Gbarnga – The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), with funding from the Embassy of Ireland through Irish Aid, has concluded a specialized anti-corruption training for officials of the Bong County Service Center (CSC).
By: Kongoi Gborkorquellie, Contributing Writer
The training, held on the premises of the Development Education Network-Liberia (DEN-L) in Gbarnga Tuesday, August 12, 2025, was aimed at promoting transparency, strengthening accountability, and improving public service delivery at the county level.
The initiative forms part of the Education, Political Governance, and Accountability in Liberia Project, a three-year program funded by the Embassy of Ireland and implemented in Bong, Nimba, and Grand Bassa Counties.
The project is jointly carried out by three civil society organizations: CENTAL, NAYMOTE Partners for Democratic Development, and the Center for Democratic Governance.
Speaking to reporters during the training, CENTAL Program Manager Torwon F. Genesee explained that County Service Centers, which were established to bring public services closer to citizens, have faced significant operational challenges, including incomplete, inconsistent, or unavailable services in some areas.
“We are here to empower CSC officials with specialized skills to detect and prevent corruption in all its forms,” Genesee said. “If service delivery is to improve, anti-corruption must be a key priority.”
Genesee noted that some government services at the CSC are only partially available, while others are not offered at all. He said this creates opportunities for corrupt practices, making it essential to equip officials with both practical and legal tools to resist and address such situations.
One major focus of the training was Liberia’s anti-corruption laws, including the Whistleblower Act, which protects individuals who report corrupt acts.
Genesee emphasized that without awareness of such laws, CSC officials might fail to safeguard whistleblowers or properly handle corruption complaints.
“It is not just about educating them about corruption,” he added, “but also ensuring they understand the laws that exist to fight it, so they can use those laws as tools to improve service delivery and uphold transparency.”
The sessions covered several key areas. Bong County CSC Coordinator Arthur Crawford led a presentation on the functions and maintenance of the County Service Center, highlighting the structure, roles, and operational needs of the institution. Other presentations focused on strengthening anti-corruption efforts in Liberia, with particular emphasis on service delivery at the CSC, and understanding anti-corruption laws to provide participants with legal knowledge and practical tools for enforcing accountability.
Bong County Service Center Coordinator Arthur Crawford and Upper Bong County Labor Commissioner William K. Sumoward both described the training as timely and impactful.
Sumoward said the discussions served as a reminder of the many ways corruption can occur, sometimes unintentionally, during service delivery. “Even seemingly harmless actions, like asking service seekers to ‘improvise’ due to lack of materials, can amount to corruption,” he explained. “When the central government fails to provide the necessary tools, the burden should not fall on citizens. This training reminded us that our role is to serve without exploiting the constraints we face.”
He added that the session refreshed officials’ understanding of the legal definitions and forms of corruption under Liberia’s anti-corruption laws, reinforcing the need for ethical conduct in all service interactions. “We have heard many of these things before, but as time goes by, people forget,” Sumoward said. “This is a refresher—a reminder that when we return to our offices, we must renew our services so that people who come in for assistance can be satisfied with the services they receive.”
The training brought together 21 participants, including 20 departmental representatives from the CSC and the county coordinator. Each department at the CSC was represented by at least one official.
CENTAL expressed gratitude to the Embassy of Ireland for its continued support in strengthening governance at the local level. Genesee stressed that while the training equips officials with knowledge, its true impact depends on their commitment to applying these principles in their daily duties.
“We will not always be in the county,” he said. “It is the officials themselves—those who interact with service seekers every day—who must take ownership of these lessons to make transparency and accountability a reality.”
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