IPNews – Monrovia – The Holy Bible says ” My people Parish, because the lack knowledge”.

The biblical quote is empirical of the happenings at the Capitol Building, with filth across the corridors of the Legislature.

Successive leaders of the Legislatures since 1980, coup d’tat which toppled the William R. Tolbert-led government and the subsequent execution of Liberia’s longest serving House Speaker, Richard A.B. Henries, have come and gone yet the seat of Liberia’s democracy continues to linkers in filths of nasty and smelling toilets.

Unimaginable to these unpleasant smells, deplorable conditions, the Legislature, according to statistics, between the 2006/2007 and 2020/2021 budget periods, received over US$460 million (460,268,069), United States dollars in appropriations. Huge portion of that amount just ended in the pockets and purses of lawmakers, yet even staffers continue to demonstrate for many months of salary arrears.

Out of this mouthwatering amount of 406 Million dollars, the House of Representatives received 306m (306,066,979) reflecting 66%, according records available at the Legislative Information Service, shamelessly the National Legislature has no website, Lack of voting records or system (electronic or manual) on various legislations passed, no official logo, no annual report, no stable water, no stable electricity, no clean restrooms, no vision and no servant leadership.

Now, ahead of the Annual Address by President George Manneh Weah, in keeping with the Liberian Constitution, there are worries that the President might just visit another faulty Capitol Building, with garbage littering across the grounds of the Legislature.

Regrettably, staffers of both the House and Senate plans an embarrassing demonstration on next Tuesday for salary arrears, a source told IPNews late Monday, January 18,2020, on the grounds of the Capitol Building where our cameras are now posted to bring you full coverage of Tuesday’s address by President George Manneh Weah, to the Joint sessions of the Liberia Legislature.

President George Weah, is expected to give the state of the nation, including the security of the country, economy, amid struggling economic stabilization, political conditions, among others.

Chapter V: The Legislature

Article 29: The legislative power of the Republic shall be vested in the Legislature of Liberia which shall consists of two separate houses: A Senate and a House of Representatives, both of which must pass on all legislation. The enacting style shall be: “It is enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Republic of Liberia in Legislature assembled.”

Article 32: A:The Legislature shall assemble in regular session once a year on the second working Monday in January.
B. The President shall, on his own initiative or upon receipt of a certificate signed by at least one-fourth of the total membership of each House, and by proclamation, extend a regular session of the Legislature beyond the date for adjournment or call a special extraordinary session of that body to discuss or act upon matters of national emergency and concern. When the extension or call is at the request of the Legislature, the proclamation shall be issued not later than forty-eight hours after receipt of the certificate by the President.