Liberian Government Officials Refused To Declare Assets

As President Boakai Suspends Hundreds

Ramsey N Singbeh Jr

director@news.throngtalk.com

+231772641146 / 880137358

Following the suspension of non-compliant government officials of the Boakai’s Administration after failing to declare their assets, concern is being raised about the refusal of the suspended officials to make the public know something about their assets.

Asset refers to anything that an individual or organization owns which has monetary value. On Wednesday, February 12, 2025, President Joseph Nyumah Boakai, Sr immediately suspended all the officials of his government who failed to declare their assets within the required timeframe.They are about four hundred and fifty-seven (457) officials.

The president’s action follows the release of the list of non-compliant officials by the Liberia Anti Corruption Commission (LACC). According to the Executive Mansion of Liberia, those involved are suspended for a period of one month without pay or pending the submission of their required declarations.

The non-compliant government officials reported by the Liberia Anti Corruption Commission (LACC) are so many but prominent amongst them are Cllr Gloria Musu Scott, Acting Board Chair of the National Oil Company of Liberia or NOCAL and former Chief Justice of Liberia, Christopher Hages Onanuga, Ambassador At-Large, Special Envoy on Tourism, Edward Wade Appleton, Jr, Ambassador Designate, Japan, Eugene L. Fahngon, Director General of the Liberia Broadcasting System, and Education Minister, Dr Jaso Jallah.

Others are Health Minister, Louise Kpoto, Sheikh Al-Mustapha Kouyateh, Ambassador At-Large for Special Duties, working under the guidance of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support the government’s strategic diplomatic initiatives, Ambassador Designate for Liberia Permanent Mission in New York, Lewis G Brown and Ambassador Dr Al-Hassan Conteh, Ambassador to the United States and Member of the Board of Trustees, University of Liberia.

After many calls to officials to declare their assets, the president signed a directive in November 2024 mandating non-compliant officials to comply with the Declaration of assets stipulated in the 2014 Code of Conduct.

Article 2, Section 10.2(h) of the ‘Act’ to amend Sections 5.2 and 10.2 of the 2014 Code of Conduct states that: “An official appointed by the president shall declare his or assets no later than thirty (30) days after appointment. Failure to comply shall result in immediate suspension from office until the full compliance is obtained.”

The said officials were also given ten (10) days grace period as of November 27, 2024 to do the completions and submissions of their assets declarations but they played deaf ears to all the warnings, even though they are not supposed to be chased to declare their assets which is by law.

Some of them are also officials, when they were in opposition, criticized and blasted the past administration and its officials for doing similar thing they are now comfortably doing. This is one of the reasons why they claimed to have come to rescue the country.

Why It Necessary For Public Officials To Declare Their Assets?

Asset declaration is aimed at avoiding conflicts of interest, detecting unjustified assets and building broader integrity for public officials. It is also a systematic way of managing material resources to make sure that the proper utilization, maintenance, and documentations are done.

Furthermore, when the officials declare their correct assets, they are placed under spotlight for the sake of transparency and accountability. It further creates the fear of amassing unwarranted wealth at the detriment of the citizens that the said officials served.

Why Are The Rescuers Afraid To Declare Their Assets?

If Boakai’s officials are real about coming to rescue the country, why did they wait to be forced by suspension before declaring, one case study is Eugene L Fahngon, Director General of the Liberia Broadcasting System or LBS who shamefully made his declarations during the evening hours of the same day of the suspension by the president.

The concern raised by a lot of Liberians which are now heard on the radio, seen on the social media, heard in the street corners and at the intellectual centers is the refusal of the officials under a rescue government to declare their assets. “What actually is their fear if they mean well for the country and why have they refused to declare their assets,” one anonymous source said.

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