Africa-Press – Liberia. IN A NATION striving to rebuild from decades of institutional decay and public mistrust, few issues strike more deeply at the soul of governance than academic fraud.
THE SCANDAL INVOLVING Commerce Inspector General Dorr Cooper is not merely an isolated case of personal misconduct — it is a test of President Joseph Boakai’s resolve to uphold integrity, justice, and accountability at the highest levels of government.
THE UNIVERSITY OF LIBERIA has done its part. Following a rigorous four-month investigation, the institution found that Dorr Cooper had never been a student, yet managed to falsely claim a degree.
THE FINDINGS WERE damning: Cooper allegedly paid $10,000 to obtain fraudulent academic credentials and even impersonated a deceased student to do so. As a result, the university declared him persona non grata and banned him from campus.
BUT THE UNIVERSITY didn’t stop there. In a sweeping crackdown on academic corruption, it dismissed eight staff members implicated in the scandal, suspended another, and introduced major reforms, including the establishment of a permanent anti-fraud committee and a whistleblower platform.
THE UNIVERSITY OF LIBERIA has acted with clarity and courage to protect its credibility and restore public trust.
YET, AMID this bold institutional response, the silence from the Executive Mansion is both loud and troubling.
PRESIDENT BOAKAI, who campaigned on a promise to clean up government and promote accountability, now stands at a defining crossroads. Despite the evidence and mounting public outcry —including a 72-hour ultimatum issued by the University’s Student Unification Party (SUP) — Dorr Cooper remains in office as Commerce Inspector General.
THIS SILENCE SENDS the wrong message.
IT SUGGESTS THAT political influence can shield individuals from consequence, even when caught in the web of fraud. It undermines the tireless efforts of honest students, weakens confidence in our civil service, and betrays the values this administration claims to uphold.
THE QUESTION ON everyone’s lips is clear: If the University of Liberia can act decisively against its own, why hasn’t the President?
PRESIDENT BOAKAI must understand that integrity cannot be selective. It must extend beyond university gates and reach the halls of government. If the allegations against Cooper are untrue, let a transparent, independent investigation prove his innocence. But if the findings stand uncontested, the President’s continued silence becomes complicity.
LEADERSHIP DEMANDS action. Silence, in the face of clear wrongdoing, is not neutrality — it is neglect.
PRESIDENT BOAKAI must break his silence. Liberia is watching — and waiting.
Source: FrontPageAfrica
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