Published: April 15, 2026
MONROVIA — The government moved Tuesday to put a number on institutional integrity, launching a national index that will annually score and rank every public institution in Liberia on transparency, accountability and ethical compliance, with results made available for public scrutiny.
The National Integrity Index, unveiled jointly by the Governance Commission and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission at a ceremony in Monrovia, will evaluate institutions across five weighted dimensions and classify them as high, moderate or low integrity based on scores ranging from zero to 100. Institutions scoring 75 and above will be rated high integrity, those between 50 and 74 moderate, and those below 50 low integrity.
The launch drew senior government officials and major development partners including the European Union Delegation to Liberia, the African Development Bank and the United Nations Development Programme, signaling broad international backing for the initiative.
Governance Commission Acting Chairperson Alaric K. Tokpa described the index as a turning point, arguing that it moves Liberia away from broad governance commitments toward enforceable, measurable standards.
“The NII will diagnose institutional performance, incentivize reform, and guide policymaking through evidence-based insights,” Tokpa said, adding that the initiative is anchored in Pillar IV of President Joseph Boakai’s ARREST Agenda for Inclusive Development, which focuses on governance and anti-corruption.
Matthew Ballah Kollie Jr., the Governance Commission’s oversight commissioner for the National Integrity System mandate area, laid out the technical framework, describing the index as a governance health check. Institutions will be assessed on transparency and accountability, each weighted at 30 percent of the total score, with ethical compliance accounting for 20 percent, citizen engagement 10 percent and institutional capacity 10 percent.
Kollie said results will be validated through peer review, triangulation and civil society monitoring before publication.
Director General of the Cabinet Nathaniel T. Kwabo called the index transformative and urged sustained support from local and international partners. “The index will rank public institutions based on transparency, accountability, ethical compliance, citizen engagement, and institutional capacity,” he said.
LACC Executive Chairperson Cllr. Alexandra K. Zoe stressed the role of the media and civil society in holding institutions accountable to the index’s findings, while Liberia Revenue Authority Commissioner General James Dorbor Jallah framed the launch in broader terms.
“This is not just the unveiling of a framework. It is a statement of national intent,” Jallah said.
Spoon Talk Host Contradicts Debee’s Denials Live in Committee Hearing Over US$200K Allegation
CAPITOL HILL, Monrovia — A radio host confirmed live by phone to a House committee Tuesday that Grand Gedeh County District 3 Representative Jacob C. Debee II called into his program and alleged that $200,000 was spent on a trip to the Solumba border, directly contradicting Debee’s repeated denials before the same committee minutes earlier.
The dramatic turn came during a hearing of the House Committee on Rules, Order and Administration, convened to investigate a formal complaint by Nimba County District 5 Representative Kortor S. Kwagrue, who accused Debee of making damaging public statements against House Speaker and Deputy Speaker on the Spoon Talk program.
Committee Chair James Kolleh placed a live call to Spoon Talk host Staton Witherspoon in the middle of the proceedings. Witherspoon’s account left little room for ambiguity.
“Jacob Debee didn’t appear, but he called on the show and said that he heard that US$200,000 was used for the trip to the Solumba border,” Witherspoon told the committee.
The confirmation landed as Debee was still maintaining he had neither appeared on Spoon FM nor made any allegations against House leadership.
When an audio recording presented by the complainant was played before the committee, Debee stopped short of a full denial. “Accepting without admitting, the purported recording that was played is my voice,” he said, while continuing to dispute that he had made the statements or granted any interview to the program.
The hearing was triggered after plenary, acting on Kwagrue’s complaint, mandated the Rules, Order and Administration Committee to investigate the matter and report back during the ongoing extraordinary session.
At issue is whether Debee’s alleged statements violated House standing rules governing the conduct and public behavior of members. Rule 41 prohibits members from misusing the power entrusted to them. Rule 42 requires lawmakers to uphold the prestige and dignity of the Legislature. Rule 48.1 provides for disciplinary action against any member found in violation of House ethics and procedures.
Committee Co-Chair Alexander Poure, who presided over the session, thanked both the complainant and Debee for their cooperation and confirmed the committee would compile its findings and present recommendations to plenary.
The hearing adds to a difficult stretch for Debee, a first-term lawmaker who has been drawn into several high-profile legislative disputes in recent months. He has also been linked to the ongoing investigation into the Capitol Building arson involving a number of prominent figures, including former Speaker Fonati Koffa, though no court has established any finding of guilt against him.
The Rules Committee is simultaneously investigating Montserrado County District 10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah over separate remarks connected to the Liberia-Guinea border dispute. Both Debee and Kolubah are aligned with the Rule of Law Caucus, a bloc associated with supporters of former Speaker Koffa, underscoring the factional tensions running through the current legislative session.
The committee’s report to plenary will determine whether formal disciplinary measures follow and what consequences, if any, Debee faces.
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