Liberian Listserv Weekly Schedule of Behaviors!

You all remind me every day what day it is. I don’t need to look at my calendar, just read from the Liberian listserv, I will know. It’s a shame how we treat each other weekly. For as long as I have been on this listserv, I have noticed a pattern with us.

 

Here is what I noticed about us:

 

Monday - We are cordial to each other, we say thank you and enjoy your week while expressing our view on an issue or two.

 

Tuesday - We disagree on the issue at hand and call each other uneducated and lacking common sense.

 

Wednesday - We start calling each other names like dumb, stupid, useless, but stay on the issue at hand.

 

Thursday – The Congo vs Country and what county you were born in comes out and we are overloaded with insults. We not only continue the name calling, we also insult each other parents and spouses.

 

Friday - We are mad but out of insults, so we moved away from the issue at hand and start correcting each other sentence and grammars. This is the part that cracks me up the most….priceless!

 

Saturday - We call each other up and exchange parties, weddings, picnics and conventions locations. We arrange who we are going to meet up with and where. We drink and talk about the same issues we stop talking about on Friday. We dance, laugh, eat and greet each other with respect and leave in a good mood.

 

Sunday - We gather at churches and praise God/Allah, shake hands/hug each other, exchange phone numbers and promised to call. Get home and call someone to continue the political discussion from Saturday’s night. On Sundaynight, we start a new dialog and the discussion finds its way on the net!

 

By the way, this behavior is mostly the men, we women do not have the time, we are busy taking care of the home, kids, spouses, and working and sometimes still trying to educate ourselves! You all could learn a thing or two from us!

 

Well, at least we are consistent and I have NEVER been disappointed…..ever!

 

WHAT’S WRONG WITH US?????

 

Thank you,

 

Roberta Williams

Liberian Law Makers Salaries....Bunch of Crookes!

Liberian Legislature: Unholy Political Theater of Unrepented Crooks

Why must a poverty-stricken nation like Liberia spend over US$170.8 million in 4 years on just 103 Lawmakers alone when education is a mess? 

It is somehow difficult to determine which branch of the Liberian government is the most corrupt and the most unpatriotic, but one would reasonably crown the Legislative branch with such characterization.

Undeniably, Liberia has one of the most corrupt and unpatriotic Parliaments in the World. Legislators of both the 52nd and 53rdNational Legislatures have betrayed public confidence and poorly represented the interest of the people.

The struggle for power and wealth on Capitol Hill has dishonorably plagued the integrity of the National Legislature and rendered it politically barren for almost 12 years now.

The political marathon of 73 lawmakers is nearing completion and it is no secret that all of them have become millionaires overnight at the expense of those who elected them. This is what happens when a group of unrepented crooks is elected by the people to lead. With 239 days to go on this journey, the race to amass wealth at the detriment of the ordinary masses will soon be over.  

Even though there are few (probably 2%) with vision, passion and good intention to uplift Liberia and Liberians from the trench of economic misery, but 98% of them are pro-Crooks and anti-Change agents.

This article reveals the hardcore facts about how Liberian Lawmakers have become millionaires in a small, but resource-rich country where over 80% of the citizenry is extremely poor and unemployed.

Sierra Leone has a national budget of over 4.7 trillion Leone which is equivalent to US$648.8 million while Liberia has a budget of over L$57.3 billion which is equivalent to US$600.2 million.  The population of Sierra Leone is 6.092 million while Liberia is 4.294 million (Reference: World Bank February 6, 2017).

50% of Sierra Leone’s national budget accounts for recurrent expenditure while 86.7% of Liberia’s budget accounts for recurrent expenditure.  Recurrent expenditures are payments made by the government on goods and services such as salaries, wages, etc.

The budget of the National Legislature of Liberia in 12 months is US$40,635,340.00. From this US$40.6 million plus, the Speaker alone bags US$444,945.00 while the Senate Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate receives US$482,203.00 in a period of one (1) year.

