Press Statement for Immediate Release

Monrovia, June 23, 2020

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press, Fellow Liberians!

The Coalition for Transparency and Accountability in Education (COTAE) is alarmed over the spike in COVID-19 infections in the country and calls on the Government to take prompt and adequate measures to to curb the spread of the disease. With Six hundred and Fifty (650) confirmed cases and thirty-four (34) deaths, the importance of safeguarding against this deadly disease cannot be overly emphasized. Liberia cannot afford to once again endure a scourge as we did in 2014 with the Ebola Virus Disease. Our memories are still fresh in respect of how loved ones were taken away, including our frontline medical personnel and healthcare workers. More than 5,900 Liberian children lost one or both parents to Ebola. Some are with a surviving parent, others found loving homes with friends or relatives, but many have been left orphaned on the streets or are finding it tough to adapt to new lives with host families.[1] If care is not taken, we risk losing our precious ones and endangering the future of many, especially our children—a situation we cannot afford.

COTAE recognizes the Government of Liberia’s efforts in extending the State of Emergency (SOE), which ended June 21, 2020, by an additional thirty (30) days so as to “afford the government the opportunity to re-examine its COVID-19 response strategy”. We believe that this is a step in the right direction but urge government to involve civil society and other stakeholders in its response strategy moving forward. Responding to COVID-19 without regard to the Liberian context has proven ineffective so far as the public no longer seem to comply with health protocols and associated restrictions. It is, therefore, imperative that all hands are on deck to collectively fight the disease. Government has its role to play and so is civil society, media and other partners.

An inclusive response, as demanded by civil society from the onset, would have prevented the current surge we are experiencing in communities. Meaningful involvement of all partners would have removed any cloud of suspicion from response efforts and further strengthen approaches, including those related to the feeding program, case tracking, curfew etc.  Also, a broader response would have relied on the expertise, strengths, and unique capacities of each stakeholder including those versed in community entry, social mobilization, awareness creation, transparency and accountability, human rights, etc.

It is, however, not too late the correct the missteps taken earlier on.  The reality of the surge imposes upon all a duty to contribute our resources to put an end to this scourge. In sum, everyone has a role to play and a holistic approach must therefore be properly carved out. With the extension of the SOE, more needs to be done to avert human rights abuses, address accountability concerns, and adequately respond to the attending consequences of the outbreak and SOE on other sectors, especially education.

We, therefore, make the following recommendations: 

• That civil society organizations be accorded the full respect and given the space to operate. The Leaderships and essential staff of CSOs must be equally allowed to work, as they play vital roles in creating awareness, providing valuable inputs to government as well as independent monitoring and reporting on key trends and decision-making processes around the fight. 
• That the rights of citizens are fully respected and protected during the fight against COVID-19. Brutality against citizens, especially women, must never be an option. We call on Government to investigate and prosecute any security officers brutalizing citizens during this period. Equally, we call on citizens to respect security officers; refrain from brutalizing them as well full comply with safety measures announced by authorities.
• That COVID-19 resources be effectively managed and accounted for to the public. All donations and resources received must be timely communicated to the public, in addition to reports of funds already disbursed for various activities and processes. 
• That government does more to increase citizens’ confidence in its response efforts. From all indications, the current poor state of the fight against COVID-19 and limited citizens’ compliance with health protocols can be attributed to poor coordination, limited citizens’ active involvement in key processes and limited trust resulting from excesses of some key players. For example, having come in contact with key officials declared positive of the virus, the President of Liberia refused to be self-quarantined, in violation of measures announced by authorities.
• That the Ministry of Education’s plan to reopen school for 12^th graders involve a thorough monitoring component that ensures that schools are abiding by all protocols set out in the plan, including full compliance with safety measures announced by authorities

In conclusion, we wish to reiterate calls for all Liberians and residents to fully respect instructions from authorities to protect themselves and others during this period. We must all observe the social distancing rules, wear face masks, and avoid action (s) that undermine the fight against COVID-19, which cannot be won without collaborative and well-coordinated efforts of all concerned: Government, development partners, citizens, civil society and media and other groups in society.

Thank you.

Signed:

Management