-Senate and House want to know
By our Staff Writer
Even Liberian lawmakers themselves are confused as to whether or not the Liberian government is broke and the exact health of the Liberian economy, with both the Senate and the House of Representatives calling for the country’s financial and economic managers to face plenary and clarify the issue.
In his first State of the Nation address on January 29, 2018, Liberia’s new President George Manneh Weah gave a bleak picture of the state of the ecnomy he inherited, as civil servants have gone without pay for some two months.
“This is plain to see for we are all affected by it: our economy is broken, our government is broke, our currency is in free fall, inflation is rising and unemployment is at unprecedented high, and our foreign reserve is at an all-time low,” Weah told the joint session of the Legislature.
But no further details was forthcoming from the new government for days, until his predecessor, former President Ellen Johnson reacted sharply by refuting claims that she left the government broke.
In an interview with the British Broadcasting Corporation after she won the US$5 million Mo Ibrahim Prize for outstanding African leadership earlier in February, President Sirleaf said she left over US$150 million in the national coffers when she handed over power to Weah.
The former Liberian leader further said the records are there with the new leadership and “the figures speak for themselves”, arguing that she didn’t leave the Liberian government finances in shambles as it is being made for people to believe.
But over a month into the CDC-led government, the situation remains confused and blurred as it was when Weah took office back in January with calls from Lawmakers for the Minister of Finance and Development Planning Samuel Tweah, Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) Executive Governor Milton Weeks and the head of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) Elfreda Tamba to appear before plenary to shed light on this critical issue.
Montserrado County Representative from the ruling CDC party Dixon W. Seboe presented his case to the body and got the backing of his colleagues for these financial and economic managers to appear before the body this Thursday,
“Controversial US$150 million which the Ellen Johnson-Government’s administration left in the coffers, and the announcement by President Weah that the country is broke,” Rep Seboe, who is a member of the House Finance Standing Committee said.
In a letter read on the floor of the House plenary on Tuesday, Rep Seboe said:
“I write to bring to the attention of this House the statements made by President George Weah during the State of the Nation address that the country’s economy is broken and the country is broke, and that our former President Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in a BBC interview claimed that she left more than US$150m in the nation’s coffers.”
“These two statements leave more questions unanswered. Was the president properly briefed on the state of the economy? Are there hidden funds that were not reported? Were the former president’s remarks not guided by facts? If we have this much money readily available, the urgent needs of civil servants must be handled immediately to enhance the smooth running of the government.”
At the same time, similar concerns were being expressed on the floor of the Senate for the country’s financial and economic managers to explain the “Controversial US$150 million which the Ellen Johnson-Government’s administration left in the coffers, and the announcement by President Weah that the country is broke.”
Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, Chair of the Senate Committee on Rules, Order and Administration spoke of the need for these officials “to present the actual status of the country’s economy.”
Senator Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence’s stance was buttressed by other fellow colleagues including Grand Bassa Senator Jonathan Kaipay who, together with Montserrado County Senator Geraldine Doe-Sherif.
They even requested that the outgoing administration be made to inform the nation on the status of the economy that would be inherited by the next leadership.