Both the Speaker and the Pro Tempore receive US$927,148.00 while over 800 Liberian children die every year as a result of unsafe drinking water according to WaterAid International.

Sierra Leone has a unicameral Legislature. This means that the Parliament of Sierra Leone comprises only a House of Representatives. The Sierra Leonean Parliament has a total of 124 Lawmakers from 14 Districts.

On a monthly basis in Sierra Leone, each Member of Parliament (MP) or Lawmaker receives a total of 21,167,000 Sierra Leonean Leone which is equivalent to just US$2,862.63. This includes:

1.      Constituency Development Fund – US$698.74

2.      Salary – US$2,163.8998.74

Liberia has a bicameral Legislature. This means that the Parliament of Liberia comprises both a House of Representatives and a House of Senate. The Liberian Parliament has a total of 103 Lawmakers from 73 Districts and 15 Counties. 

On a monthly basis in Liberia, each Representative receives over US$14,342.00 while each Senator gets US$15,424.33. This excludes other expenses done annually. Permit me to give you a clear financial breakdown of what our nation is spending on just one lawmaker.

House of Representatives (Monthly – 30 days)

1.      Basic Salary - US$2,873.00

2.      General Allowance - US$5,793.70

3.      Special Allowance - US$2,500.00

4.      Transportation Reimbursement Allowance - US$3,175.00

5.      Total – US$14,342.00

Other Expenses (Annually – 12 months)

1.      Telecom, Internet & Post – US$16,957.00

2.      Residential Property Lease – US$15,656.00

3.      Vehicle Fuel – US$45,499.00

4.      Generator Fuel – US$2,586.00

5.      Repair of Vehicles – US$1,724.00

6.      Domestic Travel – US$20,128.00

7.      Other Specialized Materials – US$35,896.00

According to our National Budget, each Representative takes home US$172,104.00 in 12 months. This means that in a period of 6 years, Liberia is spending over US$1,032,624.00 in salaries and allowances on just one Representative while citizens in Southeastern Liberia are completely cut-off due to bad roads.

House of Senate (Monthly – 30 days)

6.      Basic Salary - US$2,913

7.      General Allowance - US$6,811.33

8.      Special Allowance - US$2,500.00

9.      Transportation allowance - US$3,200

10.  Total – US$15,424.33

Other Expenses (Annually – 12 months)

·         Telecom, Internet & Post  – US$13,793.00

·         Residential Property Lease – US$12,000.00

·         Vehicle Fuel – US$42,371.00

·         Generator Fuel – US$2,465.00

·         Repair of Vehicles – US$19,832.00

·         Foreign Travel – US$14,000.00

·         Other Specialized Materials US$19,938.00

According to our National Budget, each Senator goes home with US$209,516.00 in 12 months in basic salary, general allowance and special allowance. This means that in a period of 9 years, Liberia is spending over US$1,885,644.00 in salaries and allowances on just one Senator while extreme poverty strangulates thousands of our citizens.

I am still wondering what is the difference between General Allowance and Special Allowance? Why are we spending over US$16K for Telecom & Internet and US$15K for Residential Property Lease for each Representative? Isn’t this wasteful spending, mass looting and midday conspiracy against the people?

Annually, over US$17.7 million is spent on just 103 Lawmakers who continue to ratify bogus concession agreements and mortgage our interest for self-gain. Now, let us take a keen look at what we have spent on the Legislative branch alone since 2013 up to now.

Legislative Branch

1.      FY 2013 – 2014 – US$39,249,883

2.      FY 2014 – 2015 – US$41,937,420

3.      FY 2015 – 2016 – US$49,056,294

4.      FY 2016 – 2017 – US$40,635,340

5.      Total FY 2013 – 2017 – US$170,879,037

These millions are paid to Legislators at a time when health workers, security personnel and teachers are receiving US$150.00 on the average in a period of one (1) month. They are paid at a time when access to safe drinking water, quality education, improved sanitation, good roads, better housing, food security, electricity, environmental safety, social welfare, etc. is rare.  

