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 Liberian Government Gains Twelve (12) Point on 2008 Perception Corruption Index - Drops from 126 - 138 -Transparency International – Anti- Corruption Watch Dog Group Declares
The West African nation of
Liberia has gained twelve (12) points on the county scale of 180
countries rated as effecting actions in the fight against corruption,
the International Anti-Corruption watch dog group – Transparency
International has disclosed. The gain made by Liberia is contained in
the Organization’s 2008 Report.
Liberia ranks 138 on the scale of 180 countries and listed 30 out of 47 countries on the regional country scale and scored 2.4 on the Country Perceptions Index (CPI) respectively. Somalia ranks 180 on the country scale, listed as 47 on the regional country scale and scored 1 (one) on the Country Perception Index.
The TI 2008 Report revealed that" Cape Verde, Ghana, Mali, Benin, Niger, Mauritania, Nigeria, Togo, and Liberia, improved their ranks, with Benin, Nigeria and Togo making significant gains." Founded in 1993, Transparency International has challenged the inevitability of corruption, and offers hope to its victims.President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf
The 2008 Transparency International (TI) Report revealed that although overall, corruption and lack of transparency clearly remain a serious challenge across the region, Transparency International’s (TI) 2008 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) shows that results in the fight against corruption are mixed. While Benin, Mauritius and Nigeria scored significantly higher this year, Burundi and Somalia saw a significant worsening in their perceived levels of corruption.
The Report added that out of the 47 countries reviewed, 30 scored below 3 indicating that corruption is perceived as rampant there and 14 scored between 3 and 5 indicating that corruption is perceived as a serious challenge by country experts and businessmen. Only three countries scored above the mid-point level of 5: Botswana, Cape Verde and Mauritius.
Political corruption, the Report asserted, also has the power to alter the perceived level of corruption in a country. Nigeria’s score of 2.7 in 2008, up from 2.2 in 2007, reflects increasingly positive domestic and international perceptions of the new government after elections in April 2007 might have facilitated the increase. Recent developments, however, show that Nigeria’s reputation as seriously committed to transparency and accountability, is dependent on the resolve of political leaders to back anti-corruption pledges with concrete action, including ensuring the independence of anti-corruption agencies,.
According to its website, Transparency International is a global civil society organization leading the fight against corruption that brings people together in a powerful worldwide coalition to end the devastating impact of corruption on men, women and children around the world. It adds that Transparency International is a global network including more than 90 locally established national chapters and chapters-in-formation. These bodies, according to the website, fight corruption in the national arena in a number of ways. They bring together relevant players from government, civil society, business and the media to promote transparency in elections, in public administration, in procurement and in business. Established in 1993, Transparency International has its Secretariat in - Berlin, Germany.
The organization continues to play a leading role in improving the lives of millions around the world by building momentum for the anti-corruption movement by raising awareness and diminishes apathy and tolerance of corruption, and devises and implements practical actions to address it.
Founded in 1847 by ex-slaves from the Americas, Liberia has witnessed fifteen years of civil war that vandalized the country’s educational system, disintegrated its health care delivery service and dislodged every fabric of the country’s infrastructures. A Peace accord brokered in 2003 by West African Leaders with support from western governments and the United Nations facilitated the holding of presidential and general elections in late 2006. The Sirleaf administration inherited institutionalized practice and patronage of corruption which has its original to founding of the Liberian state.
The country voted Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf a former World Bank Executive as the post-war President. Reconstructing schools, health care facilities, providing security and maintaining honesty and fiscal discipline in government are among the challenges facing the new regime.
One of the major challenges facing the Sirleaf administration is the fight against corruption.
Addressing the United Nations General Assembly recently in New York, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf said "Today I come to renew that pledge. I come to report how much progress has been made in the light of what we inherited. "Remember that we inherited a situation where almost two thirds of Liberians lived below the poverty line, with an even higher share in rural areas. "The economy collapsed with GDP falling 90% from 1987 to 1995, one of the largest economic freefalls ever recorded in the world. Indicators on health, education, water and sanitation, food security and infrastructure were very poor, sometimes beyond measure."
The Liberian Chief Executive reported that "The Government in collaboration with civil society undertook broad consultations with the people in all parts of the country." President Sirleaf disclosed that "This resulted in the framework to reduce poverty and to make progress toward the Millennium Development Goals (MDG). The Poverty Reduction Strategy (2008-2011) is anchored on four pillars: Consolidating peace and security; revitalizing the economy; strengthening governance and the rule of law; and, building/rebuilding infrastructure and delivering basic services." President Sirleaf further emphasized that "The people are seeing that the economy has started expanding rapidly, with growth accelerating to over 9% in 2007, roads and buildings sprouting in many places, health clinics and schools reopening or being established where they did not exist before, agricultural production increasing, and a huge external debt well on the way to being cancelled."
She maintained that "There is growing confidence when there are concrete efforts at decentralization to encourage popular participation in the governing process and when corruption is being fought relentlessly, especially where a new Anti-Corruption Commission is, just last week, established with a very strong mandate."
The establishment is an Anti-Corruption Commissioned that is evolved from an Act of the Liberian Legislature provides a legal framework for the fight against corruption. Never before in the history of Liberia has the fight against corruption taken seriously than the Sirleaf administration. For example, fifty cases of alleged corrupt practices are currently being reviewed within the framework of the country’s criminal justice system; senior level officials of a former interim government are answering corruption charges before the country’s court system.
It is important to note that corruption is institutionalized in a country that is classified as a failed state. Therefore the attainment of twelve points on a scale of 180 countries perceived to have challenges of corruption in a relatively short period is a welcome development which certainly must be built upon.
In an interview with the Brown University Herald recently in the United States, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf declared that corruption remains one of her government’s biggest challenges.
President Sirleaf added "I mean we’ve got the laws. We’ve got the regulations. She emphasized that we’ve got all the enforcement procedures." The Chief Executive observed that the foundations of corruption are just so many because it’s so embedded in the many years of depravation, many years of poverty, many years of indiscipline and lawlessness.
Touching on steps toward fighting corruption, President Sirleaf said "It’s got to be a combination of many things: better working conditions, better compensation, more of the marriage system and then the enforcement of the laws too, so you know there’s a penalty when you betray the public trust."
She told the paper that" people feel ‘Get what you can get!’ when the opportunity exists." adding "So our biggest challenge is how do we turn that around? :It’s got to be a combination of many things: better working conditions, better compensation, more of the marriage system and then the enforcement of the laws too, so you know there’s a penalty when you betray the public trust."
The Brown University Herald quoted President Sirleaf as saying that those involved in corruption can’t see the bigger picture of how it actually impedes her effort to be able to accelerate development and deliver to them the basic services and jobs that they need.
According to UN a supported news agency, IRIN, International donors, including the International Finance Corporation, had called for an anti-corruption commission to fight the legacy of graft and embezzlement following a 14-year brutal civil war that ended in 2003.
In August 2008 the Government of Liberia created an Anti-corruption Commission chaired by former Chief justice of the Liberia’s Supreme Court Mrs. Francis Johnson Morris. The Commission has since begun work.. The TI 2008 Report is in far contrast to critics that dismiss the Government’s gains in the fight against corrupt practices and behaviors in a country graduating from fifteen years of civil war and over hundred and fifty years of institutionalized corruption. Meanwhile, attached is a pdf version of the TI 2008 Corruption Perception Report for your review to enable readers to collaborate this article with reports from other news outlets.
Signed:
Kai G. Wleh
Chair,
Public Affairs Committee _ LCA
Washington, D.C.
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