MONROVIA, October 8, 2026: Ghana’s Ambassador to Liberia, Godwin Baletum Amonzem, has described good governance as the “invisible architecture” that holds a nation together, stressing the importance of accountability, transparency and the rule of law in building strong democratic institutions.
Ambassador Amonzem made the remarks Tuesday at a one-day symposium organized by Liberia’s Governance Commission in observance of Good Governance Month under the theme, “Promoting Good Governance Through Accountability and Transparency in Liberia.”
“I feel honored and privileged to join you in this one-day symposium on good governance, organized by the Governance Commission of Liberia. I bring you greetings from the good people of Ghana and the staff of the Embassy of Ghana,” he said.
The Ghanaian envoy commended the Governance Commission for its efforts to strengthen accountability and promote good governance in Liberia.
Sharing Ghana’s experience, Amonzem said the country has established several institutions with separate legal mandates to promote accountability and good governance.
“In Ghana, there are several institutions that promote good governance, with each institution holding a legal mandate to execute its functions separately. For a simple act of indiscretion, therefore, you can have several institutions investigating the person who has been noted to have engaged in the indiscretion,” he explained.
He named the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice, State Interests and Governance Authority, Right to Information Commission, National African Peer Review Mechanism, Council of State and Public Services Commission, among other institutions and civil society groups, as contributing to Ghana’s governance framework.
Amonzem said the symposium’s theme serves as a reminder that the strength of a nation is measured not only by physical infrastructure and economic indicators, but also by the quality of its governance.
“It is common knowledge that good governance and accountability are the bedrock upon which a nation is built. The opposite of good governance, which is bad governance, thrives where accountability is weak,” he said.
“Without robust mechanisms in place to ensure transparency, oversight and responsibility, people entrusted with resources and authority may take advantage of their positions. In those circumstances, the other realities of good governance, freedom and justice become accessible to only a few.”
According to Amonzem, good governance requires adherence to constitutional principles, inclusive development and institutions capable of maintaining public trust.
Highlighting Ghana’s experience, he pointed to reforms in public procurement, including the introduction of the Ghana Electronic Procurement System (GHANEPS).
“The government of Ghana, after recognizing that a large chunk of public expenditure goes into procurement, introduced the Ghana Electronic Procurement System, short-named GHANEPS,” he said.
“By moving tenders, bids and contract awards online, the country significantly reduced human discretion, slashed administrative bottlenecks and created a transparent digital audit trail visible to society and oversight bodies.”
Amonzem also cited Ghana’s Open Government Partnership National Action Plan, which he said promotes structured engagement among government institutions, Parliament and civil society organizations and provides opportunities for public scrutiny of policies.
Turning to local governance, the ambassador said inclusive development must extend beyond central government and reach communities through transparent fiscal decentralization and greater citizen participation in determining development priorities.
“The government of Ghana is cognizant of the fact that good governance is not a solitary central government venture,” he said.
“It has therefore created formal institutional government ecosystems where government agencies regularly interact with youth groups, women’s networks and watchdog institutions to ensure that policies better reflect the realities of the people.”
Ambassador Amonzem urged Liberians to remain committed to strengthening accountability and resisting practices that undermine good governance.
He also called for continued support to the Governance Commission as it works to strengthen Liberia’s governance systems and promote transparency, accountability and public trust.
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