While Lawmakers are taking home more than US$172,104.00 yearly, teachers, security officers and health workers are paid US$1800. Just take a moment and compare the gap in wages that currently exists between the lawmakers and the common people.

Even though they continue to receive huge sums of dollars at the expense of the people, but they are yet to be satisfied. Receiving brown envelops to ratify concession agreements and change our laws in favor of foreign interest are common practices in the Legislature.

Our National Legislature is one of the most clandestine and incompetent assembly anyone can ever imagine. Out of US$8 billion worth of natural resource contracts ratified and signed since 2009, almost all (66 out of 68) violated Liberia’s Laws (Reference: Moore Stephens Report, May 2013).

In addendum, it is important that we take a glance at few Legislative facts between Liberia and the United States of America. The 2016-2017 budget of the United States of America is US$4.147 trillion while Liberia is just US$600.20 million.

Even though Liberia’s national budget is far less than the USA, but its Speaker and Senate Pro tempore receive more money annually than the Speaker and Senate Pro tempore of the United States of America. Isn’t this an irony? This is not only an irony that provokes, but gross wickedness and unpatriotism beyond limit.

These are few facts relating to what lawmakers receive in a period of one (1) year from both Liberia and USA:

Parliament of Liberia

1.      Speaker – US$444,945.00

2.      Senate Pro tempore – US$482,203.00

3.      Each Senator – US$209,516.00

4.      Each Representative – US$172,104.00

Congress of the United States of America

1.      Speaker – US$223,500.00

2.      Senate Pro Tempore – US$193,400.00

3.      Each Senator – US$174,000.00

4.      Each Representative – US$174,000.00

Interestingly, the Speaker and Senate Pro tempore of the Liberian Legislature even make more money than the President and Vice President of the United States of America. US President gets US$400,000.00 per annum while the Vice President receives US$230,700.00.

If these facts do not provoke you to act and stand up for CHANGE now, then you are a utopian. We must demand immediate reduction in the salaries and benefits of Liberian Lawmakers through mass civil action. We also remain hopeful that 2017 will make a lot of difference.

Our nation is bleeding as a result of the decisions Lawmakers have been taking. Unequivocally and undoubtedly, they have become millionaires overnight as a result of greed and unpatriotism. Corruption has been an acceptable standard or value in the Liberian Legislature. They have looted enough and it is time for them to go.

We must put an end to mass looting of State resources by voting them out. They have never been in our interest – not even once. If they have been working in our interest, youth unemployment would have been minimized by now.

The exponential increase in drug addiction, gambling, prostitution, labor abuse, human trafficking, poverty, etc. would have been curtailed. Unfortunately, service to the people through selflessness and patriotism has even been the least priority on their agenda.

Pathetically, corruption has polluted the minds of our lawmakers. Disinfecting or fumigating their minds of corruption remains a mountaineering challenge. To them, patriotism and nationalism are taboos.

Transparency and accountability are forbidden. We must not allow them to deceive us any longer. Most of them are trucking eligible voters from one district to another simply because they have miserably failed. It is time to let them go.

Can Liberians make the difference this year? Yes, I believe so if only we vote wisely. Go and register to vote in October. Our story can change if our trend of doing business as usual changes. It is about Liberia reclaiming its destiny.

Together, we can reclaim our future. We must make it happen and prove our pessimists wrong. Your voter’s registration card is not for sale. It is meant to boot out unrepented crooks and usher in a new breed of patriots.

From the largest slum of West Point and the top of Ducor, I see a new Liberia rising above the African Continent.

About Author:

Martin K. N. Kollie is an enthusiastic proponent of a new Liberia that seeks a concrete and sustainable pro-poor agenda driven by a people-centered and patriotic National Legislature

Liberian Ball vs Real Ball!

