CORRUPTION: LIBERIA A CASE STUDY LIBERIANS HAVE BEEN DENIED FROM TIME IMMEMORIAL THE RIGHT TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE PROCESSES SURROUNDING BUDGETARY TRANSPARENCY. LIBERIANS HAVE JUST BEEN RECIPIENTS OF GOSSIPS AND RUMORS OF HOW ALLOTMENTS AND OTHER BUDGETARY EXECUTIONS HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED WHILE THEIR ECONOMY FLOURISHED FROM THE FIFTIES TO THE LATE EIGHTIES. THE INDICATORS FOR THE LINE SUPRA HAVE BEEN THE SIZE OF THE BUDGET, GDP, NI, AND ETC. THESE INDICATORS WERE MATCHED AGAINST THE STANDARD OF LIVING OF LIBERIANS RELATIVE TO OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES AND THE WORLD OVER. THE INTERMITTENT BOOM OF THE LIBERIAN ECONOMY DID NOT REFLECT THE TRIGGER DOWN IMPACT GENERALLY ON LIBERIANS AS A WHOLE. LOTS OF GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL BECAME MILLIONAIRES IF NOT MULTIMILLIONAIRES AT THE DETRIMENT OF THE BED-RIDDEN ILLITERATE AND PEASANT DRIVEN POPULATION. OUR NIGHTMARISH CARNAGE DID NOT HELP THE SITUATION, MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURES WERE DAMAGED AND DESTROYED AS TOUGH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WERE THE OWNERS OR THE STATE MAY HAVE SEEN IT DETRIMENTAL TO THEIR SECURITY. THE PRICE TO PAY HAS BEEN TOO COSTLY AND MAY EVEN BE DIFFICULT TO AFFORD FOR POST-CONFLICT RECOVERY. HOWEVER, LIBERIANS AND HER INTERNATIONAL PARTNERS HAVE RESOLVED THROUGH THE INCUMBENT GOVERNMENT TO PUT IN PLACE THE NECESSARY MECHANISMS TO AVOID THE JUSTIFICATION OF OUR RECENT DARK PAST. DESPITE THESE FRANTIC EFFORTS, THE CRITICISM CONTINUES TO SWELL ABOUT CORRUPTION AND OTHER ISSUES WHICH SHOULD BE WELCOMED IF AND ONLY IF THESE ALLEGATIONS ARE FACTUAL. AGAINST THIS BACKDROP, THE EXECUTIVE LAW OF 1972 WHICH CREATED THE GAC WAS REVISED IN 2005, EITI WAS ALSO ESTABLISHED, PPCC, LACC, PFM ACT WAS ENACTED AUGUST 2009 WHICH SETS THE ROADMAP FOR ALL THE PUBLIC FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT IF ADHERES TO THE LETTER, THE WHISTLE-BLOWER ACT, AS WELL AS THE IAS CURRENTLY AAS BASED ON IPSAS AN OFFSHOOT OF THE PFM IMPLEMENTATION AND ETC. DESPITE THESE MECHANISMS EFFECTED YET CORRUPTION REMAINS A VIRUS THAT HAS NOT GOTTEN A VACCINE TO BE CURED IN LIBERIA. CONSEQUENTLY, MAJORITY OF THE LIBERIAN POPULISTS MAY HAVE BEEN DEPRIVED FROM AMENITIES WORTHY OF THEIR TAXES THEY PAY AT THE WICKED CLAWS OF SOME CORRUPT STATECRAFT. SURPRISINGLY, MANY LIBERIANS ARE RECEPTIVE TO CORRUPT PRACTICES CHRONICALLY AT EVERY LEVEL OF THE FABRIC OF THE NATION. I MAY BE WRONG BUT MY OPINION STEMS FROM OUR IGNORANCE OF THE WHISTLE-BLOWER ACT. CORRUPTION IS NOT AN EVENT INSTEAD IT IS A PROCESS WHICH DOES NOT INVOLVE ONLY AN INDIVIDUAL THERE ARE ACCOMPLICES: WELL-CORDINATED SYNDICATE. THE QUESTIONS THAT OVERCOME MY LIMITATIONS TO SPARK MY CURIOSITY ARE: ARE LIBERIANS PATRIOTIC OR NATIONALISTIC? IT SEEMS THAT MOST LIBERIANS ARE NOT PATRIOTIC OR NATIONALISTIC BECAUSE THE WHISTLE-BLOWER