MONROVIA – U.S. Ambassador to Liberia, Michael McCarthy, has told the BBC Focus on Africa that he hopes his recent statement on the shortcomings of accountability in Liberia and the vivid neglect of rural Liberians would encourage the population to make a strong decision against corruption in the country.
By Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
During an interview with BBC’s Esau Williams, the Ambassador was pressed regarding the suspicion that his recent criticism could be interpreted as a vote of no confidence in the Weah-led administration, particularly with the upcoming October elections. But Amb. McCarthy maintained that corruption in Liberia dates 200 years back and it is not the making of any one political party or one administration.
“The problem of corruption in Liberia goes back 200 years. It is absolutely pervasive and there has to be a decision by the people of Liberia that corruption is not going to be our way of doing business anymore. Until they make that decision as a population, they will not be able to climb out of the rankings of world poverty that keep them down in the bottom 10,” said the U.S. Ambassador.
In his recent statement, the U.S. Ambassador who recently concluded a three-week county tour, stated that destitute citizens residing in the leeward counties of Liberia are being neglected by the government’s elite officials.
He stated in the press statement: “On the trip, I was startled and deeply troubled to encounter multiple county hospitals that received not one penny of what they were promised in the 2022 budget. Hospitals on which lives depend, where outbreaks are prevented and suffering is alleviated, did not receive any portion of the US$100,000 or more appropriated by the legislature for them to operate.
“Lest you think this is the work of one political party, that notion was quickly dispelled by Liberians I talked to. The blocking of resources is so complete that it must be institutional: and the lack of any alarm being raised indicates a syndicate involving players at the legislature, the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs.”
When asked by the BBC about his use of strong language as a diplomat in Liberia, which may not be typical of other European countries, Ambassador McCarthy pointed out that Liberia has vibrant media and a strong historical connection with the United States. As a result, the United States feels a special responsibility towards Liberia, leading it to become the largest donor country to Liberia.
He said the Liberian government understands that his statement is part of the frank and open relationship the two countries share.
However, Information Minister Ledgerhood Rennie on the same BBC program said “the Liberian government received the Ambassador’s statement with a pinch of salt.”
“We believe it was riddled with some factual inaccuracies which if the Ambassador’s taken his time to engage with some of the institutions he named in the press release to get a full appreciation of what the situation was when he made his visit across Liberia, he would have he would have known well what the situation with respect to these institutions were,” Mr. Rennie said.
Minister Rennie said the U.S. Ambassador misunderstood the fundamental issues the country faces in the health and education sectors.
He said fiscal evidence from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, the institutions referred to by the U.S. Ambassador did receive monies allotted for them in the 2022 National Budget. He, however, admitted that all of the funding were not disbursed to the institutions.
Support Independent Journalism
Your support helps FrontPage Africa continue delivering independent, credible, and impactful journalism. Every contribution strengthens our ability to investigate, inform, and hold power accountable while keeping quality journalism accessible to our readers.
Support our journalism or subscribe to receive the latest FrontPage Africa stories and updates.
