Monrovia– FrontPageAfrica Managing Editor Rodney D. Sieh has launched a blistering critique of Liberia’s Legislature, describing it as “a tragedy” and accusing lawmakers of presiding over a system devoid of accountability, proper vetting, and respect for democratic oversight, particularly the media.
By Jaheim T. Tumu-jaheim.tumu@frontpageafricaonline.com
Sieh’s comments add to growing public debate over legislative oversight, media freedom, and the broader question of accountability in Liberia’s democracy — issues that continue to shape national discourse amid rising public frustration.
“The legislature is a tragedy. It’s the worst group of people ever assembled in our history,” Sieh said, pointing to what he described as a disturbing pattern of poor legislative conduct and reckless decision-making. “You look at the bills that they have been passing lately, no accountability.”
In his recent appearance on OKAY FM Morning Rush, Sieh argued that the problem is not new, but rather a recurring failure that successive governments have refused to confront.
Recalling past experiences during the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, he noted that serious concerns raised about public officials were routinely ignored by lawmakers.
“I remember during the Madam Sirleaf government, we put some information out on some appointees, and they still passed (confirmed) those people,” he said.
“Government after government repeats the same mistake. There’s no vetting. There’s no accountability.”
According to Sieh, this lack of due diligence has eroded public trust and weakened the Legislature’s credibility as a co-equal branch of government. He warned that lawmakers appear more interested in political convenience than in safeguarding the national interest.
His criticism also took aim at the current Speaker of the House, Richard Nagbe Koon whom he accused of misunderstanding both the power and responsibility of the office.
In late November 2025, Koon sparked nationwide outrage after publicly threatening to jail journalists who reported on internal legislative proceedings.
The FrontPageAfrica Managing Editor condemned what he described as a recent attack on the media by the Speaker for demanding accountability.
“In fact, the speaker attacked the media recently for holding him accountable,” Sieh said. “But after the fact, after the damage already done, it tells you they don’t even understand how they got in the position.”
Sieh emphasized that the freedoms enjoyed today, including the existence of a functioning Legislature, were hard-won through the efforts of past generations who relentlessly challenged those in power.
“If our forefathers, if our ancestors, if our mentors of the past were not pushing the government foot to the fire, there wouldn’t be a legislature. The Speaker wouldn’t be in that position,” he said. “People fought for you to get that job.”
He warned that attacking the media, an institution central to democratic accountability, reflects a deeper crisis of leadership and competence.
“They held government accountable. They put government feet to the fire for you to be where you are today,” Sieh said. “And you get there and you attack the media. What does it say about you? It says you’re incompetent. You don’t know the position you hold.”
Sieh further lamented what he described as Liberia’s entrenched culture of political sycophancy, where officials rally unquestioningly around those in power, often to the detriment of the country.
“This thing about sycophancy, they pretend that it’s part of our culture,” he said. “That every government come, they rally around the president and destroy the country.”
Drawing a sharp contrast, Sieh referenced revolutionary Burkinabé leader Thomas Sankara as an example of principled leadership focused on service rather than self-glorification.
“You go to Burkina Faso, the guy refuses, like Sankara, he refused to put his picture on the wall,” he said. “Because it’s not about glorifying people. It’s about doing the job of the people. What’s wrong with that? Just do the right thing.”
He argued that genuine leadership requires humility, accountability, and respect for dissent, values he believes are increasingly absent in Liberia’s governance space.
“People will be happy,” Sieh said. “But you keep finding ways to fight.”
Sieh expressed concern over what he sees as a governing culture driven by constant confrontation rather than service delivery.
“Every other day, this government, not the president, but the officials, they’re fighting people,” he said. “They’re fighting the media. They’re fighting the previous governments. They’re fighting everybody.”
The post Liberia: FPA Managing Editor Sieh Slams Lawmakers Over Accountability Failures appeared first on FrontPageAfrica.
Leave a Reply