MONROVIA, LIBERIA – As concerns mount among Liberians over the recent disbursement of US$15,000 into the individual account of each lawmaker, a Liberian based in the US, a rights activist and humanitarian Dr. Emmanuel Urey-Yarkpawolo has bemoaned legislators’ recent decision terming it as unpatriotic and a total lost to the county.
Recently, the Government of Liberia through the Ministry of Finance began topping each lawmaker’s account with an additional US$ 15,000 as “Legislative Engagement Funds”; a decision that has raised serious controversies and public outcries with many Liberians and political pundits condemning the action.
Following phase two of the disbursements, Dr. Urey in separate social media posts has since condemned the receipt of said amounts by the 54th Legislature under the Weah-Taylor administration.
He said Legislative engagement is not defined as one lawmaker taking US$30,000 amidst the surge of the new COVID-19 variant in the country outside their regular salaries? He wondered and said nothing ‘unpatriotic and greedy’ compared to this”, Dr. Urey averred on his official Facebook page.
Justification by some lawmakers with supposedly integrity” taking US$15,000 – 30,000 in addition to their incomes, saying it was in the budget, was the delta variant of COVID-19 that is killing people budgeted, he further wondered, adding that greediness has overshadowed common sense.
The Bong County electoral district 4 son blamed the situation on bad governance and lack of sincerity on the side of policymakers in the country.
Despite huge criticism from the public, the Liberian government has already embarked on the disbursement of the last tranche of US$30,000 to each lawmaker though some had earlier planned to reject said fund and proposed that the money be diverted to the fight against COVID-19.
