By: Austin S Fallah – A True Son of Liberia, Africa and Planet Earth Soil:
In the political arena, Liberia stands at a crucial junction in its history.
Today, the world watched as President Boakai, in a stately ceremony, appended his signature to the War and Economic Crimes Court Executive Order, signifying an unequivocal intent to terminate rampant impunity.
This korero argues for the necessity of establishing Liberia as a nation where law and order prevail, where corruption, incompetence, and human rights abuses are not tolerated, and where everyone is held accountable to the law, irrespective of social or economic status.
Impunity, a term synonymous with lawlessness, has become an integral part of Liberia’s public service.
This menace eliminates the fear of punishment, thereby fueling abuses of power, corruption, and human rights violations – a lamentable fact that undermines the country’s socioeconomic development and erodes societal norms and values.
Corruption is a significant deterrent from actualizing Liberia’s potential.
It is an acrid poison that ruins the country’s fabric, reinforcing socio-economic imbalances, discouraging foreign investment, and eroding public trust in institutions.
This consequence of corruption proves debilitating, thereby mandating an uncompromising stand towards purging it from both the public and private sectors.
The almost sixteen-year epoch of military confrontation in Liberia saw insufferable human rights abuses and atrocities committed with little or no repercussions.
Women’s and children’s rights were often the most ravaged in this period.
Their physical security, their dignity, and their basic human rights were conveniently ignored for the sake of oppression, control, or simply, the monstrous proclivities of those in power.
The rule of law is the bedrock of any thriving, fair, and accountable society.
To transform Liberia into such a society, the rule of law must be entrenched into the very fabric of governance.
A nation under the rule of law ensures equal protection to all its citizens, guards against abuses of state power, and brings about economic growth.
The symbolic signing of the War and Economic Crimes Court Executive Order by President Boakai is inevitably a step forward. It sends an unambiguous message. Impunity’s days are numbered.
However, this end does not come with signatures alone. It requires the veritable application of the legal instruments.
As the new Sheriff in town, it must dispense justice without fear or favor, irrespective of social and economic status.
It must ensure all citizens adhere to the rule of law and that all rights, especially those of women and children, are safeguarded.
The transformation of Liberia into a haven where the rule of law takes precedence, where justice is dispensed fairly, where corruption is eschewed, and where the dignity and rights of every Liberian are respected irrespective of their status is a vision that every Liberian must champion.
It requires relentless commitment, persistence, and enthusiasm to advance this vision and make it the country’s reality.
The signing of this Executive Order is not the end of the journey, but the start of a new chapter in Liberia’s history, a chapter in which law and order reign supreme, and the rights and dignity of every Liberian are prioritized.
Let the world mark this day, for Liberia is on a swift march towards the rule of law, guided by the relentless quest for justice.
