By: Togba-Nah TipotehFormer Budget Advisor and Budget Director Government of Liberia (1971-1974)
There is plenty of talk about how some people took money to have another person removed from public office. But these same people who wanted the person removed were the ones who put the person into high public office. What irony! What dishonesty!! Why did these elected officials act in such a contradictory manner? Is it that they are money-driven?
These public officials acted in such a contradictory and dishonest manner because they are money-driven, just like other officials who make up the powers that be. But there are always good people where there are bad people. So, one of the officials became a whistle-blower and exposed the dishonest deed. Now, there is plenty of noise about this dishonesty and corruption.
Reliable reports indicate that these corrupt officials got as much as USD 25,000 each for efforts directed at removing another person from the Legislature. What corruption! Where did the money come from? It is definitely not in the National Budget. The Executive Branch of the Government knows about this corruption! Whenever one uses what belongs to another person for oneself, that is corruption. The money given to corrupt government officials constitutes bribery. The Rule of Law says that bribery is corruption. The Rule of Law says that bribery is a second-degree felony. Second-degree felony is punishable by imprisonment.
The persons violating the Law must bear in mind that those who violated the Law from their bases in the National Legislature were not re-elected, as seen in the results of the October 10, 2023 Election. The legislators who are violating the law will also not be re-elected. If these Legislators were not to face the Justice of the Court, they will face the Justice of the People.
They will face the Justice of the people because there is continuous awareness raising by the people who love the Rule of Law. This awareness-raising transforms the unfair prevailing electoral system into a fair, enduring one. It is only through this transformation that persons with good records can get elected to bring in the system of Justice, the indispensable ingredient for Peace and Progress in Liberia and in any other country.
