Liberia News:Lawmakers Become Law Breakers

By Mark N. Mengonfia

Liberia-Liberia’s lawmakers, who by virtue of the responsibilities bequeathed onto them by the Liberian Constitution to enact laws, are themselves leading the chart for breaking the laws that govern the state, which they swore to uphold.
Assets declaration is an unavoidable legal requirement all government officials, whether in the first, second and third branch of government supposed to abide by, but lawmakers continue to demonstrate unwillingness and a little bit of non-cooperation to the effect.
According to the Liberia Anti-corruption Commission (LACC), 36 of the country’s 73 Representatives are pussy-footing on declaring their assets as required of them by law.
Section 10.2 of the National Code of Conduct (NCoC) and Section 4.1 (g) of the 2022 amended and restated LACC Act mandate officials of government ( the three branches of Government) to declare their assets.
The amended and restated 2022 LACC Act says that LACC shall issue asset declaration forms to officials of the three branches of government that shall be completed, signed, notarized and filed.
Since assuming office, some members of the 55th Legislature have willingly decided not to comply with the law by declare their assets despite numerous calls by citizens.
Some of those said to be in violation of the asset declaration regime are Richard N. Koon of Montserrado County District 11, a ranking member of the ruling Unity Party who contested the speakership race early this year.
Others who are yet to comply with Assets Declaration legal requirement are reigning Representatives of Montserrado County, including Dixon W. Sebo of District 16, Bernard Blue Benson of District 17, Edward P. Flomo of District 13, Yekeh Y. Kolubah of District 10, Frank Saah Foko, Jr. of District 9,
Rev. Samuel R. Enders of District 6 and Michael M. Thomas of district 4.
Also disobeying the Assets Declaration law are lawmakers from Bong County, Prince K. Koinah of District 1, James Kollie of District 2, Marvin J. Cole of District 3, Robert Womba of District 4, Eugene J.M. Kollie of District 5 and Maima Briggs Mensah of District 6.
According to the LACC report, Representatives from Bomi County, including Obediah J. Varney and Bishop Manah Johnson of Districts 1 and 2 are also undermining and breaking the law they supposed to be upholding.
Also refusing to declare their assets are lawmakers from Gbapolu such as Zinnah A. Norman and Mustapha Watitay of District 1 and 3.
Representatives from Grand Bassa are also part of the fray of not wanting to make known their assets. They include Isaac G. Bannie of District 1, Matthew Joe of District 3 and
Thomas A. Goshua of District 5.
Cape Mount Representatives Bindu Massaley, Mohammed Dosii and Sonii Feika Gbessie of Districts 1, 2 and 3 respectively are also violating the law, while Grand County’s Kru Nathaniel N. Bahway, Sr. stands out as the lone non-compliant lawmaker.
For Lofa County, Deputy Speaker Thomas P. Fallah of District 1 is yet to follow what the law says , followed by Julie Fatorma Wiah of District 2, Momo Siafa Kpoto of District 3 and Gizzie K. Kollince of District 4.
Roland O. Cooper and Emmanuel Yarh of District one and four of Margibi County are yet to comply, while lawmakers from Nimba County are standing in the way of the law as well.
They include Samuel Brown Sr., Garsaye Nyahn Flomo and Saye S. Mianah of Districts one, two and eight.
The LACC said Alexander Poure of District 1 in River Gee County and Samson Q. Wiah of Sinoe County District two are reneging on the Assets Declaration requirement.
The LACC pronouncement that several lawmakers are recalcitrant about declaring their assets, most Liberians are also expressing their disappointment in the lawmaker’s actions.
They wondered why those who are making the laws of Liberia are the ones violating the very laws they were elected to make.
According to some of the callers, lawmakers violating the law will face their wrath in the coming elections.
“We will vote against these lawmakers who are not law abiding. How can those we elect to make our laws be the ones violating our laws,” remarked some of the callers expressing their frustrations.
In keeping with laws, Members of the House of Representatives, Members of the Senate, Secretary of the Senate, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives, Comptrollers, Procurement Officers, Departmental Directors, and Project Managers are to comply with the declaration.
But of those required to make known what they have entered government with, only few have made known to the LACC their values they came to government with, the rest have not.