Barely a week after President George M. Weah completed the second phase of his nationwide tour, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government has again dedicated another gigantic structure for the National Security Agency (NSA), with a commitment to prioritize national security in the next fiscal budget.
The third year of the pro-poor government appears like the beginning of reaping the fruits of what agents of the agenda have sown over the years, with visible achievements in education, health, road connectivity, infrastructure and, now, national security.
At the program marking the official dedication of the newly constructed headquarters of the National Security Agency (NSA), the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel McGill, who proxy President Weah, noted that the Executive will ensure that a huge portion of the budget is allocated for national security in the next fiscal budget.
He emphasized the importance of paying attention to security, especially at this time when international partners are investing more resources in the national security sector.
“I am happy that we have Senator Prince Johnson and Senator Steve Zargo in our midst. You know there is a saying that ‘when someone scratches your back you should watch your stomach’. So when our friends are putting in more resources to the national security sector, we too need to help ourselves by paying more attention to that sector. It is our hope that, in the next budget the national security will take a greater portion. We will give security a greater priority” Minister McGill assured, amidst a warm applause.
“Therefore, when the Finance Minister takes the budget to the Senate, you, lawmakers, should not ask why we allocated all that money to the security people, because there is a tendency that intelligence funds are funds that end up in people’s personal pockets,” Minister McGill continued.
He emphasized the role of security intelligence in the nation’s democracy, noting that the education, health, agriculture and other sectors cannot reach its zenith if the security sector is not strengthened and properly funded.
Minister McGill called on members of the 54th National Legislature to cooperate with the Executive branch in allotting a greater portion of the next fiscal budget for national security.