Africa-Press – Liberia. With the inauguration of Liberia’s 25th President, Ambassador Joseph N. Boakai, and Vice President Jeremiah Kpan-Koung just days away, Lassana M. Dorley, II, a former candidate for Bomi County District #3 Representative, has urged them to declare their assets before assuming office on January 22.
This call for asset declaration is seen as an opportunity to rebuild trust and establish a positive precedent for future leaders in Liberia, fostering a culture of transparency and accountability.
Leading civil society organizations, including the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), the Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD), and Integrity Watch Liberia (IW-Liberia), have jointly supported the call for the President-elect and Vice President-elect to declare their assets before the inauguration.
This move comes in response to longstanding concerns over corruption and mismanagement within the government, which have led to widespread frustration and a lack of trust in leadership. Under the code of conduct, public officials are required to declare their assets before assuming office, as well as every two years thereafter, upon promotion or transfer, and retirement or resignation.
It is therefore crucial for President-elect Boakai and Vice President-elect Koung to declare their assets, demonstrating transparency and accountability to the Liberian people.
Dorley, known for his discussions on governance, systemic corruption, and pan-Africanism, emphasized the importance of transparency in leadership, starting from the highest positions in the country.
As someone who contested the recent general elections in October 2023, Dorley stressed the significance of setting an example of ethical governance by urging the President-elect and his Vice President to publicly declare their assets.
“The call for transparency aimed to distinguish Boakai’s administration from past criticisms of corruption in Liberian politics, particularly directed towards President Weah,” Dorley said.
He believes that this call for transparency is essential in distinguishing Boakai’s administration from past criticisms of corruption in Liberian politics, particularly directed towards President Weah.
Dorley also acknowledged the prevalence of corruption in the political landscape and highlighted the critical nature of taking the first step in combating corruption by declaring and publishing assets before assuming office.
He expressed skepticism regarding Ambassador Boakai’s willingness to comply, suggesting that, despite the President-elect’s criticism of President Weah, he too, may have a history of questionable actions.
Dorley’s insistence on assets declaration before inauguration is driven by his commitment to holding leaders accountable and ensuring a transparent and accountable government for the people of Liberia. He warned that failure on the part of the President-elect and Vice President-elect to disclose their assets before the inauguration could cast a dark cloud over the ceremony.
Harold M. Aidoo, Sr, Executive Director of Integrity Watch Liberia, emphasized the need for Boakai and Kpan-Koung to declare their assets and make them public.
Aidoo believes that as a President-elect who campaigned on a platform of integrity, Boakai should demonstrate this by declaring his assets and ensuring transparency. He sees this as the first step towards establishing a transparent government.
“The President-elect, who won the country’s 2023 presidential election on the mantra of integrity, should demonstrate [same] by declaring his assets and ensuring that it’s public. This is the first step of bringing transparency,” Aidoo told the Daily Observer in a telephone interview.
Anderson Miamen, Executive Director of the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), expressed his support for the call to declare assets by the President-elect and Vice President-elect.
Miamen stated that President-elect Boakai has promised to declare his assets and ensure that his officials do the same, which he sees as a positive step in the right direction for the country. He believes that it is within the rights of the Liberian people to request that their leaders adhere to the law.
“It’s the right of the Liberian people to tell the President-elect and his vice president-elect to declare their assets. There is nothing wrong with Liberians asking their leaders to do what the law says,” Miamen told the Daily Observer.
Bob M. Johnson, Acting Executive Director of the Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD), also voiced support for the call for assets declaration, adding that it is the right thing to do.
“It’s important for the assets to be declared and made public because a student can tell how much Ambassador Boakai had before taking office. If it’s not made public, it will be difficult for many Liberians to know the assets of the President and even his Vice President,” Johnson said.
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