Two organizations, wow! This is a new dawn if only we could unite as ONE organization in the Americas. Can you imagine what we will accomplish? I would like to see ONE organization in America with states chapters, example: Liberia Association in America, Liberia Association in America Michigan Chapter, Liberia Association in America Delaware Chapter, etc. Annual due, $120.00. Each state chapter will host their convention annually. Convention sitting fee for attendees $100.00; nonattenders $200.00. Have all dues auto debited on the last day of each month ($10.00). The account should be handled by a non-Liberian accounting firm. Money generated at the end of the year should complete one major project in Liberia. The National Board of directors should be outsourced (non-Liberian) as well. Until we can develop trust, unity, and selflessness, every major decision and every penny spend should be governed by a non-Liberia group!

Now, let’s talk about THE ball.

The word "ball" derives from the Latin word ballare, meaning "to dance"; the Latin word also developed into French baller—from where it swapped into languages like English or German—, and bailar, the Spanish and Portuguese verbs for "to dance" (although all three Romance languages also know danser, danzar and dançar respectively).Catalan uses the same word, ball, for the dance event.

Nowhere in this description mentioned Long speeches and long sitting. If you are going to live on the microphone all night why we sit and or sleep, please change your title from “Ball” to “sit and talk” event. Some of us go to ball to DANCE not sit while Liberian men give long unnecessary “much to do about nothing” speeches!

Thank you,

Roberta Williams 

FROM: Grand Gedeh County and
Nimba County Associations
in the USA

TO: Liberian Diaspora Community

SUBJ: SPECIAL INVITATION

DATE: December 29, 2015

The officers and members of the Grand Gedeh County Association in America and the United Nimba Citizens Council, UNICCO cordially invite all Liberians residing in the United States to a NEW YEAR DINNER AND BALL on Saturday, February 6, 2016 at 7:00 PM. The venue is 7200 Groovers Avenue, Philadelphia PA 19142. The two Organizations have decided to host a UNITY FOR PEACE AND PROGRESS NEW YEAR DINNER AND BALL as a way of initiating a friendly and prosperous collaboration between the Organizations and their Counties.

Leaders of the two Organizations appointed a joint Steering Committee that is responsible to plan and execute the program. You will be hearing from the Committee occasionally providing you with basic information about the event.

Though invitations will go out to all Liberian Organizations, we want to send this special invitation to the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas, ULAA, all county and District organizations as well as all other Liberian organizations in the USA to attend this all important Dinner and Ball. Your invitations will soon be in the Mail, but we are kindly asking you to save this date and join the people of NIMBA County and Grand Gedeh to have a wonderful night together.

We will be happy to see all of you.

Gounquoi Domah and Anna Barlee
267 496 0939 484 620 9328
Grand Gedeh-Nimba Steering Committee

P.O. Box 40678
Staten Island, NY 10304
Email: claciliberia@outlook.com

To:  Mr. Ban KI. Moon
        Secretary General United Nations

From: The Public Relation Bureau of MOLAC & CLACI

Date:  September 29, 2015, New York, New York.


 

POSITION STATEMENT
ON THE ISSUES OF CORRUPTION AND IMPUNITY IN LIBERIA

The Movement of Liberians against Corruption (MOLAC) and Concerned Liberians against Corruption & Impunity (CLACI) Call Attention to the Following Problem Facing Liberia.

I.                   BRIEF HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
In December 1989, Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her associates financed, defined, promoted, and facilitated the National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL) genocidal war on Liberia, (TRC report, 2009).  The war escalated to the point that different warring factions emerged and, like the NPFL, ruthlessly raped women; tortured unarmed innocent people; pillaged the scarce natural and human resources of Liberia, and massacred innocent women, children, and the elderly.

