Let me begin my commentary by first thanking FrontPage Africa and other news organizations for their investigative reporting of issues of national significance in Liberia. Let me also thank the Liberian Forum, the Liberian Journal, the Liberian Mandingo Association of New York (LIMANY), the Liberian Times, and other news media for providing quick, accessible mediums through which Liberians can freely and fearlessly express their views on issues pertaining to national security, peace, stability, democracy and sustainable growth. 

Journalists all over the world (Liberia inclusive), as Tony Burman – former Editor-in-Chief of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and now Managing Director of Al Jareeza English observes, perform a critical national and community empowerment duty. They do not just broadcast news stories, but help citizens better understand what is happening in their society and how they can best deal with it. Journalists, Mr. Burman further observes, also try to set and keep high standards through objective investigative reportage. By doing so, journalists help sharpen the conscience of the public as well as empower the citizenry of a nation. 

FrontPage Africa and other news organizations continue to play this empowering role for Liberians, especially at this crucial moment when Liberians need more empowerment in order to save Liberia from stagnating in an abyss of crisis being fomented by some unscrupulous individuals at the expense of suffering Liberians.  Bravo FrontPage Africa and all news organizations that continue to remain accountable to the Liberian people.

FrontPage Africa again carried a story captioned: “Who Deposited $US1M in ECOBANK? Ellen's Office Mired [sic] in Another Cash Mystery”. The National Security Agency (NSA) of the Ellen Government, according to this story, has launched an investigation into what is being referred to as a mystery surrounding how an unnamed individual recently opened an account with US$10.00 at ECOBANK in Monrovia. Few days following the opening of this so-called mysterious account, we are further told, US$1 Million from an undisclosed location was deposited in this very account.

What is more interesting about this so-called mysterious account is its timing. This is happening just at a time when the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Government finds itself in a desperate, name-saving fight, where Ellen and her Government are struggling very hard to overcome tremendous pressure to account for more than half a million dollars seized from a Nigerian businessman about three years ago. When I read this mysterious one-million dollar account news story, I said to myself: “Wait a minute. What’s happening here? Is this another corruption scandal? Is this a scheme to divert public attention and, by extension, ward off the pressure the Ellen Government is under to account for Chief Valentine Ayika’s money? Or, is the Ellen Government turning very fast into kleptocracy?"                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Positive Positive and negative responses to my questions will depend on how the Government of Liberia will again address this matter, which I personally consider to be not just another corruption scandal, but a highly orchestrated monkey wrench geared at changing the focus of and ebbing away the tempo of the ongoing discussions, and reactions about the Ellen Government’s unjustified use of Chief Valentine Ayika’s more than half million dollars.  Will this diversionary tactic work on the Liberian people, who, for so long have been taken for a ride in matters like this? Undoubtedly, I don’t think so. I don’t think this matter will go away just like that, because this matter involves blatant act of corruption, the primary cause of the crises in Liberia. Letting this issue die away will in turn promote corruption, because one favorable condition for the festering of corruption in any country is for citizens to neglect or refuse to exercise their right to freedom of expression. I do not think, given our bedeviled past vis-à-vis the crisis we Liberians have endued over the years will allow us to sit idly and let kleptocrats and unscrupulous individuals have their way at our expense.   

One good news about this latest development is that the names of real people in the Ellen Government, some of whom are even believed to be Ellen’s confidants and members of her kitchen cabinet, are associated with this so-called mysterious account.  Another good news is that the “unidentified individual” who reportedly tried to withdraw the US$800,000.00 in the name of the President was allegedly arrested by the Ellen Government. This is truly encouraging news. With no grains of doubt in my mind, I think this latest development provides enough opportunity for President Sirleaf and her government to demonstrate practical, not rhetorical, commitment to fighting corruption as a “major public enemy” and to promoting good governance tenets, especially transparency and accountability in Liberia. 

The Ellen Government has got to ensure that the individuals whose names are associated with this so-called mysterious account at ECOBANK are thoroughly interrogated by an impartial commission and the identity of the “unidentified individual” must be exposed and he/she must be interrogated as well. The investigation of these individuals should not be handled as a classified matter, to which only authorized people or group may have access. These individuals should be publicly investigated, meaning that the investigation process should be open to the public, including most especially the press. It also means that details of the case, including findings about the truth of the matter as well as the true identity of the “unnamed individual” should be publicized for the good of the country. This is where again FrontPage Africa and other news organizations are challenged to do investigative reporting for the benefit of the public. Liberians, as I have repeatedly observed in many of my previous articles, deserve much better government. Good governance has eluded Liberia for so long. Liberians, I believe very strongly, cannot afford the costs of bad governance anymore.

Before I close my commentary, I’d like to again give a special reminder to President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. On January 16, 2006, in her inaugural address to the Liberian people and the international community, the President made this observation about good governance in Liberia: “We know that our desire for an environment for private sector-driven sustainable growth and development cannot be achieved without the political will and a civil service that is efficient, effective and honest.” 

Madam President, you were right yesterday and you will be right today if you make this same assessment about creating an environment for efficient and effective private-sector enterprise development and growth. We need genuine political will and honesty if we are to foster sustainable growth and development in Liberia. Please demonstrate genuine political will and honesty today, especially as regards to fighting corruption in Liberia.  Again, this is another challenge for you, Madam President.