Montserrado District #10 Representative Yekeh Y. Kolubah has suggested that president George Manneh Weah give him at least US$40,000.00 from the state of emergency stimulus packages for his constituency as per-requisite to affix his signature on a draft resolution before the national legislature.
According to Rep. Kolubah his suggestion of the amount is based on the fact that previous stimulus packages intended for the people of Liberia did not benefit the majority of the people of Liberia and landed in the hands of few officials in the executive branch of government.
Referencing the controversial US$25 million economic stimulus package in 2018, the District#10 lawmaker doubted that the COVID-19 stimulus package presented to the legislature for approval will not benefit majority of the population that the funding is intended for.
“If we will have to sign a resolution that I know will only benefit the president Weah and his likes, then let him give me US$40,000.00 to identify with my people. Because we have signed resolution that didn’t benefit my people only few people in the executive”, Rep. Kolubah asserted.
Lawmaker Kolubah addressing a press conference on Thursday April 16, 2020 at his office in Congo town stated that he will be in no error to request for US$40k for his district noting that he is very optimistic that the proposed state of emergency stimulus package which is in the tone of over 25 million dollars will only benefit few hierarchy in the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
It can be recalled that president George Weah on Tuesday president a five page detail justification for the imposition of a 21 day ‘state of emergency’ which include a US$25 million stimulus for food sustenance to be distributed to COVID-19 affected communities.
The package also included a US4 $million dollar subsidy to the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) which according to the president’s stimulus package has already been given to the corporation to waive electricity bills for the period of six months to affected communities.
US$4 Million to LEC
Speaking on the 4million dollars to LEC, Rep. Yekeh Kolubah said such idea will not be impactful because only less than 10% of the country’s population has access to the national electricity grid.
He maintained that the best thing the president could have done was to waive taxes on petroleum products for a period of time which could be beneficiary to every citizen instead of subsidizing LEC that is not visible everywhere.
“I think what the president could have done was to waive taxes on gas because everybody here will benefit one way or the other instead of giving 4 million to LEC”, he adds.
Rep. Kolubah said in order to be convinced to sign the draft resolution on the state of emergency, president Weah must provide some detailed explanations on how the 25 million for food distribution will be expended including hearing from expert like the World Food Programme (WFP) whom the president has named as one of the implementing partners for the food distribution.
Rice for District#10
Meanwhile as part of his contribution to alleviate hungry amongst residents of Dsitrict#10 Montserrado County, tough-talking lawmaker Representative Yekeh Kolubah has presented at least 250 bags of 25kg rice to several communities in the area.
Making the presentation on Thursday April 16, 2020, Representative Kolubah disclosed that while it is true that national government has announced COVID-19 stimulus packages, he as a lawmaker of the district was taking the lead to provide some food to residents during the lockdown period.
He pointed out that amount was purchased with funding from his personal salary and at the same time admonished residents of Dsitrict#10 to observed all health protocols including social-distancing.
The 250 bags of rice is in addition to over 125 fucet buckets presented by the lawmaker for use by over 30 communities late march when the Coronavirus outbreak was announced by government.
