gadyu
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candygirl
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| | Subject: Re: RUFUS BERRY ASKS LIBERIAN PRESIDENT TO END CORRUPTION: An Open Letter Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:05 pm | |
| Madam President your People are Angry: Corruption in your administration must end.
By Rufus S. Berry II
Liberia could not have asked for a better President. President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has brought much needed international credibility to the Liberian government. Madam President, the people of Liberia were ecstatic to elect you because they believed that they had finally made a conscious choice to leave behind their turbulent past and pursue a future of hope, transparency, accountability and opportunity.
 President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
The Liberian people were joyful because they finally elected a leader they believed would work in their interest, and put the nation first. Liberia's past leaders rarely demonstrated integrity when dealing with public funds, and they did not leave a track record that demonstrated that intent.
During the past month, Rodney Sieh's Frontpageafrica, a well regarded news organization published a chain of emails and damaging documentation that suggest corruption at the highest level of the Johnson-Sirleaf administration. These email exchanges link senior Liberian government officials to allegations bribery and the use of President Sirleaf-Johnson's name in concession contracts, and the renewal of the Liberian International Shipping Registry (LISCR), headed by Yoram Cohen.
 Mr. Rufus S. Berry II
Frontpageafrica has also published emails and other communication that suggest that the former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and a trusted aide may have used his influence to request as much as $US2.5 Million in "success fee" for consultancy and public relations work. This was used to ensure a successful bid by at least one of the finalists in the bid to mine the lucrative Western Cluster Iron Ore Concession. Due to the release of the Due Diligence Report of Deliotte and Touche', in tandem with FrontPageAfric publication of these highly damaging emails, the Sirleaf-Johnson administration has order the re-launching of the Western Cluster bidding, and disqualified Both Delta Mining Consolidated and Tata Steel from participating in the re-bidding process.
Given the gravity of these allegations, I must commend the President for ordering the re-bidding process of the Western Cluster contract, and directing the Minister of Justice to conduct a thorough investigation, even though the Minister himself has been indicated in some of these allegations. I was also relieved to hear that you have appointed a renown Liberian historian, Dr. D. Elwood Dunn, a professor of political science at Sewanee: The University of the South and a former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs to head an ad hoc independent commission to investigate the Knuckles-Gate II controversy, and make recommendations on actions to be taken by your government.
Corruption is the illegal use of public power for private gain or political ends. Widespread corruption will impose unnecessary costs on Liberia by undermining legitimacy, and deterring the investment, that we so desperately need. Liberia has a chronic, pervasive problem with corrupt leaders, and post war Liberia will never build itself into a great nation with morally bankrupt and corrupt government officials. Corruption has always been part of the Liberian government from the days of her independence to the present.
 
Charles Taylor Tubman
Fraud and unsound financial practices during President Edward James Roye's administration made the situation worse when a loan of $500,000 was taken from the English Bank and only $40,000.00 or (8% of the loan amount) actually reached the national coffers.
President EJ Roye
The Liberian people are extremely poor and are struggling just to feed their families daily; the people are extremely angry, and they don't want you to make the same mistake that the late President William R. Tolbert Jr. made. He was loved externally but disliked by his people, due to his inability to effectively communicate with his people. He failed to understand the problems of his people and how to solve those problems. It's time that your administration realizes that public condemnation of corruption means that people expect your administration to act in their interest.
Liberia is in desperate need of government transparency in order to root out decades of socially entrenched, endemic corruption. Corruption in Liberia is the root cause of poverty and government financial mismanagement.
  Monrovia, Liberia
Again, the President is the best person to lead today's Liberia, but she has to completely disassociate herself from corrupt individuals, whose primary goal is to enrich themselves at the expense of the Liberian people. These corrupt people fail to realize that you don't go into government to enrich yourself, but rather to serve the people. It's apparent that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is having extreme difficulty weeding out corruption in her government. Or she's turning a blind eye to the illegal acts within her administration. It doesn't take much to uncover corruption in Liberia. Government officials are making secret deals, to their personal benefit, left and right. President Johnson-Sirleaf administration needs to begin the process of uncovering corruption in her government by conducting an undercover operation at the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Commerce, and other government ministries and entities
Others may argue that the President doesn't know what's happening domestically because she spends so much time out of the country. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to uncover massive corruption in the government. It can also be argued that President Sirleaf is so busy solving other problems that she has not had time to tackle corruption. However, if President Sirleaf drastically shrinks or ends corruption, she will free up the necessary financial resources to solve many of Liberia's other problems. Ordinary Liberians don't see the government's urgency to combat corruption in President Sirleaf's administration. People are losing hope because it appears that the administration hasn't punished those who were caught in the act of corruption.
