-As Liberia Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA) Staff Sign the Code of Conduct
By Jerromie S. Walters
On November 4, 2024, the Office of the Ombudsman of the Republic of Liberia conducted a crucial awareness session on the Code of Conduct for staff members of the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA). This initiative is part of ongoing efforts to reinforce adherence to Liberia’s Code of Conduct among government employees.
During the session, LCAA employees engaged in extensive discussions about the responsibilities and expectations outlined in the Code of Conduct for both senior and junior management roles. Following the deliberations, staff members signed the Code of Conduct, reaffirming their commitment to uphold its principles.
In his opening remarks, LCAA Director General Julius Dennis emphasized the significance of understanding the Code of Conduct. This is a really good time for us to know what the Code of Conduct is all about. What it entails and what we should take from it as an entity. In general, when you hear code of conduct, it pertains to certain kinds of behavior that we must exhibit either at work or home. Whatever institution. As it relates to this particular one, I urge you all to be attentive, to listen, and to take the relevant messages from it today.
The Liberia Civil Aviation Authority (LCAA) Director General further noted that the Code of Conduct serves as a guide for management to perform their duties with transparency, honesty, and efficiency. His words: “In my mind, this code of conduct stresses out how we as management should carry out our job duties, how we should be transparent, honest and efficient in what we do here. Let’s use this opportunity today to really learn and know what the Code of Conduct of the Republic of Liberia is all about.”
Following Mr. Dennis’s remarks, Prof. Finley Y. Karngar, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Liberia, delivered a comprehensive lecture to both senior and junior management at the LCAA. He outlined the purpose of the Code of Conduct and emphasized the need for public servants to embody diligence and discipline in their roles.
Prof. Karngar highlighted that the Code is designed to regulate behavior and ensure compliance with established norms, including impartiality, objectivity, transparency, integrity, efficiency, and effectiveness. “It is essential for public servants to maintain the dignity of the public service,” he stated and stressed the essence of exhibiting good conduct at all times—both on and off duty. He urged employees to be honest, faithful, and just in their actions, and to avoid behaviors that could undermine the honor or dignity of the public service.
Additionally, the Ombudsman addressed the section of the Code of Conduct that emphasizes the need for support for vulnerable and physically challenged individuals. He underscored the importance of implementing government policies and programs aimed at affirmative action for marginalized groups, including those affected by gender, age, disability, or other historical injustices. Prof. Karngar acknowledged that many government entities struggle to comply with this aspect of the Code.
Prof. Karngar went on to remind the LCAA staff of the Ombudsman’s mandate, which includes providing administrative leadership for the Code of Conduct by enforcing, investigating, monitoring, and evaluating adherence to its provisions.
The Ombudsman:
Months after his inauguration, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. officially commissioned the Office of the Ombudsman. Many considered this as a significant milestone in Liberia’s quest for enhanced transparency and accountability in government.
The Ombudsman, as stipulated by Article 90(C) of the Liberian Constitution, is an independent official tasked with investigating and addressing complaints against government agencies and institutions concerning violations of the code of conduct. This role is vital for holding public officials to high ethical standards, promoting fairness in dispute resolution, and advancing good governance.
Like President Joseph Boakai and other top government officials, on September 17, 2024, the Speaker of the House of Representatives Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa signed the National code of conduct with the Ombudsman office in Monrovia. The Ombudsman office was officially created during President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s administration, with its legal framework established in 2014. However, its full operationalization faced delays due to challenges such as insufficient funding and political resistance.
Under Sirleaf’s successor, President George Manneh Weah, the Office of the Ombudsman did not see the light of day, even though its very existence is a prerequisite for the enforcement of the National Code of Conduct.
