By Godgift Harris
The Independent Information Commission (IIC), in collaboration with the Center for Transparency and Accountability in Liberia (CENTAL), successfully hosted a one-day high-level capacity-building training.
The training focused on Freedom of Information (FoI) Compliance, Integrity Building and Anti-Corruption.
The impactful training, was held at the conference hall of the Liberia Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) in Montserrado County.
It brought together departmental and sectional heads from key government institutions.
They include the Liberia Agricultural Commodity Regulatory Authority (LACRA), the National Fisheries and Aquaculture Authority (NaFAA), and the National Port Authority (NPA).
The initiative, supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA), and the management of LPRC, underscored a growing partnership between public institutions and international development partners to strengthen compliance with the FoI Act of 2010, and 40 anti-corruption safeguards within government operations.
In his keynote, FoI Commissioner Joash T. Hodges said, the training reflects a strategic collaboration between the IIC, the Office of the Ombudsman, and CENTAL.
The aim is to embed transparency and integrity at the core of public administration.
Hodges said, while FoI framework legally guarantees citizens’ right to access public information, true compliance depends on leadership, systems and institutional culture.
“As departmental and sectional heads, you are the operational backbone of your institutions. Your supervision of records, approval of responses and guidance of staff conduct determine whether transparency becomes a lived reality.”
The training focused on three core objectives, deepening understanding of FoI compliance obligations, including proactive disclosure, timely response to information requests, proper records management, and lawful application of exemptions.
The exercise reinforces anti-corruption mechanisms to close procedural gaps and enhance oversight.
Hodges encouraged institutions to establish functional FoI structures, including the appointment of Public Information Officers and Internal Review Bodies to ensure sustainable compliance.
“Transparency is not a threat to governance it is its foundation. Integrity is not optional it is essential. Accountability is not punitive it is protective.”
Participants engaged in dynamic and interactive sessions that examined integrity-building strategies, institutional compliance mechanisms, and practical approaches to fostering a culture of openness within government agencies.
CENTAL Executive Director Anderson Miamen, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to support public institutions in building transparent governance systems, noting that access to information and anti-corruption efforts are inseparable.
“When information flows freely, oversight becomes possible, when oversight is effective, corruption is deterred, and when institutions act with integrity, public confidence grows.”
Those who attended the event were Finley Y. Karngar, Chairperson of the Office of the Ombudsman, and Karl Barkeus, Swedish Ambassador to Liberia, whose presence signaled strong national and international backing for governance reforms.