Nothing is more detrimental to a country’s moral foundation than reprobates playing saints for national leadership. The Unity party’s ongoing anti-corruption campaign charade embodies this characterization perfectly.
The legacy of their 12-year rule is tainted by a litany of corruption scandals, utter disregard for transparency and deliberate refusal to drive the nation to prosperity with needed resources and power at their disposal.
In this exposé, we dive deep into the pages of Liberia’s recent past, shining a light on the labyrinth of corruption that marred the tenure of the Unity Party.
From audacious scandals to brazen financial improprieties, this article uncovers the deep and dark underbelly of corruption that plagued the Unity Party’s 12 years misrule.
Though they seek a third term and are playing the role of sainthood, here is a dossier of empirical evidence of the failed UP government’s unbridled corruption spree.
1. The Auditor General’s Revelation: John Morlu, the regime’s Auditor General, did not mince words when he labeled the Unity Party government as three times more corrupt than its predecessor, the Gyude Bryant administration. His words serve as a grim reminder of the gravity of corruption that permeated the party’s rule.
2. The NOCAL Scandal: A staggering 50 million dollars disappeared in the vortex of corruption surrounding the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) during Robert Sirleaf’s tenure. The chilling findings of the General Auditing Commission (GAC) reportedly cast a darkened shadow on the Unity Party’s integrity.
3. Dubious Deals and Misappropriations: Under the guise of corporate social responsibility (CSR), the Unity Party government raised eyebrows with a 10 million dollar Chevron funding to the Robert Sirleaf Foundation, ostensibly for community fields with monies that should have been deposited in the government’s consolidated account. This arrangement reeked of scandal, adding another layer to the party’s tainted reputation. Cheaply constructed gravel soccer pitches were hurriedly built to justify the theft of this amount. Additionally, a cheap library purporting to cost hundreds of thousands was also built in Logantown.
4. Sable Mining Saga: The mining scandal involving “Big Boy1” and “Big Boy2” underscored the murky waters of corruption, leaving a stain on the Unity Party’s legacy. The Sable Mining scandal brought into question the party’s commitment to transparent governance. Unity Partisans including members of its Youth Wing sought to obstruct the arrest of then Party Chairman, Varney Sherman, who was the lawyer for a significant number of other fraudulent concession agreements. Sherman was the attorney for the vast majority of concession agreements, 66 out of 68 deemed fraudulent by the Moore-Stephens Report.
5. Boakai’s Financial Missteps: Vice President Boakai was embroiled in a 1 million dollar fund scandal with credible accusation that he squandered monies intended for the disabled community.—tarnishing his image and contributing to the Unity Party’s growing list of financial wrongdoings. This fund came from the Libyan government.
6. ADA/LAP Agricultural Project Scandal: Joe Boakai’s involvement in a 30 million dollar agricultural project scandal further exposed the extent of corruption within the UP rank, leaving the nation’s agricultural aspirations in jeopardy. Funds earmarked to produce rice in his home district of Foya, Lofa County were diverted into the pockets of the project’s officials.
7. Forest Deeds and the PUP Scandal: The Unity Party government’s manipulation of private use permits (PUP) and the manufacture of community forest deeds emerged as a significant fraud, exposing over 30% of Liberia’s forests to degradation. The scandal was unearthed by Global Witness and other conservation groups. Unfortunately, no one was convicted and jailed for this reckless encroachment of Liberia’s forests, which could have impacted sustainable use of our forest resources.
8. PAC’s Alarming Audit Reports: A staggering 246 audit reports from the Public Account Committee (PAC) of the Legislature laid bare financial improprieties of officials of the so-called “rescue mission”.
9. The bogus Elenilto Contract: this was another big scam that saw a technically and financially unqualified company granted 2.5 billion dollars in mining rights, only to sell it to Sesa Goa Verdanta for 120 million dollars. Elenilto, the fraudulent company did not push one shovel in the ground when it walked away with the quantum of money. Elenilto was a scrap company that was forged into a mining company in order to commit this massive fraud. .
10. The Hydro Hoax: The pursuit of an 88-megawatt dam project revealed a startling misuse of funds, with nearly one billion dollars for the venture. Contributions of 257 million from MCC, 100 million from Norway, and 400 million from the European Union and Japan underscored the magnitude of the Unity Party’s fiscal irresponsibility. Only 88 megawatts of electricity was built, with the dam a technical failure, losing 2/3 of its output during the dry season. The Unity Party government left Liberians with only 10 percent of electricity access, where the CDC has increased access to nearly 30 percent of the country.
11. Hollow Confessions: Public admissions of defeat in the fight against corruption by Madam Sirleaf and Vice President Boakai only served to emphasize the party’s role in perpetuating a culture of graft.
12. The Koung Affair: The Unity Party’s saga of corruption was punctuated by Jeremiah Koung’s indictment by the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) in 2021 for the embezzlement of 1 million dollars, an epitome of the corruption that festered within the party.
13. The 66 bogus concession agreements rigmarole: The Unity Party’s track record was further marred by the revelation of 66 out of 68 dubious agreements signed. This further depicted how reckless and immoral the core of their leadership was.
With all these irrefutable facts, any rational person would wonder where these people got the daring audacity to make anti-corruption a pillar of their campaign. Are they deliberately making mockery of Liberians or their remorselessness has no bounds?
Corruption, an insidious malaise that erodes the very fabric of a nation’s progress, has a history that leaves an indelible mark on the governance of nations.
Liberia’s battle against corruption remains an ongoing struggle, and the revelations brought forth in this article serve as a stark reminder of the need for unwavering commitment to transparent and accountable governance. Only through such commitment can Liberia chart a course towards a future untainted by the shackles of corruption.