MONROVIA – A budget analysis conducted by The Liberian Post has revealed that just in two years, US$23.9 million was spent as salaries alone for 103 lawmakers, and US$4.74 million was paid to them for constituency visit; while US$9.4 million for fuel; US$26.6 million for meetings/hearings; US$4 million plus for vehicles, etc, in a national budget that spans a little over US$7.8 million, leaving the rest of ordinary Liberians at God’s mercy. Liberians continue wonder whether these lawmakers are the only Liberians?
While these lawmakers are reaping millions on salaries and other benefits, Liberians working in the security sector, including the Liberia National Police (LNP), Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Liberia Immigration Service (LIS), Liberia National Fire Service (LNFS), Liberia Drug Enforcement Agency (LDEA) among others are earning little or nothing for take-home salaries. In the case of the LDEA and LIS, a leaked payroll, a lot of LDEA and LIS agents are earning between US$71.24 and US$139.69 a whole month. Wow. Ex: ID #422656 earns US$71.24.
Also in the last 24 months, the Government of Liberia through Liberian tax payers’ monies spent US$22.07 million on the President, Vice President, Pro-Temp of the Senate, Speaker, and Dept. Speaker of the House of Representatives, while only US$15 million was allotted on the largest referral hospital in Liberia, the John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital (JFK). It is deduced that more is being spent on the politicians than the people who elected them, something that continues to baffle the ordinary Liberian.
TLP has uncovered through the budget analysis it conducted that those government officials or ‘big shots’ who earn between US$5K and US$11K in salaries every month still have assigned cars, gas slips, housing allowances, medical allowances, etc. The Liberians and civil servants who earn US$150 have to pay transportation, rent, medical bills, etc., something political activists equate to ‘Unequal Society’ which they say is ‘Very Sad’.
There also reports through documentary evidence Commissioners, City Mayors, and Statutory Superintendents in rural counties are still earning as little as US$117 per month as salaries, while some officials in government state-owned enterprises reportedly earn about US$11K every month with enormous benefits equated in thousands of United States dollars.
With just the few examples above, some politicians in high places, including the Speaker, Deputy Speaker, President Pro-Temp, Senators, Representatives among others usually put up a posture of good gesture by showcasing to the Liberians that they are doing good by personally engaging in projects as their expense. But technically, these monies are allotted to them through the national budget while these public institutions that are supposed to be allotted adequate funds to operate are given peanuts.
Speaker Koon Launches Renovation Projects in Sinoe and at University of Liberia
As so, to authenticate his political interests and gains, the Office of Speaker Richard Nagbe Koon announced the commencement of two significant infrastructure renovation projects to enhance public service delivery and improving educational facilities for Liberians, but critics argue monies instead should be allotted through national budget to renovate these public facilities.
According to the Speaker Office, the Speaker has undertaken the full renovation of the Butaw Administrative Building. This vital public facility, which serves as the administrative hub for the district, will receive structural repairs and upgrades to improve efficiency and service delivery. The project is valued at US$10,000 — approximately 2,000,000 Liberian dollars.
As for the University of Liberia campuses’ restroom renovations, Speaker Koon has embarked on renovating the bathrooms at both University of Liberia campuses. The work will include modern fixtures, improved sanitation systems, and upgraded water access. This project is budgeted at US$32,000 — equivalent to about L$6,400,000.
Speaking on the initiatives, Speaker Koon emphasized his commitment to fostering development both in rural communities and educational institutions:
“These projects are part of my broader vision to ensure that public facilities and learning environments meet the dignity and needs of our people. When infrastructure works, communities thrive.”
The renovations are expected to commence sooner, with completion dates to be announced in the coming weeks.
Lawmakers Construct Colleges, Provide Medical Supplies, Transport Services for Political Advantages
It can be recalled this is not the first time that a top official at the Legislature has decided to carry out a project at the state-owned-and-run University of Liberia at his personal expense. Former Senate Pro-Temp Albert Kie did donate to the UL in the past, signaling that they indeed earn more money in the national budget than to the UL.
Also, other lawmakers embarked on the construction of colleges, health facilities and engaged in transportation businesses, while the state-run entities like the University of Liberia and the National Transit Authority (NTA) were allotted minimum amounts in the budget. These lawmakers would lobby their colleagues to provide them subsidies in the budget for their private health centers and transportation businesses to the detriment of state-run public institutions for their selfish political gains.
It remains to be seen whether the Unity Party (UP-led) government will not renege on its own promise of ‘No Business as Usual’ by continuing to allow these lawmakers to allot unto themselves huge funds in the budget for their personal political advantages, while state-owned-and-run institutions linger in distress due to inadequate budgetary allotments to operate properly for the betterment of Liberians.
Political Pundits React to Speaker Koon’s Renovation Projects with Tax Payers’ Monies
Meanwhile, the political showboating by some lawmakers, including Speaker Koon, where they pretend to undertake projects with less value, have been lambasted by political pundits who say these lawmakers are doing these things to harness their political interests and gains.
According to them, it is baffling that these very lawmakers will allot unto themselves hundreds of millions for their salaries, vehicles, and other benefits for personal greed in a given period, while they give little or nothing to government-owned entities and institutions responsible to carry out specific functions in health, education, transportation, among others.
These pundits argue that these lawmakers should think about reducing their huge salaries and benefits and redirect those monies to government entities responsible to carry out specific duties in keeping with law. Why should a lawmaker take his personal monies to renovate a government-owned entity and that government entity is allotted monies in the budget does not have the means to do so? It only shows that the lawmakers allot unto themselves more monies than what they give those government institutions whose functions that they are usurping, the pundits wonder.
They say President Boakai as Chief Executive of the Country must put his feet down and call these lawmakers to book by ensuring that requisite amounts of monies are allotted to public institutions for their operations, running and upkeep, instead of lawmakers using their personal monies they get through budgetary allotment to spend on public institution to insinuate they are rending them a favor. The lawmakers must allot more monies to public institutions rather than given them peanuts and later go on to take on projects at those government entities on a personal note just for political self-aggrandizement.
