-Speaker Koffa concurs
By Jerromie S. Walters
Monrovia, Liberia –During a radio appearance on Ok FM on Thursday, August 8, 2024, Senator Amara Konneh of Gbarpu County recently raised allegations regarding the alleged misallocation of approximately $20 million in the national budget without legislative approval.
In response to these allegations, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, has announced his intention to request the authority to form a Joint Committee with the Senate to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the budget alterations.
“Following numerous allegations on budget alterations, I will be asking the Leadership of the House of Representatives for the authority to appoint a Joint Committee with the Senate for a thorough investigation. We must not only be transparent, we must be perceived to be transparent.” Koffa stated, emphasizing the need for accountability in the handling of public funds.
Jefferson T. Kaijee, the former City Mayor of Monrovia and current Secretary General of the CDC, expressed support for Koffa’s approach.
“CDC welcomes the decision to look into the alteration of the national budget. This is criminal and must be fully investigated and those held culpable reprimanded.
As we welcome the Speaker’s approach to this matter, we encourage the House to also include the reported 8 Million transferred to the SIB by the Boakai led Administration.
The CDC encourages the House to investigate the Minister of State without Portfolio, Sam Stevequoah and the Central Bank’s leadership to provide insight about this illegal transfer,”
Kaijee asserted. He also urged the House to look into an additional $8 million reportedly transferred to the Special Investment Board (SIB) during the administration of former Vice President Joseph Boakai. Furthermore, the CDC is calling for inquiries into the actions of Minister of State without Portfolio, Sam Stevequoah, and the leadership of the Central Bank regarding the alleged illegal transfer of funds.
Margibi County Senator Nathaniel F. McGill, who serves as the Chairman of the CDC Legislative Caucus, echoed the sentiments of his colleagues. “𝖠𝗌 𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗂𝗋𝗆𝖺𝗇 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖢𝖣𝖢 𝖫𝖾𝗀𝗂𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖢𝖺𝗎𝖼𝗎𝗌, 𝖨 𝖺𝗆 𝖼𝖺𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗈𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖲𝗉𝖾𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗋, 𝖣𝖾𝗉𝗎𝗍𝗒 𝖲𝗉𝖾𝖺𝗄𝖾𝗋, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗆𝖾𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝗈𝖿 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖢𝖣𝖢 𝖫𝖾𝗀𝗂𝗌𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗏𝖾 𝖢𝖺𝗎𝖼𝗎𝗌 𝗍𝗈 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗉𝗋𝗈𝖼𝖾𝖾𝖽 𝗐𝗂𝗍𝗁 𝖺𝗇𝗒 𝖻𝗎𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝖽𝖾𝖻𝖺𝗍𝖾𝗌, 𝗐𝗁𝖾𝗍𝗁𝖾𝗋 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝗋𝖾𝖼𝖺𝗌𝗍 𝗈𝗋 2025 𝖻𝗎𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗍𝗌 𝗎𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗅 𝗍𝗁𝖾 𝖺𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗀𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇𝗌 𝗌𝗎𝗋𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗇𝖽𝗂𝗇𝗀 𝗍𝗁𝖾 $20 𝗆𝗂𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗅𝗅𝖾𝗀𝖺𝗅 𝗆𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗆𝖾𝗇𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝗍𝗁𝖾 2024 𝖻𝗎𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝖺𝗋𝖾 𝗍𝗁𝗈𝗋𝗈𝗎𝗀𝗁𝗅𝗒 𝗂𝗇𝗏𝖾𝗌𝗍𝗂𝗀𝖺𝗍𝖾𝖽 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖺𝖽𝖽𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌𝖾𝖽. 𝖡𝗎𝖽𝗀𝖾𝗍 𝗆𝖺𝗇𝗂𝗉𝗎𝗅𝖺𝗍𝗂𝗈𝗇 𝗂𝗌 𝖺 𝗌𝖾𝗋𝗂𝗈𝗎𝗌 𝖼𝗋𝗂𝗆𝖾, 𝖺𝗇𝖽 𝖺𝖼𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍𝖺𝖻𝗂𝗅𝗂𝗍𝗒 𝗆𝗎𝗌𝗍 𝖻𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝗅𝖽 𝖺𝗍 𝖺𝗅𝗅 𝗅𝖾𝗏𝖾𝗅𝗌, McGill stated. He emphasized that budget manipulation is a serious crime, and accountability must be enforced at all levels.