ACT CLEARLY COMPENSATES A WHISTLE-BLOWER AS AN INCENTIVE FOR LIBERIANS TO BE MORE VIGILANT AND WATCHFUL FOR THIEVES WHO PLUNDER THE COUNTRY’S RESOURCES. FRUSTRATINGLY, WE ARE YET TO ACCRUE THE DIVIDENDS ANTICIPATING FROM THE ONSET OF THE ENACTMENT OF THE WHISTLE-BLOWER ACT WHICH UNDERPINS EVERYONE BEING INVOLVED IN A ROBUST FIGHT AGAINST FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE. HOWEVER, LIBERIANS SHOULD NOT LOSE HOPE ON THE FIGHT AGAINST FRAUD, WASTE AND ABUSE RATHER WE SHOULD REALIZE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES GUARANTEED CONSTITUTIONALLY IRRESPECTIVE OF BEING A CIVIL SERVANT OR POLITICAL APPOINTEES OR AN ORDINARY PEDESTRIANS BEFORE UPRIGHTLY SHIFTING BLAMES ON GOVERNMENT. THE WHISTLE-BLOWER ACT GIVES EVERY LIBERIAN IRRESPECTIVE OF POSITION TO BLOW THE WHISTLE WHENEVER CORRUPTION IS BEING PERPETRATED. APPARENTLY, MANY LIBERIANS CONTINUOUSLY DEPRIVED THEMSELVES FROM THIS UNRESTRICTED PRIVILEGE TO FIGHT CORRUPTION AT THE RUDIMENTARY LEVEL UPWARDS. WE SHOULD DESIST FROM THIS AND REGAIN OUR CONSCIOUSNESS FROM OUR IGNORANCE. WE SHOULD ALSO DESIST FROM AN UNFLINCHING LOYALTY TO AN INDIVIDUAL RATHER THE COUNTRY AS A WHOLE: THE EXECUTIVE, THE JUDICIARY, THE LEGISLATURE AND THE CITIZENRY. WE HAVE FAILED DECIMALLY IN BEING PATRIOTIC; WE ARE ONLY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT WE CAN BENEFIT FROM ANY INDIVIDUAL THAN WHAT LIBERIA CAN BENEFIT FROM OUR SERVICES IN LINE WITH OUR CONSTITUTIONAL MANDATES TO ENHANCE THE GOING-CONCERN OF THE LIBERIAN PROJECT. WE ARE ALWAYS YEARNING FOR A RETURN OF SOMEONE CLOSER TO THE PERSONALITY CULT DEPSOSED OR VOTED OUT. AS THE RESULT, WE FORGET TO PERFORM OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AS TOUGH OUR PERSONALITY-CULTS ARE STILL IN CONTROL INSTEAD WE BECOME DISLOYAL TO UNDERMINE THE SYSTEM FOR THE RETURN OF ONE OF OUR KIND. THIS IS WRONG AND CRUEL TO THE STATE AND NATION BUILDING. MANY CIVIL SERVANTS FROM THE TUBMAN ERA ARE STILL YEARNING FOR A DECENDANT OF THEIR KIND AND SO ON. I MAYBE WRONG BUT MY ACQUIANTANCE WITH LIBERIAN HISTORY AND MY SHORT EXPERIENCE THUS FAR DROVE ME AT THIS CONCLUSION PROBABLY ILLOGICAL. WE ARE SAFER IF WE ALL MOVE TOGETHER IN THE SAME DIRECTION AMIDST DIFFERENT PATHS CONSTRUCTIVELY. IT IS HIGHLY IRRESPONSIBLE TO BE WITHIN GOVERNMENT AND YOU ARE UNDERMINING THE SAME REGIME FOR YOUR POLITICAL EXPLOITS AND ONESELF IS VERY ENTRENTCHED WITH THE STAINS OF THE VERY ISSUES ONE TRIES TO PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE FOR. THIS IS DISLOYALTY TO YOUR COUNTRY AND NOT THE PRESIDENT; POSTERITY WILL JUDGE ALL OF US SOMEDAY. THE PRESIDENCY IS NOT A RESIDENCY FOR SOMEONE TO BE OUT AND SPECULATE AT THE DETRIMENT OF INNOCENT PATRIOTS THROUGH MANIPULATIONS FAVOURABLY FOR THE INSTATEMENT OF FADED GLORY OF INFLUENCES. HISTORY WILL VINDICATE THE JUST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted on: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 19:17:44 +0000