IPNEWS: Recently Liberia was engulfed was reports that members of the Legislature were given US$15,000 each by the Liberian government for Legislative Public Engagement in keeping with budget allocations at US$2,500 per month. The money had been delayed for six months, and as the budget year 2019-2020 came to a close, the lawmakers reportedly demanded the Government to pay their arrears before they would approve the 2020/2021 budget year.
IPNEWS gathered it was Senators Emmanuel Nuquay (Margibi County) and Abraham Darius Dillon (Montserrado County) who had publicly informed Liberians and foreign residents that the US$15K was given them by the Government to offset their arrears.
There have been mixed public reactions about the US$15K due to the tough economic situation the country is faced with, and also in the wake of the upsurge of the new variant of COVID-19 in Liberia. Many Liberians condemned the giving and receipt of such money to the lawmakers, but some of their die-hard supporters have seen nothing wrong with the disbursement, which was made through the Central Bank of Liberia, as was disclosed by some lawmakers.
Some lawmakers argued on several public radio call-in shows that the money was budgeted for legislative engagements, where each lawmaker is allotted US$2,500 monthly to engage their respective constituents, and so legally the money is legitimate and not criminally acquired as being perceived by the public and political pundits. But other lawmakers, including Nimba County Representative Larry Younquoi agreed on the legality of the US$15K, but only regretted the timeliness due to the upsurge of the COVID-19 in the country. He said given such amount to lawmakers when the country’s health situation was in dare need of financial support was untimely. There is no report whether Rep. Younquoi has intention to return the money to the government so that it can be used for health purpose.
As for Bomi County Senator, Edwin Snowe and Montserrado County District #16 Representative, Dixon Seboe argued the money was legitimate and they have begun to engage their respective constituents, and if any lawmaker did not want theirs, that person should give the money to them as they have projects to do in their electoral districts.
On his part, Montserrado County Senator, Abraham Darius Dillon, upon receipt of the US$15K, he initially took US$15K to the Liberia Agency for Community Empowerment (LACE) to undertake the construction of a public library in the county. But LACE rejected the money, stating that its statutes does not allow it to take individual money to do projects. Senator Dillon later presented US$7,500 to Montserrado County Health Team, but Health Minister Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah said that was not the rightful procedure to receive monies from individuals so she asked that the money be returned but it is not known whether Senator Dillon has received it from the County Health Team. It is also reported the lawmaker purchased oxygen for ELWA hospital.
So with reports that Senator Dillon is currently in the United States to engage his diaspora supporters and seek support for the fight against the ravaging COVID-19 new variant in Liberia, a breakaway element of the pressure group, Council of Patriots (COP), known as Congress for Democratic Change – Council of Patriots (CDC-COP), on Wednesday, June 29, 2021, held a press conference to disclose they will stage a mass protest at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) upon Senator Dillon’s return. The CDC-COP broke away from the original (COP), headed by political commentator Henry Costa on policy differences, who fled Liberia after he was accused by the Government of forging traveling documents to come to Liberia.
Ironically, the CDC-COP has never spoken against any lawmaker from the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) that gave birth to the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) in relation to receiving the US$15K that the 103 lawmakers have received. Senator Dillon, who inscribes unto himself as the ‘LIGHT’ in the Senate, due to his stance to report any attempted corruption in that body, has come under criticisms from some supporters of the ruling CDC, but has sycophantically failed to call to book their lawmakers who may have fallen short in the Legislature.
Political pundits have labeled the CDC-COP planned protest against Senator Dillon as a mere bluff, hypocrisy and sycophantic because they have failed to speak the ill doings of CDC lawmakers in the Legislature, but only focuses on opposition Senator Dillon, who have reportedly continued to unearth alleged unwholesome practices at the Legislature.
The Montserrado County Senator, Abraham Darius Dillon, is on record of revealing alleged financial malpractices at the Senate, something that has made him to have many political adversaries from the ruling CDC and its supporters. So it comes as no astonishment for a group of supporters of the ruling CDC to disclose a planned protest at the RIA against the Montserrado Senator when he returns from the United States, where he is currently visiting to reportedly seek medical support from his supporters in the diaspora to fight COVID-19 in Liberia.
At the same time is being publicly condemned to plan a protest when the Government has released health protocols in the fight against new strain of COVID-19, stating not more than 20 persons should assemble at a given a time or place.
It is unknown it the Ministry of Justice will grant the CDC-COP a permit to stage their planned protest against the Montserrado County Senator to demand him the return to Government the US$15K he received as public engagement funds to enable him engage his constituents.
