THE 1986 LIBERIA Constitution is clear regarding the functions of the three distinct branches of the Government of Liberia. According to the Constitution, the Legislature makes the laws, the Judiciary interprets the laws and the Executive enforces the laws, stating further no other branch of the government is to usurp the functions of another.
WHEN FORMER PRESIDENT Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s administration introduced the allotment of funds into the National Budget for lawmakers of the House of Representatives and the Senate to access and carry on what was termed as ‘Legislative Projects’ in their respective constituencies, Liberians applauded the initiative with the hope that some level of developments would go to their villages, towns, hamlets, communities, cities and counties.
BUT SINCE THE introduction funds for legislative projects in the National Budget, there have been reports that most lawmakers tend to use these monies and ascribe unto themselves project undertaken by task payers’ monies. Some have used these projects for campaign purposes for their re-election in a given election.
IT IS NO secret that the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) was established by the Community Empowerment Act pursuant to Chapter 50B of Title 12 of the Liberian Code of Laws as of July 22, 2004, also known as the “Community Empowerment Act”. The primary goals of the agency is engendering national initiatives and strategies geared towards alleviating poverty and towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals under No. 6 in Liberia through the Community Driven Development Approach (CDDA).
IN RECENT TIMES, there have been public outcries over series of legislative projects undertaken by different lawmakers in their respective constituencies. These lawmakers when dedicating these projects attach astronomical number of monies to the projects, but in reality, the structures that are erected do not really match the monies expended to construct them.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT there is collaboration between the House of Representatives and the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) regarding legislative projects. We believe this collaboration between the two institutions warrants examination because the Government of Liberia has allotted millions of dollars in the National Budget for Legislative Projects.
FOR EXAMPLE, IN the 2024 budget, the Legislature allocated US$13.2 million for the so-called “Legislative Projects”. According to the breakdown on the allocation, Each Representatives was to receive US$100,000; Each Senator was to receive US$150,000; Counties with two Representatives were to receive a minimum of US$500,000; while some key county allocations included: Montserrado: US$2 million; Nimba: US$1.2 million; Sinoe: US$600,000; Grand Bassa: US$800,000 and Maryland: US$600,000.
SADLY, WE UNDERSTAND and it is reported that these funds are directly managed by the legislators in collaboration with LACE, potentially undermining the Local Government Act of 2018. There are concerns about transparency and accountability, with some fearing that the funds might be used for personal gains rather than public projects. Some constituents complained that their lawmakers did not implement any projects and that there was a lack of proper accounting for the funds.
TO BUTTRESS THE account of some constituents, the Executive Director of NAYMOTE Partners for Democratic Development, Eddie D. Jarwolo, has criticized Bong County District #6 Representative Moima Briggs Mensah over a controversial development project recently implemented in Salala District.
IN A SCATHING public statement, Jarwolo accused the Representative of failing to address the real needs of her constituents; describing her selected project as a “joke” and an insult to the people she was elected to serve.
“WHILE RESIDENTS OF Salala District are seeking assistance to renovate and improve their facilities, the Representative of the District, Moima Briggs Mensah, selected this joke as a development project under her legislative project and constructed by the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE)/Community Works,” Jarwolo stated.
THE SPECIFIC PROJECT in question has drawn widespread criticism for what many describe as poor planning, lack of community input, and questionable impact. Jarwolo, a prominent voice in governance reform and civic engagement, called for greater transparency in the use of public funds allocated through legislative projects, which are intended to bring direct benefits to local communities.
HE URGED THE General Auditing Commission (GAC) and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) to take a closer look into how such projects are being selected, funded, and executed.
ACCORDING TO MANY Liberians, legislative projects should not be about political grandstanding or ribbon-cutting ceremonies. They believe that legislative projects must be based on the real needs of the people and must reflect proper use of taxpayers’ money.
IT IS THEREFORE in this regard, we at The Liberian Post call on the Government of Liberia to examine the current collaboration between the House of Representatives and the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) on one hand, and even extend it to the Senate, regarding the funding and implementation of Legislative projects.
PRESIDENT JOSEPH NYUMA Boakai told Liberians during his inauguration that “there will be no business as usual.” Now is the time for the Liberian leader to take charge and ensure that every penny allotted in the National Budget to benefit the people of Liberia truly triggers down to them.
THIS LATEST INCIDENT regarding Rep. Briggs-Mensah’s Salala project has reignited national conversations about the effectiveness of the Legislative Support Project (LSP) and whether lawmakers are prioritizing sustainable development or using these funds for political optics.
AS SCRUTINY INTENSIFIES, civil society groups and local leaders are demanding accountability and urging lawmakers across the country to engage in genuine consultations with their constituents before executing development initiatives.
MR. PRESIDENT, WE plead that your government should examine the collaboration between the Legislature and the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) if Liberians are to benefit from their own taxes and other resources generated by the government for the betterment of their lives and the country. This is our plead, Mr. President.