With the intervention and help of the International Community, Liberians met on several occasions in different capital cities and adopted 16 peace agreements during the course of the civil war, all of which failed despite the fact that, the warlords and their patrons were rewarded and appeased with political and economic powers. Still determined to find sustainable peace and stability, again in 2003, Liberians with the support of the International Community, met in Accra, Ghana to sign a Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) with the hope of bringing an end to the brutal civil war in Liberia and to put in place sustainable peace that will address issues of corruption and impunity in Liberia. Article VIII of the CPA calls for the creation of the Liberian Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) that would address the question of impunity in addition to providing a forum whereby perpetrators and victims alike would have an opportunity to tell their stories either to exonerate themselves or seek forgiveness. The TRC was also mandated to investigate the root cause of the conflict and make necessary recommendations to deter future violence, death, and destruction in Liberia.

After nearly three years of rigorous work characterized by agonizing and emotional tales of horrors and barbarism told by victims and at an estimated cost of US$10,000,000 (ten million United States Dollars), the TRC issued its final report in December of 2009. The report   included a set of recommendations, which included but not limited to the creation of a National Human Rights Commission, enhancement of the peace process by implementing a wide-range of measures to root out corruption and impunity, as well as other vices in Liberia.
Pursuant to the Powers and Authority of the TRC as enshrined in Article VII Section 26(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) of the TRC Act of 2005 to address issues of impunity and to ensure accountability for violations of human rights during the period 1979 - 2003, the TRC recommended 49 individuals including Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, for debarment from holding public offices in Liberia for 30 years and other possible criminal prosecution by a specialized war crime court.

According to the TRC report (pp. 360-361), the 49 individuals, some of whom currently work in the administration of President Sirleaf, committed acts of gross human rights violations, as well as international human rights laws, war crimes, crimes against humanity, economic crimes, and the egregious violations of Liberian domestic laws. Contrary to the intent and spirit of the 2005 TRC Act, which obligated the Liberian Government to uphold and implement the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, including most especially the TRC recommendations, the Administration of President Sirleaf has failed to implement the TRC recommendations intended to address impunity in Liberia.

II. THE OUTCOME OF MADAM SIRLEAF INTRANSIGENCE: OUR GRIEVANCES    
For the past 10 years, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has ruled Liberia like a private business enterprise and has failed to institute any genuine reform in Liberia in total disregard of the needs and aspirations of Liberians. President Sirleaf, who came to power with an overwhelming international support, has failed to reconcile Liberians and has unfortunately transformed Liberia into a criminal enterprise by recruiting and hiring her foot soldiers that reportedly raped, tortured, murdered, and decapitated the bodies of their victims; as well as pillaged the scarce natural resources of Liberia. For Example, General Alhaji G.V. Kromah, former Chairman of the United Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy (ULIMO-K), one of the notorious rebel groups responsible for perpetrating torture and other heinous crimes in Liberia, is currently the Ambassador at-large and Advisor on foreign policy to President Sirleaf, while his nephew,   Abraham S. Kromah, former chief of staff of (ULIMO-K) served as  Deputy Director of Operations, Liberia National Police (LNP)  up to the summer of  2015;  Kabineh Ja'neh,  who is on record by the TRC report  for recruiting child soldiers and proving legal and material support for ULIMO- K,  is currently one of the  Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of Liberia;  Lewis Brown, Charles Taylor’s NPFL spokesman, is currently the Information Minister of the Sirleaf government.

In 2005, Benedict Sannoh, the current Justice Minister of Liberia along with Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine and Peter Bonnar Jallah, Jr.,  represented the interests of convicted war criminal, Charles Taylor, negotiated the Status of Forces Agreement (SFA)  with the West African Peace Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), which proved to be fraudulent.  As a consequence of these self-indulgence so-called legal experts of Liberia illicit act, ECOMOG prematurely left Liberia immediately following the election of Taylor in 1997.  Consequently, Taylor had the freehand to eliminate his perceived enemies.
On September 18, 1998,  the ruthless Executive Mansion Special Security Unit (EMSSU)  headed by Chucky Taylor, Taylor's infamous son who  was convicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the US government and  the  Special Operations Division of the National Police headed by the late  Joe Tate, former commander of Taylor’s notorious National Police moved on the residences of innocent tribal men and women belonging to the members of the late President Doe’s tribe - Krahn. The outcome was mayhem – the massacred of innocent Krahn and Sarpo tribes men and women, elderly, children and others on Camp Johnson road, Monrovia.  The unpleasant scene was marked by human body parts displaced by high-power explosives and caliber weapons.

