To Seriously Fight Corruption, President Sirleaf Must Do More Than Just Suspend and Fire Corrupt Government Officials 

Monday, November 09, 2009

Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh

     With corruption on the rise and out of control in her administration, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf embarked on her usual public relations tour, this time in her own backyard and did what most Liberians who are concerned about corruption always wanted her to do all these years.

     The media-savvy and always-hesitant Liberian leader known to be loyal to her aides finally garnered the courage and first fire her friend and confidant, Harry A. Greaves Jr., who was engulfed in a series of corrupt activities, coupled with the highly publicized feud he had with the Liberian Legislature, which occurred after Greaves threatened to sue that body for trying to be hard on him about a questionable oil deal, which left the president no room to wiggle out of the embarrassment but to finally let him go.

                       Greaves                                        Bropleh

     Like many before him who were caught stealing from the cookie jar and fired, Harry Greaves is not in a hurry to lecture us about his innocence. One thing I know is that after allegations of political corruption are uncovered and brought to light, it is not unusual for Liberian government officials to later use all the sound bites, denials, and manipulations in the world to pretend to be innocent, but will wait until the controversial dies down before leaving the shores of Liberia to live luxuriously in a foreign land with their stolen wealth.

     Not too long after she fired Harry Greaves for corruption, Madam Sirleaf was left with no other choice but to summon her flamboyant Minister of Information, Laurence Bropleh, who was on a tour to China, for alleged corruption. President Sirleaf later suspended Mr. Bropleh pending the outcome of an investigation into a $300,000 payroll scandal at the ministry he manages.

     However, before she became President of Liberia, Madam Sirleaf, who once worked in government in another capacity knew very well that corruption is its own entrenched institution in Liberia, and does not respond well to any hint of eradication when those at the top play lightly to it by paying lip service and not doing the right thing to actually eradicate it.

     That has been the case with successive Liberian presidents who are known historically to talk tough about fighting corruption from one side of their lips, while the other side shamelessly hijacks and steals from the public coffers and the nation’s natural resources, only to leave the country bankrupt, the population poor and hungry, and the country left undeveloped.

     It is that history of corruption, selfishness, and mere wickedness that cannot be forgotten - a history of a century-old country rich in natural resources, untapped ideals and manpower, creative energies, and an emerging intellectual base that just cannot get its act together to shine, and of course, take care of its vulnerable citizens. It is a painful narratives of a country and its people who just cannot seem to find a way to unshackle itself from what some see as a curse brought on them by the evil of the past, which has held that country back for 162 years since independence in 1847.

     With that said, I am tempted to applaud President Sirleaf for having the courage to finally fire Harry Greaves, and for suspending Laurence Bropleh; but will hold on to the applause for now to see what’s left in the arsenal of this president who has constantly refused to fire or reprimand her aides for corruption and other unethical behavior, and has always danced around calls to fire those officials in her own government. I will not applaud because President Sirleaf did not go far enough in fighting corruption, but played to the cameras, and the intelligence of the Liberian people by showing that she did something worthy of their time and attention, when she never did.

     But how does it benefit the nation and people, anyway, when a government official who was supposedly fired for corruption is not taken to court by the government to recover the alleged stolen wealth; but is left alone to stay in the country, or is left alone to travel wherever and whenever he or she wants to travel as if the individual was innocently accused of wrongdoing? In some cases, the government official who was supposedly fired for corruption is recycled to another government position, which is like telling the Liberian people they are stupid enough to trust a particular president with their country.

     As one who has been touted by the international community and a cross section of the Liberian population for her trailblazing role as the first elected female president on the African continent, far removed (according to her supporters) from the plague that destroyed and held the country hostage from development, one would think this president would rise to the occasion by injecting far-reaching, and sweeping political, economic and social reforms to change the direction of the entire country.

    As things stand, the Sirleaf presidency is all about pageantry, often resembling the visionless, anti-Liberian and anti-Liberia administration of William V.S. Tubman of the 1940s and 1960s, that played to the fears and unsophisticated political nature of the Liberian people, only to rule Liberia endlessly with ironclad until he finally died in office in 1971.

    President Sirleaf, who is head of her government, has the power to call for drastic anti-corruption reform measures intended to fight corruption where it hurts by confiscating the stolen funds, homes, and bank accounts of those fired and convicted in a court of law for stealing from the Liberian people. After that is done, the individuals should be jailed and prevented from working in government during their entire days on Earth.

    With presidential election right around the corner in 2011, and President Sirleaf hinting of running for a second term, she just cannot continue to play to the lack of political sophistication of the Liberian electorates by doing things her own way like she and other Liberian presidents has done in the past. She has to lead by deeds, and not words alone.

     To show that she is serious about eradicating corruption, President Sirleaf has to do more than just fire and suspend her cronies. She has to take the criminals to court, jail them, and if they are found guilty in a court of law than confiscate their stolen wealth, which actually belongs to the Liberian people.