FOR YEARS LIBERIANS have called on the Legislature to be audited being this first branch of government that allots itself millions of dollars yearly in the National Budget of the Republic. Of the almost US$800 million allotted in the National Budget, the Legislature gets a very huge lion’s share, from where they are paid huge salaries, benefits and given other incentives. Of the US$880,661,873.00 national budget, the 73 men and women in the Legislature have as their share US$44.3 million.
THESE LAWMAKERS HAVE always called that the other two branches of the Government – Executive and Judiciary – be audited but have never mentioned about themselves. The former Speaker of the 55th Legislature, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, it is said that one of his agendas was to ensure that comprehensive audit of the House of Representatives was carried out to the letter.
IT HAS BEEN reported that Koffa’s colleagues vehemently rejected the audit this led to them not wanting him to be Speaker of the 55th Legislature. They had hoped that Koffa’s ascendency would have protected the Legislature from audit, but Cllr. Koffa had an agenda to ensure that Liberians got a clearer picture how funds allotted to the Legislature are expended.
AND SO, IT came as no outright surprise when Nimba County District #7 Representative, Musa Hassan Bility came out publicly to state that there is “Systematic Theft” within the Legislature, accusing the Legislature of deep corruption, and has demanded an audit.
ACCORDING TO THE Nimba County District #7 Representative, he has thrown his full weight behind transparency and accountability and has challenged President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to muster the courage to order the audit of the Legislature, which he said is at the peak of corruption.
IN AN OPEN letter to President Boakai, the Nimba County lawmaker revealed that there is systemic theft of public funds within the Legislature, which the President should not turn a blind eye as the government goes on to prosecute lawmakers over the fire incident. “You have the authority. You have the responsibility. Now, summon the courage. Audit the house. Audit the Legislature. History is watching,” stated Rep. Bility as he goes on to highlight various levels of corruption and ills that have gone unnoticed in government and at the Legislature.
HE INTONED THAT millions perhaps hundreds of millions, have lost through abuse and misappropriations within the Legislature itself, stressing that for months, while this investigation into the fire incident was pursued, the national budget was misused.
REP. BILITY ASSERTED that funds meant for development were repurposed for political expediency and that millions of dollars, under the 2024 budget, were diverted, far more than the damage from the fire. But despite all this, he noticed no similar urgency has been shown in investigating that crime.
THE NIMBA COUNTY District #7 Representative disclosed how countless motions proffered by him for the audit of the House of Representatives have failed. “We have tried to bring a motion for the audit of the House of Representatives. We have failed. We’ve raised it multiple times. We have failed. Clearly, the Legislature will never muster the courage to audit itself. But you, Mr. President are empowered under the law.”
HE THEN URGED the Liberian leader to use his constitutional and moral responsibility to order a comprehensive audit of the House of Representatives and the Senate, particularly from 2011 to the present so that Liberians would have an opportunity to see how their money has been used, misused, and abused.
WITH THE REVISED Act establishing the General Auditing Commission giving the President the authority to mandate the audit of any public institution, including the Legislature, Rep. Bility challenged the government to begin ensuring transparency and accountability at the very heart of our democracy, if the government is indeed, is committed to ending corruption and abuse. “This should be your legacy, Mr. President. Not just the prosecution of a few alleged arsonists, but the bold decision to clean the system from within. Yes, it will hurt. Yes, it may expose allies and discomfort friends. But Liberia deserves it. Our people deserve it. History will honor you not for your silence, but for your courage.”
HE SAID LIBERIA cannot continue to beg the world for aid while squandering its own resources through unchecked legislative corruption, stressing that the international partners will never truly respect the country until it shows respect for itself.
THIS, REP. BILITY noted, was President Boakai’s chance to restore the bleeding dignity of the people’s House. “Do it for the homeless mother, the out-of-school child, the hungry elder, and the countless citizens watching a trial while their government refuses to account for far greater crimes,” he added.
THE LIBERIAN POST has joined Representative Musa Hassan Bility to call on the Legislature to initiate an audit to ensure transparency because he who comes with equity must come with clean hands in the fight against corruption.
AUDITING THE LEGISLATURE is overdue because these lawmakers take home huge percentage of the National Budget for their personal aggrandizement instead of prioritizing the interests of the Liberian people. If these people cannot account for and how they use these millions of dollars, then they should not be in that august House in the first place.
THEREFORE, THE CALL from Nimba County District #7 Representative, Musa Hassan Bility to crave for urgent audit of the Legislature due to what he terms as “systematic theft” is a welcoming development for Liberians who believe in transparency and accountability. We at The Liberian Post whole heartily welcome such a call because for Liberia to progress and meet the needs of its people every penny, nickel and dime allotted for public service should be accounted for holistically at all levels.
THE TIME HAS come for the people’s representatives to come clean and tell Liberians how they have expanded their taxes which are allotted to them through the National Budget. Keeping secret how they use the people’s monies is a disservice to the country and its peoples. If they cannot account then they should not be surprised when the people rise up against them to account for their tax dollars.
THE LIBERIAN POST once again wants to urge the lawmakers of the 55th Legislature to do the needful by living up to the principle of transparency and accountability of the hundreds of millions allotted to them through the Budget. If they cannot account for those monies, how do they expect the Judiciary and Executive to account for their portion of the monies allotted to them through the National Budget?
IF PRESIDENT BOAKAI says that his administration will not be a government that will do things of the past, now is the time to for him to use his executive powers to ensure that the Legislature is audited so that Liberians can know how their tax dollars are spent in their interests instead of personal aggrandizement of the lawmakers. A hint to the wise……..
