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No Time to Waste & No Room for Error: Why the Slowness Ellen?

FrontPageAfrica (Monrovia)
OPINION
January 28, 2006
Posted to the web January 30, 2006

By Bruce James

When Liberians went to the polls on October 11 and November 8, 2005, they
sought to end 14 years of civil conflict by electing a government that would
bring about order in the country, and improve their economic condition. In
making this choice, they greatly based/weighed their decision on the campaign
promises and guarantees that the different political leaders gave them.
Most Liberians were made to understand that, though the task of governing this
war stunned nation was onerous, each of the presidential and legislative
candidates had what it took not only to get the job done but with relative
ease. But events of the past few days, especially the days that followed the
inauguration of the Ellen Sirleaf led government, paints a contrary picture to
the rosy ones the most of the people where made to conjure.
It has been over 60 days since it became abundantly clear to all Liberians who
or which party would have formed the country's next government. But yet, with
all this time to prepare, the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's led government has failed
to be fully constituted with just a few appointments been made in the top
echelons of the new bureaucracy.
This lethargic situation is so much so that the leadership has failed to seize
the initiative and hit the ground running. The president has not made any
appointments to priority institutions like the Liberia Electricity Corporation
(LEC) more than two weeks since taken over the cloak of leadership in the
country, though she made a pledge of restoring electricity to Monrovia within
six months of her ascendancy - a pledge the she has since reiterated. Should
this slowness, on the part of Madam President, be construed as indecisiveness
or the lack of available expertise for the desired job? Or yet still, as is
being speculated in the rumor mail, is there a serious infighting among Madam
President's lieutenants for "lucretive job postings"? The Liberian people are
keenly watching to see if the six months electricity plan will come to past
considering that it has been the better part of ten years since minute portions
of Monrovia had had some semblance of state provided electricit y supply.
Another area of concern to many Liberians is Madam President's decision to
retain the services in her government, albeit temporarily, of some former
National Transitional Government of Liberia's (NTGL) officials, many of which
have severe character liabilities, despite her move to quash the continual
influence of some of these people from the Finance and Commerce Ministries.
Paramount among these unsavory characters is the former NTGL's Justice Minister
Kabina Ja'neh, who is apparently being retained by the president in this
position of great influence. Mrs. Sirleaf's confidence in this fellow is
apparently so great that she elects to leave him in charge of running whenever
she's out of the country.
Mr. Jan'neh, who was one of the most senior of officials in the erstwhile NTGL
and also in charge of ensuring that the laws of the Liberia are respected by
all under it jurisdiction, failed miserably in making sure that the ends of
justice are served in Liberia. It is worth recording the myriad of corruption
allegation that were made against numerous NTGL officials, including the
"honorable" minister in question, but yet he did absolutely nothing to
institute investigations regarding these issues.
Just incase Madam President might have forgotten, or probably did not see the
latest of the United Nations Panel of Experts report on Liberia, let her be
reminded that, in that report, Mr. Ja'neh is accused by the former LPRC
Managing Director Edwin Snowe of soliciting bribes from him in order for Snowe
to be removed for the UN's travel ban list. It is worth mentioning that Mr.
Jan'eh is not on record as refuting Mr. Snowe's allegations.
It was also under Jan'eh's watch as minister of Justice that hundreds of
thousands if not millions of dollars got missing at the Bureau of Maritime
Affairs and other Government entities. Apart from some lame attempts at
bringing charges against some of the culprits of the theft, there was no
serious effort made by this fellow to retrieve the money in question or bring
the thieves to justice. Both of the accused in the Maritime case, J. D. Slangar
and Mohammed Dukuly, were allowed, probably with the tacit agreement of the
people at justice, to flee the country. Up to present, there is no evidence
that any request has been made to return the two fugitives to Liberia, although
it is widely known that they are respectively residing in the United States and
Sierra Leone.
Having an individual with this kind of baggage within your government, even on
a temporary basis, sends the wrong signal. Madam President sure does not want
to keep this fellow around before cynics cease upon the situation and use it as
a triumph card against her anti-graft campaign. Mr. Ja'neh himself, along with
his former Chief of Executive Gyude Bryant, needs to be held for dereliction of
duties or aiding and abetting or personally participating in corruption.
Despite the many allegations of graft that continues to hover over the Bureau
of Maritime Affairs, Madam President has made no move in ensuring that people
who helped to destroy the Liberian nation by stealing its Maritime money are
quickly removed from their various stations and thoroughly investigated.
The hierarchy at the Bureau of Maritime currently headed by Cllr. Lloyd Kennedy
has, over the past few weeks embarked upon the vigorous selling of state owned
properties, especially the entity's vehicles. Mr. Kennedy was recently quoted
in the local media as calling on the employees at the bureau to remain calm
over the vehicle issue, since according to the reports every one of them will
have the opportunity to acquire one for themselves.
Mrs. Sirleaf must move swiftly to make certain that these people are stopped
before further damage is done. She must ensure that all those engaged in the
theft of these state owned properties must return them, since it will be
foolhardy for her government to invest any portion of the nation's meager funds
in the purchase of vehicles for the use of the government. Any such money can
be better spent on the nation's health and educational sectors which generally
benefit many more people.
Madam President must make sure that these situations are quickly remedied, or
the Liberian people and the international partners would soon adjudge that the
robust anticorruption talk was just another "play to the galley by yet another
Liberian leader". Ma Ellen, please do not disappoint. The Liberian people have
a lot of hope in you and are watching your every move!!!
Bruce James is an independent Liberian political commentator, who regularly
contributes to debates regarding the future of the country.

   

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