By Staff Writer | Smart News Liberia
MONROVIA – In a statement released on Saturday, April 18, 2026, Anderson Miamen, Executive Director of Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia, has raised alarm over what he describes as a troubling pattern of misplaced priorities among Liberia’s lawmakers, urging them to redirect their energy toward addressing corruption and other pressing national challenges.
Writing under the title, “How I Wish Our Lawmakers Could Use the Same Anger and Energy to Address Corruption and other Issues Directly Affecting Citizens,” Miamen argued that recent developments within the Legislature have demonstrated that lawmakers are capable of swift and decisive action when they choose to be. According to him, “whenever our lawmakers are passionate about an issue and want to address it, they will do everything possible to achieve it.”
He pointed to the recent controversy surrounding Yekeh Kolubah as a clear example of how quickly members of the Legislature can mobilize, reconvene, and make decisions when their interests are at stake. “It has shown that even those perceived as ‘Bobo lawmakers’ can speak out and meaningfully participate in discussions,” Miamen noted, suggesting that inactivity on other issues is more about choice than capacity.
Despite referencing Kolubah’s case, Miamen was careful to distance himself from the lawmaker’s conduct, stating, “For the record, I don’t support Representative Yekeh Kolubah’s style of public discourse, despite his free speech right being protected by the Constitution.” He acknowledged that “insults and reckless statements are harmful to society,” while emphasizing that debates over whether such actions amount to treason remain open to interpretation.
However, Miamen stressed that the intensity with which lawmakers addressed Kolubah’s issue stands in stark contrast to their approach to corruption, which he described as a far more dangerous threat to Liberia’s wellbeing and sovereignty. “Corruption does far more harm, but we are not doing enough to tackle it,” he asserted.
He further criticized what he sees as an entrenched culture of indifference among the political elite, arguing that many leaders only act decisively when their personal interests are affected. According to Miamen, lawmakers tend to become “very angry and passionate” when issues relate to their salaries, benefits, leadership disputes, or perceived disrespect from other branches of government.
“Once it benefits the elites and their collaborators, they don’t care that much about the effects on the generality of the population,” he said, painting a stark picture of inequality in which the privileged enjoy access to quality education, healthcare, and comfortable living conditions, while ordinary citizens are left to struggle.
Miamen lamented the slow pace at which critical national issues are addressed, particularly when it comes to reviewing audit reports from the General Auditing Commission or investigating allegations of mismanagement in public institutions. He also highlighted the persistent neglect of concession communities and other vulnerable groups, noting that only a few lawmakers have consistently demonstrated commitment to the public good.
Drawing a direct comparison, he urged lawmakers to channel the same urgency displayed in internal legislative disputes toward tackling unemployment, corruption, and systemic weaknesses in the health and education sectors. “Imagine the passion and energy, compare that to how long it takes for them to review and act on audit reports,” he remarked.
Concluding his statement, Miamen warned that Liberia’s development will remain stalled if national leaders continue to focus on issues that do not significantly impact the daily lives of citizens. “We have to prioritize our priorities and focus on unemployment, corruption and other critical issues that will end centuries of underdevelopment,” he said.
