The National Integrity Forum (NIF), an activity funded by the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL) with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) organized a one-day interactive community-driven engagement at the famous E. Jonathan Goodridge Memorial High School in Barnesville Estate.
Aimed at increasing the participants’ knowledge on their role in the fight against corruptions, the event gathered over 50 participants including youths, women, men, the media, persons with disabilities and members of the NIF.
The NIF is gaining huge recognition from Liberians and other nationals because it provides a practical roadmap to combat corruption, which is one of “Liberia’s biggest problems.” And as a consortium of anti-graft institutions, the NIF wants all Liberians from diverse backgrounds to take an active role in the fight against corruption because it is a nationalistic obligation that promotes a voluntary culture of integrity in every sector in Liberia.
The NIF brings together key governmental and private institutions, which include the following: the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), Accountability Lab, Financial Intelligence Agency of Liberia (FIA), National Identification Registry, Public Procurement and Concession Commission (PPCC), Internal Audit Agency, Governance Commission (GC), General Auditing Commission (GAC), Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (LEITI), and the Independent Information Commission, among other entities in an anti-graft coalition to help enhance the collective national fight against corruption.
Marking remarks during the one-day interactive gathering, Mrs. Josephine Cleopatra Komonthy-Chelley, Chairperson, Technical Committee at NIF, urged residents of Barnesville Estate and all Liberians to report corruption-related issues, emphasizing that “the fight against corruption is everybody’s business.” She stressed that inter-agency collaboration and citizens’ involvement are very important in building a corruption-free Liberia that benefits all Liberians, not just a privileged few.
“The National Integrity Forum is dedicated to supporting community residents with the desired skills and knowledge needed to demand accountability and uphold transparency, as the national campaign to help defeat corruption requires collective effort”, she added.
Also speaking after the anti-graft engagement event, FIA Deputy Director General, Amos Y. Boakai reaffirmed the Agency’s commitment to combating corruption and other illicit financial activities that are linked to money laundering and terrorist financing. He emphasized the need for anti-graft institutions to be technically empowered, stating, “Liberia and Liberians depend on NIF and other key stakeholders to help develop all sectors in Liberia by means of fighting corruption.”
For their part, the residents of Barnesville Estate, making separate statements, described the National Integrity Forum efforts as welcoming in improving transparency, accountability, and civic engagement. They pledged to rally support around NIF and other partners to demand integrity in public service and the governance system because Liberia’s anti-corruption reputation needs improvement to help attract credible investments.
The slogan remains: “See something. Say something. The NIF will do something.”