The Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) has launched a drive to enforce asset declaration among local government officials, extending the initiative to Nimba County. On Friday, February 21, 2025, a delegation from the LACC arrived in Saniquellie to assist officials in understanding and completing the declaration process.
Leading the delegation were LACC Executive Director James Kingsley and Asset Declaration and Verification Officer Patricia Barnaby. Their visit focused on educating local officials about their legal responsibility to declare assets and ensuring compliance with anti-corruption regulations.
During the engagement, Nimba County Superintendent Kou Meapeh Gono commended the LACC for bringing the process directly to local officials. She highlighted that many officials were unaware of their obligation to declare their assets and welcomed the Commission’s proactive approach. Gono praised the initiative as a significant step toward fostering accountability and aligning with the government’s commitment to the rule of law under President Joseph Boakai’s ARREST Agenda.
Gono assured the LACC team that local officials who received the declaration forms would complete and submit them promptly. She emphasized that the Commission’s outreach would encourage compliance and increase awareness of the asset declaration mandate.
The asset declaration initiative comes after the LACC published a non-compliance list in local newspapers, revealing that the Ministry of Internal Affairs had the largest number of officials failing to declare assets. The outreach program aims to address these gaps by directly engaging officials in counties where compliance has been lacking.
The LACC’s engagement in Nimba County underscores its ongoing efforts to promote transparency and enforce anti-corruption measures. Through education and direct assistance, the Commission seeks to ensure that all government officials adhere to asset declaration laws and uphold public trust.
