Corruption Will Be My Enemy - Sirleaf


By: Lewis Glay

Forum
Monrovia, Liberia

Distributed by

The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia

Posted January 19, 2006

 

If anything attracted the people of Liberia and their foreign partners at yesterday’s inauguration of Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and Amb. Joseph N. Boakai, it was the vow to declare public assets very shortly in pursuit of a fight against corruption.

Amidst several foreign presidents, diplomats and eager Liberians who had long awaited this day, President Sirleaf termed corruption as one of the public enemies which she renewed her campaign promise to wage war against during the period of six years.

Madam Sirleaf said she will deal decisively with public officials of her government who would get themselves involved in the practice of corruption which she said had tainted the records of past governments thereby inflicting hardship on Liberians.

As part of her anti corruption strategy, President Sirleaf reiterated support for the Governance and Economic Management Program (GEMAP), which has been the work of donors and the transitional government aimed at addressing economic and management deficiencies in the country for too long. “We will accept and enforce the terms of GEMAP and will ensure competence and integrity in the management of our resources,” she asserted.

Madam Sirleaf’s inaugural speech also contained her commitment to engaging national reconciliation, development as well as health care delivery system, the improvement of civil servants status and laying the foundation for a better future of Liberian youth who over the years have been denied of basic needs in terms of education and other social services.

The restoration of electricity to Monrovia was also reassured while Liberia’s foreign policy, she promised, will be based on good neighborliness, regional cooperation and multilateral partnerships. No bordering countries of Liberia, she pledged, will suffer an inch of instability as a result of its (Liberia) soil being used by destabilizers.

The Ellen-led administration is said to be prepared to empower Liberian women in all areas of national life, adding, “Let us begin anew, moving forward into a future that is filled with hope and promise,” she urged.

African presidents who attended the ceremonies at the Capitol Building were Olusegun Obasanjo of Nigeria, John Koufour of Ghana, Thabo M’beki of South Africa, Blasé Compare of Bukina Faso, Faure Nasengbe of Togo, Adulah Wade of Senegal, Tejan Kabbah of Sierra Leone, Guinean Prime Minister, Ivorian First Lady, U.S. Secretary General Condoleezza Rice and Mrs. Laura Bush and the Chinese Foreign Minister.

Others were representatives of Morocco, Italy, Finland, Ashland, Germany, France, among others.

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