[align=right][align=left]http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/africa/02/02/liberia.reut/
[/align]

Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf says corruption must be purged from the Finance Ministry.
[/align]
Facing a Herculean task of rebuilding a nation shattered by 14-years of civil war, Africa's first elected female leader said her victory in November's presidential runoff gave her a mandate to clean up Liberia's finances.

"All employees are sacked from their positions until a screening exercise that is expected to commence at the ministry is completed, and those qualified will remain," Johnson-Sirleaf said during a surprise visit to the ministry on Wednesday.

"Those who are part of financial malpractices and scandals must give way for those who are prepared to do the will of the Liberian people," she told employees.

Endemic corruption was a key cause of Liberia's civil war, which killed 250,000 people and devastated Africa's oldest republic, founded by freed American slaves in 1847.

Johnson-Sirleaf, a 67-year-old Harvard-trained economist, pledged at her inauguration last month before assembled African and other world leaders to make the war on corruption a top priority. Newspapers across the continent hailed the move.

She named former World Bank official Antoinette Sayeh as finance minister, with a brief to root out graft and build bridges with international donors, who have made further aid reliant on weeding out corruption.

With a debt of more than $3 billion, the West African nation is reliant on aid from the United Nations, the World Bank, the United States and Europe.

But the risk in dismissing the entire ministry staff is that finances may be paralyzed, analysts say. A similar "root and branch" approach in the army -- where all soldiers were dismissed but could then re-apply -- sparked protests.

"This is quite a bold step to take," said Mike McGovern, West African project director with International Crisis Group. "It is a sign of the seriousness with which (Johnson-Sirleaf) regards the problem."

Now....thats some good news.clp)clp)clp)

Wow!!!

defyear,

So far, so good. She may have a lot of work to do for Liberia, but it could be far worse.

Did anyone notice that big ass rock behind madam president? That brother looks like he could whip some serious ass......

on the same subject:







Weah cries foul over new minister







Frances Johnson-Morris is likely to be confirmed by the senateThe party of Liberian football star George Weah has condemned the nomination of the elections chief as the new justice minister.
Mr Weah said he had been cheated out of victory in last year's presidential election, won by Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
A senior official of Mr Weah's CDC party said Frances Johnson-Morris' nomination was a "reward for her role" during the election.
Foreign election observers dismissed the charges of electoral fraud.
Meanwhile, President Johnson-Sirleaf (no relation to Ms Johnson-Morris) has announced that Nigerian Gen Luka Yusuf will oversee the rebuilding of Liberia's new army.
The United States has agreed to help Gen Yusuf in his role, the president said.







Guide to Liberia and its recent turbulent history

At-a-glanceHe told the BBC that his goal was for Liberia's military to be able to send troops on peacekeeping duties - several peacekeeping missions were sent to Liberia during its 14-year civil war.
Mrs Johnson-Sirleaf took power last month following elections intended to end the war.
"The nomination of Frances Morris is a reward for her role in depriving the vast majority of the Liberian people of their legitimate victory during the... presidential elections," said CDC (Congress for Democratic Change) Assistant Secretary General Acarous Gray.
But the BBC's Jonathan Paye-Layleh in the capital, Monrovia, says it is almost certain that her nomination will be backed by the senate.
She would become Liberia's first female justice minister - named by its first elected female leader.