-“Biggest hurdle” in fighting Corruption
By our Staff Writer
Liberia is among several countries that performed poorly in the 2017 Corruption Perception Index of the international watchdog group, Transparency International (TI).
TI says “the lowest-scoring countries on the index are often those where there is conflict or war.”
The TI report released February 21, 2018says “despite improved anti-corruption efforts in some countries, the situation continues to worsen in a few others.”
“For example, since 2012, Liberia declined 10 points on the CPI. In her final state-of-the-nation address, former President Sirleaf Johnson admitted that her administration did not deliver on its anti-corruption pledge,” according to the report.
Sirleaf, who recently ended her second and final six-year-term and handed over power to President George Weah on January 22, 2018, saw her administration marred by accusations of nepotism, illegal contracts and impunity for her cabinet ministers.
But on February 12, 2018, former President Sirleaf bagged the US$5million 2017 Mo Ibrahim Prize “for achievement in African leadership.”
Announcing Sirleaf’s victory on the Mo Ibrahim website, the Prize Committee said:
“The Ibrahim Prize aims to distinguish leaders who, during their time in office, have developed their countries, strengthened democracy and human rights for the shared benefit of their people, and advanced sustainable development.
In its citation, the Prize Committee praised her (former President Sirleaf’s) exceptional and transformative leadership, in the face of unprecedented and renewed challenges, to lead Liberia’s recovery following many years of devastating civil war.”
The TI report says the situation in Liberia “is all too common across the African continent and makes it difficult to combat corruption effectively.”
However, Two of Liberia’s sub-regional neighbours—the Ivory Coast and Senegal—have been hailed for making significant improvement in the Corruption Perception Index.
The TI report says the two countries “increased its score by nine points from 2013 to 2017, and moved from 27 to 36 on the index.”
In the Ivory Coast where communities are heavily burdened by corruption, the government of President Alassane Ouattara is making great strides towards alleviating this problem, the TI report says.
Similarly, the report says Senegal increased its score from 36 to 45 in the last six years, with anti-corruption efforts also improving.
“Shortly after assuming office in 2012, President Macky Sall put in place a Ministry of Good Governance and National Office against Fraud and Corruption (OFNAC),” the international corruption watchdog group added.
TI has described the trends in the two West African countries as “encouraging”.
Meanwhile, TI is calling for action in reducing corruption in Africa and around the world.
“In the quest to win the fight against corruption, the AU will need to call for visible commitment to anti-corruption from all of its leaders. In addition, the AU should consider investment in countries that historically struggle with anti-corruption efforts and show little to no progress,” according to the TI report.
The report cites countries like Malawi and Guinea Bissau that it says “continue to decline significantly, as well as countries like Somalia and South Sudan, which fall at the very bottom of the index and face significant governance challenges.”