MONROVIA-The attention of the Secretariat of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) has been drawn to media reports citing claims by the failed Weah Administration that laudable efforts by a Liberian group calling itself the Liberia Renaissance Offices, Incorporated (LIROI), to lobby the United States Government on behalf of the Liberian people through the opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) is intended to undermine and deny the receipt of USD550Million grant from the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC). This propaganda ploy of the Weah Government is disgraceful and deceitful, and further testifies to the fact that President Weah and his gang do not know what they are doing, or supposed to be doing.
The truth is that there is no USD550Million of the United States Government money through the MCC waiting for the failed Weah Government to receive based on their “lobby in Washington, DC”. Signed on October 2, 2015, and entered into force on January 20, 2016, the MCC Liberia Compact was agreed with the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Administration and inherited by the failed Weah Administration. According to the MCC, the USD257Million Liberia Compact “aimed to encourage economic growth and reduce poverty in Liberia by addressing the inadequate access to reliable and affordable electricity in the country and the poor quality of road infrastructure.”
However, the MCC was forced to shut down and leave Liberia on January 21, 2021 only 5 years into a possible 20-year investment opportunity for the country, and only 3 years under President Weah. Like all of the good things President Weah and his gang of thieves and flunkies inherited, they ran the MCC away, and have thereby increased the suffering of the Liberian people.
Liberia had MCC Compact when President Weah took his Oath of Office. All his government had to do was to maintain it. Each Compact is for 5 years certain and renewable if the Compact country and government continue to pass only half of the indicators on its scorecard. Passing or failing on the MCC Scorecard is measured against the performance of other countries similarly situated to the Compact country, which is to say, Liberia is measured against similarly-situated countries like Sierra Leone. This form of MCC measure is to invite needed countries to earn development money by committing to govern transparently, accountably and justly.
Despite several warnings, Weah and his gang destroyed the MCC Liberia Compact, embarrassed the country and increased the sufferings of Liberians. Now they are desperately hoping to get back what they failed to hold onto for Liberia by “lobbying” in Washington, DC when the real lobby they should be doing is governing well at home.
Of the Compact Grant Total of USD256,726,000, 92.16% or USD236,586,078 was expanded, and Weah Administration having failed to perform, the Compact was not renewed as planned. Liberia’s loss – thanks to failed President Weah and his incompetent gang – was Sierra Leone’s gain. The MCC provides periodic warnings to a Compact country’s performance – warnings the incompetent Weah Administration ignored and disregarded. The MCC Scorecard comprises 20 independent, third-party indicators that measure a country’s policy performance in the areas of economic freedom, ruling justly and investing in people.
Losing MCC Liberia Compact is another public evidence that the Weah-Government is unpardonably irresponsible, and spends its time peddling in deception and misinformation to cover up its failures and incompetence. Having failed the Liberian people, the least the Weah Administration can do is accept its failures and stop looking to blame others.
Rather than the crazy levels of stealing going on in the country, and wasting Liberian people money taking pictures with US lobbyists and officials, President Weah and his thieving gang need to save what is left of their failed and corrupt reputation by at least endeavoring to change their errant ways and refocusing on helping our country and our people, as they promised they would, right here at home. Deceiving and blaming others will not uplift Liberians from the economic hardship they are encountering daily.
Failed President Weah will do well to heed the words of the famous Jamaican, Robert Marley: “You can fool some people some time. But you can’t fool all the people all the time.”
Comments are closed.