean they were prosecuted?  

The integrity institutions are all independent and report directly to the Legislature. And this is the first and most important step in creating transparency.

Recognizing challenges in no ways means failure; to the contrary, it is a mark of courage and honesty, especially in an election. Just like any other nation in the world, Liberia is a project in making, where every generation brings its share.

There is lot of work ahead, including strengthening the integrity institutions, empowering the judiciary and giving the people the capacity to really run the country. Many ghosts of the past are still lurking around.

Abdoulaye W. Dukulé, Contributing Writer