It appears that the President is getting horrible advice from her advisers. I am wondering why she would make a public statement to hint that there are some truths in the aforementioned e-mail exchanges and then suggest a betrayal by one of her closest aides, Willis Knuckles. Is she in the position to take action at this very moment?
Mr. Knuckles' email implicated a large number of government officials, including the Justice Minister, and the Security and Legal Advisor, who is President Sirleaf's brother in law. Based on your statement to the Liberian people, the question becomes, what parts of the emails are true? Is it true that your brother in law, Justice Minister, and others were taking illegal money from Mr. Cohen, (the head of the Liberian International Shipping Registry (LISCR)? Are you saying that the emails exchanges are true and your former Chief of Staff was lying in the email? The Liberian people will find it extremely difficult to believe that Mr. Knuckles was deceiving Mr. Cohen and others by throwing out names to implicate people in a corrupt activity. History has show that it isn't always the actual act of corruption that will get an administration in trouble with the people, but the perception of the people that an administration is corrupt.
President Johnson-Sirleaf's greatest accomplishment is the hope she ignites in the hearts of the Liberian people, however the people are sick and tired of being exploited by government official. In this light, we are contemplating establishing a nonprofit organization called Liberians Against Corruption and Wasteful Spending (LACWS). This watch group will require the public disclosure of information so that we and the media can monitor this information and complain about irregularities.  President Sirleaf and former South Africa President, Nelson Mandela
The President needs to act like the iron lady the people elected. She can't be soft and be an effective leader in Liberia. Her actions in these matters will speak louder than words, because massive corruption in your government is currently threatening the legitimacy of the democratic experiment by eroding the Liberian people trust in your government. Ordinary citizens are beginning to view all government officials as tainted and hence may limit their participation in the national rebuilding, and reconciliation process. Worse, they may become corrupt themselves out of cynicism and despair.
History has shown that Liberian have had a vicious cycle in which corruption breeds corruption. Your people are counting on you as the hope for a better tomorrow. Your people are counting on you to produce a virtuous cycle where honesty will breed honesty. The choice to end corruption is yours Madam President for the sake of your legacy; otherwise, we'll elect someone to do it for you.
May God continues to bless Mama Liberia.
About the Author:
Rufus S. Berry II, (former President of the Liberian Community Association of Northern California - LCANC) a resident of the San Francisco Bay Area (Northern California), and the author of many articles including: " Liberia's National Security Alert: President Johnson-Sirleaf's Government Needs Discipline to Stay the Course", Ban Smoking in Public Venues Now, and "Bystanders are Just as Guilty as the Molester". | |
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Traveller
Number of posts : 1145
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| | Subject: Re: RUFUS BERRY ASKS LIBERIAN PRESIDENT TO END CORRUPTION: An Open Letter Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:24 pm | |
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candygirl
Admin
Number of posts : 5916
Location : Monrovia, Liberia
Say Whatever : Laughter is the best medicine
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Registration date : 2008-03-31
| | Subject: Re: RUFUS BERRY ASKS LIBERIAN PRESIDENT TO END CORRUPTION: An Open Letter Tue Sep 16, 2008 8:29 pm | |
| chay for true
hadu Bday boy | |
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rberry
Number of posts : 437
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Registration date : 2008-04-25
| | Subject: Re: RUFUS BERRY ASKS LIBERIAN PRESIDENT TO END CORRUPTION: An Open Letter Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:06 pm | |
| - Traveller wrote:
- Chay!
Da weyting dey chay for dis morning now .  | |
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bellah
Number of posts : 1605
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Registration date : 2008-04-03
| | Subject: Re: RUFUS BERRY ASKS LIBERIAN PRESIDENT TO END CORRUPTION: An Open Letter Tue Sep 16, 2008 11:48 pm | |
| Good article Mr. Berry and we all need to cry out loud cause Liberia is our country.. | |
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JYAK
Number of posts : 20
Location : BOMI HILLS
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Registration date : 2008-04-25
| | Subject: Re: RUFUS BERRY ASKS LIBERIAN PRESIDENT TO END CORRUPTION: An Open Letter Wed Sep 17, 2008 9:22 am | |
| Damn!!!! Rufus.....  | |
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| | Subject: Re: RUFUS BERRY ASKS LIBERIAN PRESIDENT TO END CORRUPTION: An Open Letter | |
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RUFUS BERRY ASKS LIBERIAN PRESIDENT TO END CORRUPTION: An Open Letter