We believe Brumskine and his legal expert partners were fully aware of Taylor’s desire to run ECOMOG out of Liberia so that he could terminate his perceived enemies. Charles Walker Brumskime, Peter Bonnar Jallah, Jr. and Benedict Sannoh must account for the precious lives that were lost on September 18, 1998. Dr. Toga Gayewea McIntosh, the current Vice President of the Economic Community of West African States (EOWAS) Commission, appointed by President Sirleaf is a founding member of the NPFL and served in many high profile positions in Charles Taylor’s government.  Dr. McIntosh as one of the funding members and high profile leader of the defunct NPFL is responsible for NPFL’s policy of terminating innocent Krahn, Mandingo, Sarpo, and members of the Liberian security forces and other innocent citizens from West African Countries that initially contributed troops to The Economic Community of West African States Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) mainly, Nigeria, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Ghana. We ask the Nigerian authorities to arrest and prosecute Toga Gayewea McIntosh for war crimes and crimes against humanity on behalf of Liberian war victims and the innocent West Africans including Nigerians who were killed in Liberia by the NPFL forces.

In 2011, Dr. Toga Gayewea McIntosh and Cllr. Varney Sharman were featured in the documentary, “The Ambassador,” in which both men were filmed by a Danish investigative journalist selling Liberian’s Ambassadorial position.  In the documentary, Mads Brügger was accredited as Liberia’s Ambassador to the Central African Republic. He used the documentary to expose how Dr. McIntosh   and Cllr. Sharman have been using their positions as Foreign Minister and Chairman of the ruling Unity Party (UP) to loot Liberia’s scare natural and human resources for their personal economic gain without regard to the image of the country. These are just a few examples; but there are numerous Liberian perpetrators currently serving in various high positions of influence and power in the three branches of the Liberian government.

Additionally, there are many who pillaged,  patronized,  and  economically benefited from the  blood of Liberian war victims  and are glamorously enjoying the fruit of their satanic crimes against Liberian war victims;  and are walking down the streets of Liberia with  absolute  economic  and social powers  with impunity. A classic example is in the person of Benoni Urey. Urey is a passionate supporter of the NPFL who served as the head of the Liberian Maritime Bureau. He allegedly pillaged millions of dollars from the Liberian Maritime funds and used the money to support the NPFL onslaught on the Liberian people and the people of Sierra Leone. Today, Urey is regarded as a successful businessman, philanthropist and an honorable elderly statesman. He has declared his intention to run for president of Liberia   in the 2017 general and presidential elections.

If President Sirleaf is actually serious about promoting peace and justice for Liberia war victims, we call on her to immediately remove Justice Kabineh Ja'neh from the Supreme court bench, Cllr. Benedict Sannoh from the Justice  Ministry, Mr. Lewis Brown from the Information Ministry, and recall Dr. Toga Gayewea McIntosh from ECOWAS, remove Cllr. Varney Sharman from the leadership of the ruling party and all those  named by the TRC report from their current positions in government until  the allegations against them are addressed through the proposed internationally backed war crimes court on Liberia. By doing so, she would have demonstrated concrete steps in the direction of genuine peace, reconciliation and justice for Liberian war victims. We cannot continue to allowed war and economic criminals to walk the streets of Liberia with impunity while ordinary Liberians who were victimized by their heinous acts continue to be dehumanized in abject poverty.


Listed below are few examples of how President Sirleaf has transformed Liberia into a criminal enterprise:

1.      President Sirleaf who claimed to have spent her lifetime advocating against corruption, fraud, waste, abuse and nepotism in the Liberian society contrarily, according to Transparency International (TI), has transformed Liberia into  one of the most corrupt nations in the world.

