Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Liberia have called on the government to report to the public all the funds spent towards the fight against Covid-19, thereby enhancing accountability and transparency.
The Executive Director of the Centre for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), Anderson Miamen, who presented the statement on behalf of the CSOs at a press conference in Monrovia stated that the Covid-19 resources must be effectively managed and accounted for, for the betterment of the Liberian public.
Miamen also noted, ‘We are even more concerned about the accountability of the diverse resources donated by foreign governments and partners toward the fight against [Covid-19]. We do not want a repeat of the abuse of resources as it was during the fight against Ebola in 2014. Moreover, Liberians do not want the repeat of mismanagement of the $25 million mop-up exercise, which is yet to be properly accounted for.
‘The government should not lose track of its accountability and responsibility to the public to ensure that the resources received are judiciously allocated and expended. We are even more concerned now as some unscrupulous individuals are noted for using emergencies to siphon public resources [to] the detriment of those they profess to be serving’, he added.
Miamen called on all Liberians to respect instructions from authorities to protect themselves. ‘We must all observe the social distancing rules and avoid action(s) that undermine the fight against [Covid-19], which cannot be won without collaborative and well-coordinated efforts of all concerned: [g]overnment, partners, citizens, civil society and media and other groups in society’, he said.
He concluded by commending the National Public Institute of Liberia (NPIL), the Ministry of Health, and the many health workers who have committed themselves to save lives and return Liberia to normalcy.
The CSOs that signed that statement include the Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD), NAYMOTE Partners for Democratic Development (NAYMOTE-Liberia), Accountability Lab Liberia (ALL) and the Centre for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL).
Source: Liberian Observer
Photo source: Ron Mader
