–Wants US$10 Million Allocated in Budget

By Joseph Tumbey, josephtumbey@gmail.com

IPNEWS: As efforts continue on all fronts to combat the resurgent COVID-19 pandemic in Liberia, Bong County Electoral District #2 Representative J. Marvin Cole calls for benefits cut from the Executive and the Legislature to purchase COVID-19 vaccines and testing kits for the country.

Representative Cole said as leaders, it is important to protect the lives of citizens.

Speaking to Legislative reporters on Wednesday, July 7, in his office at the Capitol Building, Rep. Cole said the constitution is clear and when elected officials took the oath of office, they assured the Liberian people that they will protect and defend the constitution.

He said with the national budget currently before lawmakers, not less than US$10 million should be allocated to purchase COVID-19 vaccines to protect the population. “As deputy of the people, it is incumbent on us to ensure that the lives of the people are protected”, he added.

He said if they did cut their salaries for harmonization, now is the time, adding the nation must be aware that this is an emergency and he’s not the President of Liberia to call for emergency, but as a citizen and a senior member of the government, he knows there is a serious health crisis and people are dying, so there is an urgent need to budget a certain amount of money to purchase vaccines.

“If you build roads and our people died, who will use the road? If we build infrastructure and our people died, who will use it, so I believe that vaccines to save our people should be our focus”, Cole urged.

Commenting further, the Bong County lawmaker noted it is time for members of the legislature including; House Speaker Bhofal Chambers, Senate Pro-tempore Albert Chie and Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor to sacrifice and ensure cuts in their salaries as was done during the harmonization process and direct the funds to fight against the against the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, the Bong County lawmaker has called on the Ministry of Health to purchase more COVID -19 vaccines and testing kits, saying if there were more testing kits at the Robert International Airport, Liberia will not be at this critical juncture.

In a related development, the Bong County lawmaker has urged his colleagues at the Legislature to allocated US$10 million in the National Budget to purchase COVID-19 vaccines.

He said with the national budget currently before lawmakers, not less than US$10 million should be allocated to purchase COVID-19 vaccines to protect the population. Rep. Cole maintains it was totally unfair, unjust and very insensitive to Liberians by the legislators passing the current budget without a special amount being set aside for the sole purpose of purchasing the COVID-19 Vaccines.

Also, Representative Marvin Cole recommends that the Ministry of Health provides free testing at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) and other major entry points for travelers in and outside of the country.