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
