Published: May 21, 2026
MONROVIA — Former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has issued a sweeping call for African governments to strengthen and protect independent audit institutions, warning that corruption, political interference, and weak governance systems continue to threaten democratic stability, economic growth, and public trust across the continent.
Delivering the keynote address Wednesday, May 20, at the 22nd Governing Board Meeting and 2026 Strategic Review Meeting of the African Organization of English-speaking Supreme Audit Institutions at the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Ministerial Complex in Monrovia, Sirleaf said transparency and accountability must remain at the center of Africa’s governance agenda.
The high-level regional summit, hosted by the General Auditing Commission, brought together auditors general, policymakers, development partners, and governance experts from 26 member countries, including 24 English-speaking African nations and two Portuguese-speaking countries.
Discussions during the May 20–22 conference focused on strengthening audit institutions, digital transformation, public financial oversight, debt accountability, and governance reforms across Africa.
“You are among the most consequential public servants on this continent,” Sirleaf told delegates. “Your work, independent, rigorous, and often thankless, is the bedrock upon which democratic governance is built.”
Quoting former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Sirleaf reminded participants that “transparency, accountability, and the rule of law are the fundamentals upon which sustainable development is built.”
Governance, Not Just Infrastructure
Reflecting on Liberia’s post-war recovery following her election in 2005 after more than a decade of civil conflict, Sirleaf said rebuilding the country required more than roads, buildings, and foreign assistance.
She recalled inheriting a nation plagued by collapsed public institutions, widespread corruption, empty state coffers, and deep public distrust in government.
“It was clear to me then, as it remains clear to me now, that rebuilding Liberia was not primarily a question of financing or infrastructure development,” Sirleaf declared. “It was a question of governance.”
According to her, without transparency there can be no accountability, and without accountability there can be no sustainable development.
Sirleaf argued that supreme audit institutions are not optional bureaucratic structures but essential pillars of democratic governance and economic stability.
She warned African governments against political interference in oversight institutions and urged leaders to resist efforts aimed at weakening auditors through underfunding, intimidation, or administrative manipulation.
“The work you do requires not only professional competence, but personal courage,” she said. “I urge each of you and your governments to resist every temptation to limit your independence in the name of administrative convenience or political sensitivity.”
Liberia’s Accountability Reforms Highlighted
Sirleaf used the occasion to outline several governance and accountability reforms implemented during her administration, particularly efforts aimed at insulating oversight institutions from political influence.
Among the key reforms highlighted was the strengthening of the General Auditing Commission through the 2014 GAC Act, which granted operational independence, legal protections for the Auditor General, and authority to audit all public institutions and state-owned enterprises.
“The General Auditing Commission was not simply a legislative formality,” she said. “It was the culmination of a deliberate, multi-year effort to insulate the Auditor General’s office from political interference.”
Sirleaf noted that Liberia’s reforms were guided by international standards, including the Lima Declaration principles championed by AFROSAI-E and the global auditing community.
She also highlighted the creation and strengthening of several integrity institutions during and after her presidency, including the Governance Commission, Internal Audit Agency, Public Procurement and Concessions Commission, Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, and the Financial Intelligence Agency.
According to Sirleaf, those institutions were designed to create “an ecosystem of accountability” capable of monitoring government spending, combating corruption, tracking illicit financial flows, and improving procurement transparency.
She stressed that corruption in procurement and concession agreements historically deprived Liberia of significant national revenue and discouraged legitimate investment.
Corruption ‘Steals Opportunity’
One of the strongest themes emerging from Sirleaf’s address was her warning about the devastating impact of corruption on ordinary citizens.
Quoting former World Bank President James Wolfensohn, Sirleaf described corruption as “the cold, calculated theft of opportunity from the men, women, and children who are least able to protect themselves.”
She argued that corruption weakens healthcare systems, undermines education, damages infrastructure development, and increases poverty by diverting public resources away from essential services.
“Fighting corruption is not only a law enforcement task,” she said. “It is a cultural and institutional transformation.”
Sirleaf further emphasized that accountability must extend beyond government institutions and become part of national political culture through civic education, media engagement, public participation, and citizen awareness.
She also underscored the importance of public access to budget information, recalling Liberia’s participation in the Open Budget Initiative during her administration.
According to her, governments must ensure national budgets are understandable and accessible to ordinary citizens rather than limited to technical documents for financial institutions and international partners.
GAC Reveals Major Audit Findings
During the conference, Liberian Auditor General P. Garswa Jackson showcased reforms and recent audit findings by the General Auditing Commission.
Jackson disclosed that the GAC has significantly expanded audit coverage to include the Office of the President, the National Legislature, the Judiciary, and the Central Bank of Liberia.
“These audits reported significant discrepancies and irregularities and provided a clear indication that no public official or public office is immune from accounting for the stewardship and use of public resources in Liberia,” Jackson stated.
He further revealed that GAC audits uncovered unsupported domestic debt claims exceeding US$740 million, while payroll and revenue audits reportedly saved the Liberian government millions of dollars.
Jackson also reported increased compliance with audit recommendations across government institutions, noting that implementation rates rose from 13 percent in 2024 to 37 percent in 2025, with several institutions recording compliance rates above 90 percent.
Despite those gains, governance experts at the conference cautioned that enforcement gaps remain one of the biggest challenges confronting accountability systems across Africa.
Audit reports frequently expose financial irregularities, but prosecutions, asset recovery, and administrative sanctions often remain weak or inconsistent.
Africa at a ‘Critical Juncture’
Delivering special remarks, AFROSAI-E Chairperson and Kenyan Auditor General Nancy Gathungu praised Liberia’s governance reform efforts and described the country as “a symbol of resilience and hope.”
“Together, we are strengthening institutional capacity, advancing professional development, and contributing to a more accountable and transparent future for Africa,” Gathungu said.
Conference discussions also focused on digital transformation, cyber auditing, public debt oversight, peer review systems, and service delivery monitoring as African governments increasingly digitize public financial systems.
Sirleaf warned that despite democratic and economic progress across Africa over recent decades, billions of dollars continue to be lost annually through corruption, illicit financial flows, procurement abuses, and financial mismanagement.
“The African continent is at a critical juncture,” she noted. “Strong audit institutions in Africa mean more effective development investments, better sovereign credit profiles, and more stable government environments.”
She also challenged international development partners, including the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, African Union, and African Development Bank, to continue supporting audit capacity and accountability systems across Africa.
“The returns on investment in audit capacity are among the highest of any governance intervention,” she said.
‘We Made Mistakes’
Despite highlighting Liberia’s reform efforts, Sirleaf acknowledged that progress during her administration was uneven and that many accountability institutions remained vulnerable to political pressure and inadequate funding.
“We made mistakes,” she admitted. “Institutions we built were sometimes unresourced and unprotected. The culture of accountability we sought to instill had many challenges and still does today.”
Closing her remarks, Sirleaf called for a collective commitment involving governments, civil society, media institutions, the private sector, development partners, and ordinary citizens to strengthen accountability systems and public integrity across Africa.
“We serve the people,” she declared. “And we use the resources of the country for the people.”
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