LACC Chief Urges Focus on Monitoring, Value in Anti-Corruption Fight

Monrovia – The Executive Chairperson of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), Cllr. Alexandra K. Zoe, has called on the international community and Liberia’s development partners to prioritize Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) frameworks in all development interventions to ensure accountability and value for money.

Speaking at the 2024 International Anti-Corruption Day event held on Friday, December 6, 2024, at the Monrovia City Hall, Cllr. Zoe underscored the importance of measuring the impact of development programs by evaluating the outcomes they achieve.

“It is high time we place a premium on Monitoring and Evaluation and demand value for money in development interventions,” Cllr. Zoe said. She emphasized the need for standardized practices to measure development projects by the changes they bring about.

The event, which gathered government officials, students, local and international partners, and civil society representatives, was held under the national theme, “Promoting Integrity and Accountability for Increased Citizens’ Participation in the Fight Against Corruption.” The international theme was “Uniting with Youth Against Corruption: Shaping Tomorrow’s Integrity.”

Cllr. Zoe reiterated the LACC’s commitment to working with Liberia’s development partners to integrate M&E frameworks into all development projects. She stressed that such collaborations would enable joint monitoring and evaluation to assess project outcomes, identify strengths and challenges, and learn lessons to inform future planning.

“This will enhance planning for future projects and improve outcomes,” she noted.

In her address, Cllr. Zoe issued a stern warning to political leaders against making empty promises, urging them to lead by example and act in the best interest of the Liberian people.

“Political leaders must embody, exemplify, and demonstrate integrity in the discharge of their duties and responsibilities,” she said. “Remember, the spotlight is on you. The youth of Liberia look up to you for honesty, accountability, and fairness. You dare not dash their hopes.”

Referring to Liberia’s Arrest Agenda for Inclusive Development, she described it as embodying the aspirations of Liberians for the period 2025–2029. She also praised President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s technology initiative for the youth, expressing optimism that it would create employment opportunities and build the capacity of young people in Liberia.

Addressing the youth of Liberia, Cllr. Zoe encouraged them to claim their place in national decision-making processes.

“To the youth of Liberia, I charge you to fight for your place at the table of national decision-making,” she urged. “Insist on your representation in policy-making and development planning processes and avoid the allure of proceeds from corruption.”

Cllr. Zoe described corruption as Liberia’s greatest enemy to progress and called on all Liberians to unite against it.

“I call on all Liberians—at home and abroad, young and old, rich or poor, educated or illiterate, Christians or Muslims, adherents of African traditional religions, Americo-Liberians or natives—to come together. We are all victims of a collective national indictment,” she said.

In her Anti-Corruption Day message, Cllr. Zoe expressed dismay at Liberia’s lack of progress in basic social services despite 177 years of independence.

“After more than one hundred and seventy-seven years of independence, we are still struggling to supply pipe-borne water to residents of Monrovia,” she lamented.

She highlighted ongoing challenges such as the lack of stable electricity to support economic activities and industrial development, the majority of Liberians living on less than $1 a day, and the slow progress in constructing primary roads to connect county capitals.

“After 177 years, we cannot feed ourselves even with vast rainforests and fertile soil,” she added.

Cllr. Zoe stressed that education is the foundation for combating corruption and shaping integrity in Liberia.

“In the fight against corruption, the natural starting point is education,” she said. “Education plays a powerful role in shaping the values of young people and their perspectives of the world.”

She called for education programs that go beyond academic achievements to focus on life skills such as honesty, accountability, and fairness. She emphasized that schools should foster critical thinking and problem-solving skills to help young people understand the importance of integrity in decision-making.