By Monrovia, Liberia- Senate and House To shed light on the contradictory figures about the balances in the government’s consolidated accounts, refer to the governor of the central bank.
The House of Representatives’ top decision-making body, the Plenary, decided on Tuesday to call the governor of the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) and his deputies to address the body this Thursday in order to correct any misinformation.
The House’s decision to invite the CBL Governor and his deputies to clarify their contradictory statements was sparked by requests made in separate letters by two members of the House of Representatives: Dixon W. Seibo (CDC, District #16, Montserrado County) and Ivar K. Jones (CDC, District #2, Margibi County).
President Boakai stated at his yearly speech, also known as the state of the nation address, that his administration only inherited US$20.5 million, in contrast to former President George Weah’s assertion that his administration left US$40 million in the nation’s reserve.
President Weah boasted in his parting speech to the country that his administration was passing on a stronger economy to his successor than the one he had inherited from Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
In his correspondence, Rep. Jones noted that the contradicting statements violated citizens’ fundamental rights to know about their government and its officials, as guaranteed by Article 15c of the Republic of Liberia’s 1986 Constitution. They also caused confusion.
In his messages, Representative Seibo pointed out that the CBL, being the organization that maintains the combined account, is qualified to verify these assertions.
After the discussion, the Plenary approved a move made by Maryland County Representative P. Mike Jurry to invite the Governor and his deputies.
Senators from the Upper House also voiced their opinions on the matter. The Public Accounts and Audits Committee (PAC) and the Banking and Currency Committee (BCC) were given orders by the Senate Plenary to “expeditiously” look into the discrepancies and determine the true balances of the consolidated accounts with supporting documentation. The committees were to report back to the plenary on Tuesday, February 6, 2024.
By: Alphanso G. Kalama
