The man many Liberians describe as the “political son” of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has hit hard against the regime for which he heavily campaigned, regretting how corruption has become pervasive.
Dillon, currently studying in the U.S, under the direct sponsorship of the Liberian leader told an In Profile Daily Interview that the corruption has won the war in Liberia.
President Sirleaf took over the country in 2006 and vowed to confront, fight and defeat corruption, but despite several anti-corruption measures put into place, her administration is accused of miserably failing to prosecute alleged corrupt officials.
Reports from the Liberia Anti-corruption Commission and the General Auditing Commission have uncovered several corruption syndicates, linking top government officials, recommending prosecution, but the Executive and the Judiciary have allegedly failed to muster the courage in prosecuting those involved.
Many Liberians who had been ardent supporters of President Sirleaf, including Dillon, are now becoming quite disappointed midway way into her second terms in the absence of strong actions to battle corruption.
As reported by the In Profile Wednesday, Dillon, one of the strong supporters of President Sirleaf’s 2011 reelection bid, has expressed serious frustration and disappointment over the failure of the Sirleaf- led government to deal with the issue of corruption in the country, noting: “Corruption has won the war in Liberia.”
Dillon who, during the first term of the Liberian leader, described corruption as being something dressed in a three- piece suit, walking on Broad Street without anyone to arrest it, said he is disappointed that up to present, no effort has been made by government to achieve the fight against the “disease” that continues to eat the fabrics of the Liberian society.
“The most I can say is that corruption has won the war in Liberia against government,” the former Liberty Party Stalwart continued. “The government has reasons to prove that it cannot fight corruption. The government lacks the will to fight corruption robustly because if you put an institution into place to fight corruption and the institution makes recommendations to government and it cannot implement the recommendations, then we render the institution useless.”
Speaking via telephone from the United States of America where he is currently perusing a Master’s Degree, Mr. Dillon said it is good that Liberians can continue to talk about it and that it is time for the country to take robust and practical actions to curtail the corrupt practices on the part of government officials.
Dillon asserted that the country cannot afford to have people clearly in corrupt acts as the institutions setup to carry out the fight against corruption including the Liberia Anti Corruption Commission (LACC) and the General Auditing Commission (GAC) remain dormant.
“When last have we heard one GAC audit report transmitted to the court for prosecution? Why are we doing this to the people? This is not what we campaigned for; this is not what we told the people that we wanted. We said that we wanted a good government that will be in the interest of the people and do those things for national good. I am getting disappointed and I must say it,” he wondered and noted.
He called on the Sirleaf government to take more appropriate actions including the prosecution of corrupt officials, stressing the need for government to take other actions including dismissal of those who could not be convicted by the courts.
Mr. Dillon said it is not time for the Government of Liberia to be pushing for the prosecution of some individuals, while others who have equally been accused of corruption are left out, something he described as favoritism.