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A faith-based prodemocracy organization, the Faith and Justice Network, has called on the Liberian government and people to uphold the independence of auditing institutions by providing them with the resources and authority needed to carry out their mandate without interference.
The board chairman of the network, Bishop Samuel Quire, emphasized that Liberians, regardless of political affiliation, should view audits as opportunities for growth and improvement rather than as threats and witch hunts.
Addressing a press conference in Monrovia, Bishop Quire stated that the network believes the strength of the nation is measured not just by the wealth of its resources but by the integrity with which those resources are managed. According to Bishop Quire, Liberians should embrace audits as opportunities for government institutions to demonstrate their commitment to ethical practices and to earning the trust of the Liberian people.
The Faith and Justice Network Board Chairman underscored the critical role audits play in promoting good governance and the effective management of state resources. “Recent public discussion has revealed troubling trends of audits being perceived and often mischaracterized as witch hunts,” he said. “The FJN joins all non-state actors in dispelling this misconception and reinforcing the importance of audits in building a transparent, accountable, and just society.”
“We believe that it is imperative to clarify the role of audits in fostering good governance and protecting the integrity of state resources because we, the people of faith, do not see audits as tools of prosecution and political vendetta,” Bishop Quire added. “They are not instruments of political prosecution and retribution; rather, they are critical mechanisms designed to assess and improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the economy of government operations.”
According to him, audits serve as a vital tool to evaluate how public resources are allocated and used, ensuring that they benefit all citizens equitably. “Through audits,” he continued, “weaknesses in financial management, procurement processes, and service delivery can be identified and rectified, thereby preventing corruption, waste, and inefficiency.”
Bishop Quire maintained that audits should be conducted impartially and professionally to provide valuable insights that help identify areas where public resources can be better managed, thereby enhancing service delivery and promoting sustainable development.
The Faith and Justice Network believes that the strength of any nation is measured not just by the wealth of its resources but by the integrity with which those resources are managed. “In this light,” he noted, “audits should be seen as opportunities for government institutions to demonstrate their commitment to ethical practices and to earn the trust of the Liberian people.”
“We are called to view audits as opportunities for growth and improvement rather than threats,” he reiterated. Moreover, the Faith and Justice Network is encouraging citizens to view audits as a positive and necessary process that contributes to the overall wellbeing of the nation and builds a more prosperous Liberia.
Bishop Quire called on people of faith, civil servants, government officials, civil society organizations, and political parties to support the audit process and for the Liberian government to support and uphold the independence of audit institutions by providing them with the necessary resources and authority needed to carry out their mandates without interference and bias.
