—As Legislature To Investigate Alleged Budget Alteration
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Cllr. J. Fonati Koffa, has disclosed his intention to seek authorization from the leadership of the House of Representatives to establish a Joint Committee with the Senate for a comprehensive investigation of alleged alterations of the 2024 Fiscal Budget.
Speaker Koffa emphasized the critical importance of transparency in governance, stating, “We shouldn’t only be perceived as transparent; we must be transparent and transparent to the letter, thus promoting open governance.”
The proposed joint committee will be tasked with thoroughly examining the allegations and ensuring that any discrepancies are addressed with integrity and clarity.
It can be recalled that members of the National Legislature accused officials of the Executive branch of government of unilaterally making changes to the 2024 national budget, which had already been passed by the National Legislature, with figures printed in handbills being different from the figures enacted by the Legislature.
The Executive was accused of illegally moving US$20 million from the approved 2024 national budget, thereby reducing the appropriations for public administration by 6.9%, health by 0.5% and transparency and accountability sectors by 2.1%, which the lawmakers said could prevent the government from paying wages for civil servants and volunteer health works across the country.
The Senate’s Public Accounts Committee, headed by Gbarpolu County Senator, Amara Mohammed Konneh, described the act by officials of the Executive as forgery, and recommended that those involved be sent to the Ministry of Justice for Prosecution. The Committee also called for the summoning of the Minister of Finance and Development Planning, in line with the Public Financial Management (PFM) law, to provide explanation for each amendment.
The lawmakers argued that, if these adjustments were made unilaterally by the Executive without the knowledge of the Senate, then it is illegal and a sign that the Executive is undermining the Senate’s authority and disregarding the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution.
Meanwhile, Speaker Koffa’s decision to seek for the establishment of a Joint House and Senate Committee to investigate the alleged alterations in the national budget has been warmly welcomed, with several members of the Senate already endorsing his proposal.
“Speaker Koffa’s decision to establish a joint committee to investigate the reported budget modifications following its enactment is a positive step in good governance. It reminds us of Baron de Montesquieu’s words: ‘The decline of every government starts with the erosion of the principles on which it was built.’ In this case, the Liberian people voted for this government on the principles of good governance, which begins with a credible budget. They deserve to know if the budget, their money, is credible,” Senator Amara Konneh observed.
Also, the Senator of Margibi County and Chairman of the Legislative Caucus of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Nathaniel F. McGill, has urged members of the CDC Legislative Caucus not to proceed with any budget debates until the allegation surrounding the US$20 million illegal movement in the 2024 budget are thoroughly investigated and addressed.
According to Senator McGill, budget manipulation is a serious crime, and accountability must be held at all levels.
He said, “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 US$20 million illegal movement in the 2024 budget are thoroughly investigated and addressed.”
Political observers have surmised that the Executive Branch is becoming the most powerful, if not outlaw, under the Boakai-Koung administration, disregarding the authorities of the other two branches of government at will and ignoring the doctrine of Separation of Power.
They say if this trend continues, there may be no regard for the rule of law; as such, the National Legislature needs to reclaim its position as the first branch of government, maker of the law, and the Judiciary becomes more robust as it is the interpreter of the law. They say the maker of the law (Legislature) and the interpreter of the law (Judiciary) cannot sit supinely and watch the implementor of the law (Executive) decide what is good/bad without following written laws or, at least, consulting other branches of government.
“We are heading to an anarchy form of government if the Executive branch is not properly checkmated,” they warned.