2.      President Sirleaf who prides herself as an advocate of democracy, human rights, the rule of law, and social justice, has transformed the Liberian Government into a family business enterprise with over 17 members of her family, friends, and allies currently holding powerful positions in her government, having successfully excluded skilled and well-meaning Liberians. For example, (1) Robert Sirleaf, the senior son of Madam Sirleaf was the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Liberia National Oil Company.  Currently, he is the Senior Advisor to the Liberian Government, Chief Oil Negotiator, and was a Senatorial Candidate, Montserrado county; (2) Fumba Sirleaf, son of President Sirleaf, Director National Security Agency; (3) Charles Sirleaf, son of Madam Sirleaf, Deputy Governor of Central Bank, and others.

3.      President Sirleaf spent over $50.9 million United States dollar to promote her image abroad while Liberian schools and healthcare system remains substandard (DOJ, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013). As the consequence, the Liberian health care system rapidly colapsed under the pressure of the Ebola virus disease, which killed more than  3000 Liberians mostly, the economy depressed while she and her officials traveled aboard for medical treatment on a regular basis.

4.      Since her acendency to power, the officials of her administration have consistely use frivolous libel and slander lawsuit to harrass and silence journalist who are objectively and deligently reporting on issues of government misconduct. For example, in September of 2013, journalist Rodney D. Sieh was imprisoned by the Sirleaf Government for $1.5million libel lawsuit purportedly filed by one of her allied, former Agriculture Minister who was implicated in a multimillion dollar scandal by the Liberian General Audit Commission (GAC); the Chronicle Newspaper editor in chief, Philipsburg Brown  was detained and denied exit visa, and many others.

III. OUR DEMANDS
Over the years President Sirleaf has undoubtedly abused feminist and human rights sentiments and used Harvard University credentials and her connections at the United Nations and other international organizations to circumvent the Liberian TRC process and the Liberian constitution, as well as to discredit those whom she perceived as political adversaries while projecting herself as the “Messiah of Liberia who kept the peace.” Contrarily, evidence of what is unfolding in Liberia shows that if the United Nations peace keeping force were to leave Liberia without justice for Liberian war victims, we will sink back into violence. This insincere behavior has helped to keep Liberia in the state of backwardness for years and has also emboldened alleged war and economic criminals in Liberia. In view of the aforementioned historical background and grievances, we demand the following:
 

1. That  the United Nations Peace Keeping force remains in Liberia until an internationally backed war crimes court is established and completes its mandate - to investigate and prosecute all those accused of aiding, abetting and perpetrating war crimes and crimes against humanity in Liberia, as well as economic crimes during the war from December 24, 1989- present;

     2.  That the Truth and Reconciliation Report (i.e. the TRC Report) be unconditionally implemented; 

3. That all audit recommendations produced by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) and all other reports by special committees set up to investigate corruption in Liberia be implemented with immediate effect; turn the cases over  to the courts for adjudication;

     4.That corrupt officials be publicly prosecuted without delay; 

5. That a Liberian Wealth Recovery Taskforce be setup to track and recover wealth illegally acquired by current and past Liberian public officials and those responsible for squandering be prosecuted;

      6.That both the National Human Rights Commission  and Peace Commission  be headed by  Liberian war victims who were  physically    affected by the  war with strong  academic, intellectual, and historical background and passion for justice, true peace and reconciliation in Liberia, and

7.   That a national conference on the future of Liberia to comprise of war victims, political parties, religious groups, civil society groups (both local and Diaspora) be organized and facilitated by the international contact group on Liberia to lay the framework for the implementation of the aforementioned demands.


IV. CONCLUSION
President Sirleaf has shown disdain and contempt for Liberian war victims as defined by the CPA and TRC Act in refusing to fully implement the CPA and TRC recommendations. “Where there is no justice there can be no peace,” as stated by Aung San Suu Kyi - In Quest of Democracy (1991).

Liberian war victims demand justice now!