Audit of the Legislature Is Overdue
FOR YEARS LIBERIANS have called on the Legislature to be audited being this first branch of government that allots itself millions of dollars yearly in the National Budget of the Republic. Of the almost US$800 million allotted in the National Budget, the Legislature gets a very huge lion’s share, from where they are paid huge salaries, benefits and given other incentives. Of the US$880,661,873.00 national budget, the 73 men and women in the Legislature have as their share US$44.3 million.
THESE LAWMAKERS HAVE always called that the other two branches of the Government – Executive and Judiciary – be audited but have never mentioned about themselves. The former Speaker of the 55th Legislature, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, it is said that one of his agendas was to ensure that comprehensive audit of the House of Representatives was carried out to the letter.
IT HAS BEEN reported that Koffa’s colleagues vehemently rejected the audit this led to them not wanting him to be Speaker of the 55th Legislature. They had hoped that Koffa’s ascendency would have protected the Legislature from audit, but Cllr. Koffa had an agenda to ensure that Liberians got a clearer picture how funds allotted to the Legislature are expended.
AND SO, IT came as no outright surprise when Nimba County District #7 Representative, Musa Hassan Bility came out publicly to state that there is “Systematic Theft” within the Legislature, accusing the Legislature of deep corruption, and has demanded an audit.
ACCORDING TO THE Nimba County District #7 Representative, he has thrown his full weight behind transparency and accountability and has challenged President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to muster the courage to order the audit of the Legislature, which he said is at the peak of corruption.
IN AN OPEN letter to President Boakai, the Nimba County lawmaker revealed that there is systemic theft of public funds within the Legislature, which the President should not turn a blind eye as the government goes on to prosecute lawmakers over the fire incident. “You have the authority. You have the responsibility. Now, summon the courage. Audit the house. Audit the Legislature. History is watching,” stated Rep. Bility as he goes on to highlight various levels of corruption and ills that have gone unnoticed in government and at the Legislature.
HE INTONED THAT millions perhaps hundreds of millions, have lost through abuse and misappropriations within the Legislature itself, stressing that for months, while this investigation into the fire incident was pursued, the national budget was misused.
REP. BILITY ASSERTED that funds meant for development were repurposed for political expediency and that millions of dollars, under the 2024 budget, were diverted, far more than the damage from the fire. But despite all this, he noticed no similar urgency has been shown in investigating that crime.
THE NIMBA COUNTY District #7 Representative disclosed how countless motions proffered by him for the audit of the House of Representatives have failed. “We have tried to bring a motion for the audit of the House of Representatives. We have failed. We’ve raised it multiple times. We have failed. Clearly, the Legislature will never muster the courage to audit itself. But you, Mr. President are empowered under the law.”
HE THEN URGED the Liberian leader to use his constitutional and moral responsibility to order a comprehensive audit of the House of Representatives and the Senate, particularly from 2011 to the present so that Liberians would have an opportunity to see how their money has been used, misused, and abused.
WITH THE REVISED Act establishing the General Auditing Commission giving the President the authority to mandate the audit of any public institution, including the Legislature, Rep. Bility challenged the government to begin ensuring transparency and accountability at the very heart of our democracy, if the government is indeed, is committed to ending corruption and abuse. “This should be your legacy, Mr. President. Not just the prosecution of a few alleged arsonists, but the bold decision to clean the system from within. Yes, it will hurt. Yes, it may expose allies and discomfort friends. But Liberia deserves it. Our people deserve it. History will honor you not for your silence, but for your courage.”
HE SAID LIBERIA cannot continue to beg the world for aid while squandering its own resources through unchecked legislative corruption, stressing that the international partners will never truly respect the country until it shows respect for itself.
THIS, REP. BILITY noted, was President Boakai’s chance to restore the bleeding dignity of the people’s House. “Do it for the homeless mother, the out-of-school child, the hungry elder, and the countless citizens watching a trial while their government refuses to account for far greater crimes,” he added.
THE LIBERIAN POST has joined Representative Musa Hassan Bility to call on the Legislature to initiate an audit to ensure transparency because he who comes with equity must come with clean hands in the fight against corruption.
AUDITING THE LEGISLATURE is overdue because these lawmakers take home huge percentage of the National Budget for their personal aggrandizement instead of prioritizing the interests of the Liberian people. If these people cannot account for and how they use these millions of dollars, then they should not be in that august House in the first place.
THEREFORE, THE CALL from Nimba County District #7 Representative, Musa Hassan Bility to crave for urgent audit of the Legislature due to what he terms as “systematic theft” is a welcoming development for Liberians who believe in transparency and accountability. We at The Liberian Post whole heartily welcome such a call because for Liberia to progress and meet the needs of its people every penny, nickel and dime allotted for public service should be accounted for holistically at all levels.
THE TIME HAS come for the people’s representatives to come clean and tell Liberians how they have expanded their taxes which are allotted to them through the National Budget. Keeping secret how they use the people’s monies is a disservice to the country and its peoples. If they cannot account then they should not be surprised when the people rise up against them to account for their tax dollars.
THE LIBERIAN POST once again wants to urge the lawmakers of the 55th Legislature to do the needful by living up to the principle of transparency and accountability of the hundreds of millions allotted to them through the Budget. If they cannot account for those monies, how do they expect the Judiciary and Executive to account for their portion of the monies allotted to them through the National Budget?
IF PRESIDENT BOAKAI says that his administration will not be a government that will do things of the past, now is the time to for him to use his executive powers to ensure that the Legislature is audited so that Liberians can know how their tax dollars are spent in their interests instead of personal aggrandizement of the lawmakers. A hint to the wise……..
