LIBERIA FACES A NEW national narrative under President Joseph Boakai who came to office on a simple promise that no one will be above the law – a promise that reveberated far and near and tacilty drew as many Liberians as possible to his camp because the “promise” suited their desires. On many occasions, the President repeated it in the fight against drugs, stressing “No one will be spared.” Of course, for a moment, Liberians believed him. That is exactlly why when suspended LDEA officer and Deputy Police Commander Fitzgerald Biago was accused of receiving gifts from a member of a drug network linked to the recent RIA bust, and the President acted fast, Liberians applauded the decision. Within a twinkling of an eye, Biago was suspended, dismissed, and turned over to the Ministry of Justice. That was a clear message that any breach of the ethics code, especially in the drug fight, one will face consequences.
NOW, THE QUESTION BEING asked by Liberians is why is Police Inspector General Gregory Coleman still in office after publicly admitting to receiving a Starlink internet device as a gift from individuals now described as part of the very drug cartel the government is fighting. The raw fact is that it is the same offense, receiving gifts from suspected drug operatives, that cost Biago his job. As things are, IG Coleman remains put in his position, protected, unscathed and untouched. That is why the question on the streets, in newsrooms, and inside the security sector is growing louder: Why not Gregory, too?
The issue has provoked concerns while the principle at stake remains “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander” – an old proverb, that cuts to the heart of governance. It means the same rule must apply to everyone in the same situation. No favorites. There are no double standards, no sacred cows.
IT IS CLEAR THEREFORE that when standards are applied selectively, public trust erodes, and citizens are left with no options but to conclude that punishment depends on who you know, not what you did. Also, it weakened the fight, which is to say that you cannot credibly dismantle a cartel while some officials linked to it keep their posts and others are fired. President Boakai vowed to deal with _any* official with ties to the cartel. The Liberian people took that as a covenant, not a talking point.
WE ARE AWARE THAT fairness is not revenge, and that this is not a call for a witch hunt, but that to due process matters. Also, we are aware that an admission is not the same as a conviction, which sugests that investigations must be thorough. In the same vein, due process also requires consistency. If receiving gifts from drug suspects is grounds for dismissal and referral for one senior security official, it must be grounds for at least the same administrative action for another, pending investigation. To do otherwise is to tell the public there are two rulebooks: one for junior and mid-level officers, and another for those at the top. The credibility of the entire anti-drug campaign rests on this moment.
THIS IS WHY THERE is a stong need for the President to order an immediate administrative review of IG Coleman’s conduct, just as was done with Biago, also place him on administrative leave pending the outcome, to protect the integrity of ongoing investigations, and allow the Ministry of Justice to proceed without interference, and make the findings public. Of course, that is not persecution. That is applying the President’s own standard equally. The botom is that Liberians are watching, not just for arrests and press conferences, but for fairness. If the Boakai administration wants to be remembered for restoring integrity, it cannot afford the perception, or the reality, of double standards. The presidenr cannot say “no one will be spared” and then spare someone. If Biago had to go for receiving gifts from the cartel, then the same principle must apply to Gregory. Because in a nation trying to heal, justice must not only be done. It must be seen to be done, to the goose and to the gander alike.
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