LIBERIAN President Joseph Boakai has taken a decisive step in fulfilling his campaign promise to combat corruption in the West African nation. On Wednesday, Boakai issued an executive order aimed at identifying and recovering stolen state assets while also prosecuting current and former officials involved in corrupt activities. The order establishes a task force with the legal authority and state funding to investigate and retrieve wrongfully acquired government assets, with plans to seek the extradition of suspects implicated in corruption.
‘The time to act decisively against corruption is now. We cannot allow the continued plundering of our nation’s resources at the expense of the people,’ President Boakai emphasised.
The presidency, in a statement, highlighted the urgency of addressing the pervasive issue of corruption, emphasising the need to curb the misuse of public assets by individuals entrusted with positions of authority. ‘We are committed to upholding the rule of law and ensuring accountability at all levels of government,’ the statement read.
Boakai’s victory over his predecessor George Weah in the November elections was fuelled by promises to address corruption and improve the living conditions of Liberia’s population, where more than half of the 4.5 million inhabitants live in poverty. In February, Boakai initiated an audit of three government institutions, including the central bank, covering the period from 2018 to 2023. The findings of this investigation, expected within three months, will likely shed further light on the extent of corruption within these institutions.
‘We must leave no stone unturned in our quest to root out corruption and restore faith in our government institutions,’ Boakai asserted.
The move comes in the wake of a report by Transparency International (TI), which ranked Liberia 145th out of 180 countries on its Corruption Perceptions Index in 2023. Although TI acknowledged some positive reforms introduced during Weah’s administration, it noted that impunity for corruption remained high, with many of these reforms yet to be fully realised.
Notably, a representative of former President Weah has not responded to requests for comment on President Boakai’s executive order, highlighting the potential political tensions surrounding this crackdown on corruption. As Liberia grapples with the persistent challenges of corruption, President Boakai’s actions signal a renewed commitment to rooting out graft and restoring public trust in government institutions.
