CENTAL wants Boakai to establish an Ombudsman Office

The Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) has urged President Joseph Nyumah Boakai to exert all efforts to establish the office of the Ombudsman to adequately address constitutional breaches.

 CENTAL said the Office of the Ombudsman should be constituted and fully supported to allow for investigation of possible breach of Code of Conduct provisions regarding political canvassing and campaigning.

It noted that these breaches could constitute grounds for removal from tenured positions, especially those of public integrity institutions like the Governance Commission.

In a news conference held at the weekend, the program manager for CENTAL Atty. Gerald D. Yeakula said CENTAL believes that in the absence of a determination by the Ombudsman, officials in violation of the Code of Conduct cannot be lawfully removed. 

“Due process must be followed in all cases of removal for cause,” he said and reminded President Boakai of CENTAL’s recently published open letter to him.

He said that letter outlined key anti-corruption reforms and efforts he should pursue to succeed in his anti-corruption efforts. 

He further asked President Boakai to lead by example by publishing his assets, income, and liabilities declared with the Liberia Anti-corruption 

Commission (LACC) and set very high standards for other officials and others to follow.

Yeakula also urged President Boakai to provide adequate financial, moral, logistical, and other support to public integrity institutions.

He urged former government officials sanctioned for corruption by the US Government should be investigated and prosecuted.

According to him, Liberia cannot afford a continuation of disregard for the rule of law and promotion of political interest at the expense of Liberians’ hard-fought and growing democracy.

“We cannot continue to repeat the same mistake of yesterday when such can early be avoided,” he pleaded.ReplyReply allForward