-Calls for institutional reform
The Chair of Liberia's Governance Commission identifies hurdles that are impending effective governance of the country.
By Lincoln G. Peters
Monrovia, October 3, 2024/The Acting Chairperson of the Governance Commission, Professor Dr. Alaric K. Tokpa, outlines poor governance, overpoliticization of the civil service, overstaffing of government institutions, indiscipline, corruption, impunity, intimidation, and the killing of professionals as governance crises inherited by the Boakai-Koung administration.
Dr. Tokpa believes that public sector reforms in Liberia must be carried out with the utmost seriousness, noting that it is no secret that the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai inherited a broken system from the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change.
Speaking at the Ministry of Information, Culture Affairs and Tourism on Tuesday, October 1, 2024, he underscored that addressing these concerns would require system reform, adding that system reform is better achieved as a collective endeavor.
Accordingly, he laments that the government must encourage effectiveness, efficiency, accountability, transparency, and capacity building in the public sector.
He says the values of accountability, transparency, and quality performance were given little or no attention during the administration of former President George M. Weah, and rules and regulations were also not considered.
"It is no secret that the administration of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai inherited a broken government system and too many challenges caused by such factors as poor governance, the over-politicization of the civil service, and overstaffing of government institutions, indiscipline, corruption, impunity, and the intimidation and killing of professionals," he adds.
On October 1, 2024, the Government of Liberia, through the Head of the Civil Service Agency (CSA) and the Head of the Liberia Institute of Public Administration (LIPA), signed a memorandum after several months of consultation on the need to deliberately, persistently, and consistently stand together and work with other stakeholders to pursue public sector and civil service reform in Liberia.
"The MoU is crucial for public and civil service reform, national capacity building, and social economic development. We have resolved to revive the Tripod, the tripartite arrangement between the three government institutions.
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Furthermore, to fully execute the MOU, the institutions have agreed to set up a Technical Working Group (TWG), and its terms of reference (TOR) elaborate on its tasks and assignments. "
The Liberian educator says that knowing the significance of these institutions and their responsibilities for national renewal and social-economic development at the national, local, and sub-local levels, they have decided to stand together in strong solidarity and work with other stakeholders to promote the reforms necessary for the successful implementation of the AAID (the Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development).
"Today, the Governance Commission (GC) stands with the Civil Service Agency (CSA) and the Liberia Institute of Public Administration (LIPA) to declare to Liberia and the world that public sector reform in Liberia has become an international concern and a domestic demand that must be carried out with utmost seriousness."
He adds that the government will also need to restructure public institutions by refining their mandates and functions, undertaking civil service reform, building professional and technical human resource capacity, and encouraging gender equality.
"Above all, we will need to turn national vision into policies and achievable goals, objectives, and programs. Yet, going beyond the MOU that will be signed today, we will need to engage and involve domestic and international stakeholders, including the government, legislators, the Judiciary, civil society, the private sector, public institutions, public servants, citizens as a whole, and international development partners", he reminds. Editing by Jonathan Browne
