Bleak Authority, Responsibility?

-As Public Raises Grave Concern Over How Things Are Clandestinely Unfolding

“I know one day Liberians will get tired with me so I want to leave a big mark before that time”. He made this statement to a group of young people in Monsterrado County while he was Senator.

Moreover, he spelled out in his inaugural address that “my greatest contribution to this country as President may not lie in the eloquence of my speeches, but will definitely lie in the quality of the decisions that I will make over the next six years to advance the lives of poor Liberians.”

However, brewing controversy is gradually simmering concerning the bringing into the country reportedly by the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) over 30 boxes of money on Wednesday, December 4, 2019.

A local radio station (JOY FM) talk-show hosts in Monrovia reported that the over 30 boxes which came into the country in two 24-foot containers reportedly comprised United States and local dollars, but was quick to add that the local banknotes were the same on the market which were badly mutilated and not a different and new generation of money.

But Information Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe was also quoted as saying that the money spoken of is all United States Dollars and no local (Liberian Dollars) currency forms a part of the consignment.

While the nation still holds President George M. Weah’s inaugural address that his “contribution to this country as President may not lie in the eloquence of (his) my speeches, but will definitely lie in the quality of the decisions that I will make over the next six years to advance the lives of poor Liberians”, pundits are reading the substance of the decisions and the grave impact it has on both the citizenry and the country with emphasis on the ill-functioning economy.

Pundits told this paper on Thursday, December 5, 2019 that despite the heap of financial problems piercing the government, and in its efforts to quell some of the gigantic challenges ranging from payment of overdue salaries of most government’s employees and to deliver other national goods and services, it remains the authority and responsibility of the government to explain to the people the amount, where it is coming from including the term and status in order to carefully avoid “money laundry” in any form, shape and manner.

Among the pundits’ reservations advanced include how did such money enter into the country? Who ordered the money to enter into the country when the newly appointed Executive Governor of CBL has not been confirmed before the arrival the alleged controversial money? Is it a loan, grant or gift; where did it come from, again reasons, term or arrangement don’t only speak volume, but could indeed spell out troubling concern amidst floating US dollars from many controversial sources and places in a quick fix of cleaning their questionable dollars.

When contacted, a well-placed source from the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism (MICAT) confirmed that Minister Nagbe in a Voice of America’s (VOA) interview on Thursday, December 5, 2019 also confirmed that the government did bring in some money and it was all US dollars and no Liberian dollars component is part of the money; but can’t remember how much neither where did the money come from, that much according to the source he did not get.