As such, President Sirleaf must ask the international community, Economic Community of West African States, (ECOWAS), African Union (AU), United Nations (UN), and the European Union (EU) to intervene and helped support the full implantation of the TRC Report before it is too late. Also, we call on the government of the United States and all super powers to kindly assist Liberians by pressuring President Sirleaf and the Liberian legislatures to seek the interest of Liberia and work with the President in the creation of an internationally backed war crimes court on Liberia. We urge all people of goodwill to stand with Liberia and encourage President Sirleaf to muster the courage and implement the TRC recommendations.

Done and Released on the 29^th Day of September 2015 A.D. in the City of New York.  

 

Jacob D. Massaquoi II, MBA Jacob Massaquoi, Chairman Concerned Liberians Against Corruption and Impunity (CLACI) Email:jmassaquoi@gmail.com Phone(646)801-0749/ Web: www.aldsc2015.org

Seyon Nyanwleh, MA Seyon Nyanwleh  Secretary General Movement  of Liberians Against Corruption (MOLAC)  Email: hajsk4@gmail.com Phone (612) 730-1373 Web: www.aldsc2015.org

NEC SENATORIAL FINAL LIST for 2014 SPECIAL ELECTION

What is wrong with us Liberians? The government expect people to go out and vote at a time like this? The more we continue to show that Ebola is not a concern to us, the less international help we are going to get. People are risking their lives to come and help us and we are having elections? What is wrong with us? What is it going to take to kick some common sense into our “third race” heads? Do they expect the poor, the Ebola patients and the hungry people fighting for their lives to go out and vote? How do we expect to stop the Ebola from spreading if the government can’t put their greedy attitude aside for once! So the Liberian government is going to leave everything to the outside world and continue their normal lives and gathering as usual? At this time in Liberia there should be NO Weddings, Funerals, Birthday Parties, Baby Showers, Bridal Showers, and especially Elections.

I don’t think Liberians in the Diasporas should be having any of the above gathering either. How do we know who came from Liberia last week or the week before and how well they are? How do we know if their family will be honest to tell them if they were around an Ebola patient? I am not going to any large Liberia gathering until Ebola is totally gone.

Look at the Nigerians, with all the people in that country, they were able to get Ebola out of their country. Why a small country like Liberia got totally out of hand? Why GREED!! Are they still looking for the first Ebola money? What about the second and the third, can they account for any of them? Is Ellen Johnson Sirleaf saying election is more important than our people lives?

What a bunch of narrow minded idiots calling themselves officials. There is more common sense in my 7 years old, 2^nd grader Ladybug left brain then the entire Liberian government officials combine!!!

The Liberian government under Sirleaf is nothing but one big embarrassment to the Liberian people!

God please do something and stop this madness!!

Rob Williams

From: ULIBSAAforum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2014 8:04 PM
To: ULIBSAAforum@yahoogroups.com;
Subject: [ULIBSAAforum] NATIONAL ELECTIONS COMMISSION. SENATORIAL FINAL LIST for 2014 SPECIAL ELECTION

MONROVIA, October 20 (LINA) -"The National Elections Commission has qualified 139 candidates for the Special Senatorial Elections expected to take place in December this year.

The list shows that there are 20 female and 119 male candidates, with 26 of them running as independent."

These large numbers of independent candidates are indicative of the population dissatisfaction with the President. My view only. A good example is, in the President paternal county -BOMI, 10 Senatorial Finalists: 3 are Independents, 1 UP and six from various party.  These high turn out against Unity Party in Bomi even in the mist of Ebola to me is bad for an administration that claimed to be doing soooo MUCH for the people.

Where is the Emergency Power and the Ebola amongst all these? The International Community will be on the ground in boots while we will be having election parties? I can see poor planning in the horizon just like that of the beginning of Ebola. Just concern oh.

Get details about the Liberian Senatorial December 2014 Special Election: http://www.necliberia.org/admin/pg_img/Final_List_Candidates_Senatorial_Election_2014.pdf