PHOTO: Grand Bassa County Sen. Kaipay meeting with some of his constituents
By King Brown, sarwahking@gmail.com
BUCHANAN, Liberia – A Senator from the opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Jonathan L. Kaipay has vowed never to return his share of the US$30,000 “Legislative engagement fund” each Legislator has recently pocketed from government’s coffers.
The Grand Bassa County Senator, who ran on the opposition Liberty Party’s ticket in the 2017 elections, vehemently rejected calls from the Liberian public for the over one hundred Senators and Representatives return the over three million US dollars to the national coffers for redirection to the country’s struggling health sector.
Speaking here on Liberia’s Independence Day on Monday, July 26, 2021, Sen. Kaipay said that his share of the money will be used to what he called, impact his county and constituents.
The opposition Lawmaker, who acknowledged receipt of the second 15-thousand USD of the 30-thousand payment, clarified that the money is not illegal.
Among groups condemning the disbursement of the US$30K to Legislators is the Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia (EFFL), who claim that the payment to Lawmakers to engage their constituents amounts to corruption and promoting bad governance.
Justifying their pocketing the US$30,000.00 each, Sen. Kaipay said the funds were allotted under legislative engagement was placed in the 2020/2021 national budget to necessarily support initiatives in their various counties and was not intended for any senator to pocket or use for their benefits.
Presents DSTV to Constituents while defending US$30K
As he stoutly defended the sharing of the over three million US dollars, the opposition CPP Senator presented a brand new flat screen television and DSTV set to the Harlandsville Interactive Intellectual Forum in the County, saying he’s not using the money to solve his own problem but promised to meet the needs and wants of his constituents.
According to him, the money is legal and will be used for the intended purpose to impact the livelihood of his people within the five electoral districts of Grand Bassa County that he’s representing at the Liberian senate.
The Lawmaker said upon the completion of his legislative engagement tour, he will present a comprehensive financial report to the people of his County to know exactly how the US$30,000 he received on their behalf was expended.
“When I’m done with my legislative engagements within the five electoral districts of my County, put this on record, I will provide a well-written financial report to my people to know how some of us used our potion of the US$30k,” he noted.
Sen. Kaipay told the citizen that the DSTV set presented to the Intellectual Forum cost little over US$500 dollars. He also presented LR$50-thousand dollars with 18 bags of 25kg rice to the Bassa Minister Association which he said are part of his legislative engagement funds.
This incumbent Senator may be seeking re-election in Grand Bassa County come 2023.
Opposes Sen. Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence’s position on second US$15K
The Liberty Party Senator’s statement is in sharp contrast to his Political Leader Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence also of Grand Bassa County, who has requested for her second 15-thousand dollars as legislative engagement funds be sent back to the government’s Consolidated account and be used to battle the further spread of the Coronavirus.
Sen. Kaipay seems to be not in line with her pleas to her colleagues to divert their share of the legislative engagement funds towards Covid-19 fight amid the increase in the number of reported cases across the Country.
The Liberty Party’s Senator Karnage Lawrence told the Senate plenary recently that the most compelling national responsibility as a nation is the fight against COVID-19, and as such; her second 15-thousand dollars be used as support to fight against the killer disease.
Sen. Lawrence, who chairs the four-part opposition CPP, made the request in a communication addressed to the Liberian senate committee chairman on Ways, Means and Finance, Senator Morris Saytumah on July 21, 2021.