By: Frank P. Martin
MONROVIA: Several officials of the ruling Unity Party (UP) were appointed to key positions in Government by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, but said concerned UP officials are yet to relinquish their party positions.
Few months ago, Unity Party Chairman, J. Luther Tarpeh, was appointed by President Boakai as Board Chair of the National Port Authority (NPA) while Amos B. Tweh, National Secretary General of UP; and Cornelia K. Togba, Vice-Chair/Inter-Party Relations & NEC Affairs, were named as Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC) and Deputy Minister of State for Administration, Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs respectively.
President Boakai appointed former Representative and Unity Party Vice for Chair for Governmental / International Relations, Ben A. Fofana, as Commissioner of the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA).
Whroway Bryant, UP Vice-Chair for Mobilization, Membership/ Recruitment, was appointed by President Boakai as Superintendent of Montserrado County.
James K. Yolei, Deputy National Secretary General for Training, & Research of UP was appointed as Assistant Minister for Operations at the Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Collins Tamba, National Vice-Chair for Mobilization, Membership & Recruitment was appointed by President Boakai as Assistant Minister for Technical, Vocational Education & Training at the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
President Boakai also chose several within the National Youth and Women Congress of the ruling party and appointed them to various public positions, while at the same time, the appointed public officials are still occupying their party positions, while some of them reportedly failed to declare their assets.
The National Youth Congress Vice Chair for Mobilization, Membership & Recruitment, Collins Tamba; and the National Women Congress National Vice Chair, Selena P. Mappy, were appointed Assistant Minister for Technical, Vocational Education & Training at the Ministry of Youth and Sports and Deputy Minister for Operations at the Ministry of Internal Affairs respectively.
Unity Party National Treasurer, Edmund Ford Forh, was appointed to the National Transit Authority (NTA) as Managing Director, while the Youth Congress Deputy National Security General for Administration, Emmanuel K. Farr was named Deputy for Administration at the National Fire Service.
In March 2014, Liberia’s Legislature passed a National Code of Conduct (CoC) for all public officials and employees of the Government of Liberia; many years elapsed since the legislation was established, with many state officials not adhering to its regulations which are in line with Article 90 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia.
The originators of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia included this provision to protect the integrity of public service and guard against conflicts of interest among officials holding public offices.
The Liberia’s Code of Conduct (CoC) contains list of actions – including bribery, nepotism, lobbying and unethical behavior – that could give rise to conflict of interest or undermine the credibility of public policy.
Part-V of the CoC, which focuses on political participation, states that “All officials appointed by the President” are not allowed “to engage in political activities.”
This covers contesting for elective office, campaigning for a political party or candidate, and using resources and facilities of government to back partisan politics.
It further provides that appointed officials who want to canvass or participate in an election must resign at least two years before elections (three years in the case of tenured officials).
Controversy arises because most people who stand for elective offices in Liberia are active public servants, local government appointees or officials in state-run public enterprises and autonomous agencies.
Article 5.4 CoC states that “It is unlawful for any public official, directly or indirectly, to promise any employment, position, work, compensation, or other benefit, provided for or made possible in whole or in part by any Act of Legislature, to any person as consideration, favor, or reward for any political activity or for the support of, or opposition to any candidate or any political party in any election.
“5.5 of the CoC states that it is unlawful for any public official to deprive, attempt to deprive, or threaten to deprive, by any means, another person of employment, position, work, compensation, or other benefit provided for or made possible by any law appropriating funds for work relief or relief purposes, on account of race, creed, color, or any political activity, support of, or opposition to any candidate or any political party in any election.”
Several officials of the Boakai led administration previously failed to declare their assets, a mood which is said to be gross violation of the Liberian laws.
