Liberia: ‘I Will Not Play Politics, with People’s Salaries, Livelihoods’

The Speaker of the House of Representatives, J. Fonati Koffa, has come under fire for what some critics termed as the swift passage of the US$41.3m Budget recently submitted by President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, with some insinuating that the budget did not receive the level of scrutiny that it should have from the opposition-controlled Lower House.The passage of the spending bill, which is intended to cover expenses for the month of February 2024, has been met with mixed reactions, but Speaker Koffa has responded to his critics not only in a succinct way but also aptly — noting that the budget got the deserving scrutiny holistically and realistically.

The Speaker, at a press conference on Friday, 23 February 2024 at the Capitol Building, said that the House of Representatives acted carefully and judiciously to keep the government functional and afloat for February to avoid a shutdown.

He frowned on those who argued that the US$41.3m should have been given “more time to be scrutinized,” indicating that the US$41.3m budget passed the test of time and the majority of the lawmakers have a better understanding and this was expressed through their votes.

The Speaker, who is also the Grand Kru County District #2 Representative, stated he would not do anything that would deny the Civil Servants their timely salary payment or stagnate the workings of the Government of Liberia. He also emphasized the House’s commitment to promoting transparency, accountability, and openness under his leadership.

“We look at the budget holistically and on the issues — what the line items are based on but not on our feeling that we are CDC opposition lawmakers to oppose the President’s budget or with the President to support the budget. The question should be whether or not this budget passes the test of time — the US$41m budget passed that.”

Speaker Koffa added: “I am not prepared to hold civil servants’ salaries on a political maneuvering or political stunts. I simply can’t do it.

He asked rhetorically: “Did I want to have the budget and embarrass the government to reject it? Yes, that’s a nice thing to do and some people will be lifting me that I am a hero because I oppose the government (by rejecting the budget); but what happens the next day? When do people have to get paid? What happens?

“People will talk about the political thing, but sitting in this chair as the 3rd most powerful person in this country, I am not going to play politics with people’s salaries or livelihood.”

The top priorities in February’s spending bill include compensation or salaries for government employees, which constitutes US$26 million (63%); Debt Servicing, US$5.7 million (14%); the president’s 100-day deliverables agenda, US$1,941,210 (5%); and other goods and services, US$1,514,000 (5%).