Monrovia – In the midst of internal wrangling among some public officials in Liberia, as well as mounting concerns from the public about the moral implications of the damming Global Witness Report, a member of the religious community wants all indictees mentioned in the report to recuse themselves from positions of public trust.
Report by Willie N. Tokpah – [email protected]
Bishop Dr. Kortu K. Brown said the names of public officilas in the damaging report do not reflect a good picture for the country especially when the indicted individuals are holding official positions, adding that it does not speak to good ethics in governance.
“Whether you are senator, Representative or cabinet minister, if your name is in the Global Witness Report, just do the honorable thing to step down in creating the level playing field for transparency,” Dr. Brown told his congregation at the Living Water in the Desert Assembly in Brewerville.
The damming Global Witness report linked House Speaker Alex Tyler and Grand Cape Mount County Senator Varney Sherman among others to an alleged bribery scheme of over USD$950,000 involving Sable Mining of the United Kingdom as it sought to secure the Wologizi Iron ore concession in Lofa County.
Bishop Brown told FrontPage Africa that it is saddening officials of government are not seeking the interest of the state but rather their own personal and political aggrandizement.
According to him, the ongoing political struggle amongst at the Legislature has placed the country and its citizens in a confusing state, saying country’s interest should be placed over self.
“The current political situation is becoming confusing in Liberia and I think its time that the national interest of the country be placed over all other interests because only Liberians can keep the peace they have. No other country can do so,” Bishop Brown averred.
He challenged indictees of the Global Witness Report to recuse themselves from their official positions and provide all evidences proving their incorruptibility.
Bishop Brown described Liberian leaders as “wolves in sheep’s clothing” who enjoy fast-tracking unsavory deals at the detriment of citizens.
He said Liberia is not a child at 169 years, further emphasizing the need for the country’s leaders to act and think in accordance with its age instead of engaging in issues that are not beneficial.
“The crazy thing is that we behave as though we have not fought war before when we all have experienced and seen violence.”
The Liberian prelate expressed fear that continuous rivalry amongst statesmen has the tendency of hampering the ongoing peace the country currently enjoys.
He stressed the need for citizens in the country to denounce deception and lies for the sake of ensuring that peace continues to exist in Liberia.
He named the strengthening of Liberia’s security sector as a serious priority in the midst of UNMIL drawdown in the country.