Here is a news commentary entitled “Liberian Senators Must Exhibit Transparency and Good Judgment”.
A rather depressing scenario of perceived “inappropriate timing” of the receipt of monies is enveloping 30 members of the Liberian Senate.
In a disclosure last week, Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon reportedly “blew the whistle” on the distribution of an estimated $6,500 (Six Thousand Five Hundred) USD for so-called “Special Operational” purposes.
This distribution of hard currency to Senators amounts to a whopping $195,000 USD (One Hundred and Ninety-Five Thousand) in this poor West African country.
To put a human face on the definition of poverty in Liberia, the international organization known as Action Against Hunger notes that, “One of the poorest countries in the world, 83.8 percent of Liberia’s population lives below the poverty line of $1.25 per day and 94 percent of workers are poor living on less than $2 per day…”
The thrust of this commentary is not to single out any individual Senator for lambasting or character injury but an effort to challenge continuing lack of transparency in the Senate.
So, it is only fair that pointed questions are raised for consideration in this scenario.
Granted that monies are legally allocated annually in the National Budget to the National Legislature for operational purposes and disbursed twice a year to the Senators.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, did Senators return to their constituencies to disclose receipt of the such monies and asked how they can immediately intervene in any pressing needs among their people?
What are the tangibles from expense of operational monies by Senators?
By the way, not one Senator in the ruling party or opposition turned down the “operational money or their paychecks.
The lack of transparency in utilization of scarce resources in Liberia in the face of abject poverty is unconscionable, especially the timing.
Liberia is battling a global pandemic – COVID-19 and the front-line medical warriors are underpaid and lack the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
But Senators, in their wisdom, assume it is appropriate to distribute such wealth among themselves for “operational purposes.”
This is a naked lack of and poor judgment and validation of the perception that national leaders in Liberia are insensitive and selfish.
It is not surprising, and rightfully so, that there is a strong blow-back from citizens over this unfortunate saga of Senators accepting legally appropriated monies.
But “Not everything legal is moral”, as the saying goes.
African Star and Liberia Public Radio remind the Senators that this should not be about political jockeying for relevance or posturing for the next election. We call their attention to the lack of sensitivity to the suffering and relative powerless posture of ordinary Liberians.
Equally so, this gross insensitivity is vividly present in how the National Legislature of the poor West African nation allots and injects budgetary lines to enrich themselves at the expense of the poor and disadvantaged in the country over the years.
This culture of gross callousness, undue enrichment and greed must be checked, if the impoverished Liberian nation is to adequately and effectively counter and address the suffering that the current pandemic is imposing on the country’s inadequate health system and its disadvantaged population.
Sadly too, there is no indication that the Liberian Senate has opened its finances to public scrutiny or audits for the millions of United States dollars that they have entitled to themselves from the national treasury.
These senators have never offered the tax payers an opportunity to benefit from gaining access to how they spend the resources apportioned to themselves and this is shameful!
According to the 1986 Constitution, the key responsibility of the Legislature of the Republic of Liberia, is to “formulate and make laws, ratify treaties, conventions, and make amendments on existing laws and adopt resolutions…” and serve as representatives of the citizens through which their views and should be expressed.
The annual salaries of members of the National Legislature for 2019-2020 equal approximately $35.8 Million USD (Thirty-Five Point Eight Million) USD in a country where an average citizen lives on USD $1.25 per day.
Disappointedly, in the 2019-2020 annual budget, the Senate injected $200,000 USD (Two Hundred Thousand Dollars), for conducting committee hearings while the House of Representatives also added $300,000 USD (Three Hundred Thousand Dollars) for the same purpose.
Moreover, to facilitate their access to wealth and control at the expense of the ordinary citizens, the House of Representatives inserted $700,000 USD (Seven Hundred Thousand Dollars) for fiscal year 2019-2020 for what they described at “constituency visits” besides the $1.6 Million USD (One Point Six Million Dollars) for fuel and lubricant for their cars awarded to themselves.
It is in the face of this greedy behavior, that the Senate distributed nearly $200,000 USD (Two Hundred Thousand Dollars) when thousands of Liberians are exposed to the uncertainty of the coronavirus pandemic.
We believe the Senators must be called to the carpet as simply selfish and thoughtless.
Recommendations:
African Star and Liberia Public Radio urge Senators to do the right thing and forego the monies; or better still donate the nearly $200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Dollars) immediately for the stipend welfare of health workers, local clinic workers and the most vulnerable in the society while action is pending on implementation on the endorsed State of Emergency Bill.
We also demand that the National Legislature break the siege of non- transparency and open their financial records for public audit so that the Liberian people will gain access to how those officials utilize and expend the millions of dollars gotten on the backs of Liberian tax payers and the resources.
Leaders must exit their comfort zones during these challenging times and see and feel the pain of the ordinary Liberian.
They must appreciate what our nurses, doctors, clinicians, social workers, market people and others deal with daily trying to survive under the onslaught of the pandemic in crushing economic conditions.
We challenge Liberians of all political, economic and social backgrounds to demand answers and some measure of sensitivity from their lawmakers to determine if they, the lawmakers, deserve the people’s continued support and vote of confidence in the forthcoming legislative elections in 2020 and 2023, respectively.
African Star and the Liberia Public Radio will continue to expose and challenge the lack of transparency and greed that have hijacked the path to good governance and accountability in Liberia; no matter who is involved because as the fourth estate, we are under obligation to help keep the government and the governors in check so that our people will benefit from the wealth and resources of the West African nation.
All Liberians, working together for good governance can ensure a better country for all.
This news commentary is a collaboration between African Star and Liberia Public Radio.
