‘Ellen Institutionalizes Corruption’ Thu, 09/18/2014 - 21:42 admin -Says UP Lawmaker, Resigns from Party By: Keith Morris A stalwart of the ruling Unity Party, Representative J. Gabriel Nyenkan has accused President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of “embracing and institutionalizing corruption at the highest degree at the detriment of the poor Liberians.” At a news conference Thursday, September 18, in Monrovia, the Montserrado County lawmaker asserted that the UP-led government has totally lost the fight against corruption and all that is witnessed today are “issues of the past, corruption and nepotism, the same situations President Sirleaf spoke against during William R. Tolbert era.” “All the institutions established by government to fight corruption — Liberian Anti-corruption Commission (LACC), General Auditing Commission (GAC) and Public Procurement Concession Commission (PPCC) are all cosmetic,” he added. Rep. Nyeankan claimed that the President has established a family and friendship club of people from the Diasporas, who are currently feeding on the national resources like “leashes at the expense of the foot soldiers that sacrifice their blood and labour for Madam Sirleaf.” “I regret today for ever joining the party, and I say sorry to our counties’ chairpersons, who are being neglected by Madam Sirleaf. The President has no intension of fighting corruption and the second term of her government does not have any input from the party any longer. I will officially turn in my resignation from the party because I see the party as an empty vehicle. President Sirleaf has lost the war against corruption totally just as the government is losing the fight against Ebola.” The Montserrado County lawmaker further said that there is no trust in the presidency anymore and all he and others get from the Executive Mansion are “untrue and unrealistic speeches.” The UP secretary general, Mr. Wilmot Paye told this paper that the party has received no official communication from Rep. Nyenkan and added: “This comes as a surprise to us.” When contacted, President Sirleaf’s Press Secretary, Mr. Jerolinmek Piah, declined to comment, stressing; “I have not listened to the statement so I can’t respond appropriately.” Relative to containing the spread of Ebola in Liberia, the lawmaker also pointed out that “President Sirleaf has squandered money intended for the fight.” “Why will the government give money to the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs for Ebola fight? Does the Ministry of State run a hospital where Ebola cases are referred to for treatment?” he wonders. He recommended that to halt the further spread of the virus, among other appropriate measures should be allowing medical experts and health workers (not politicians & lawyers) to take the lead in the fight while the rest work to provide supportive services as advised and requested by the health experts. Nyenkan: “Consistent with Article 72 of the Constitution, let each government official beginning with us at the Legislature waive this September salaries and allowances to help pay health workers who are abandoning the fight and protesting for their salaries. “As a way of motivating our health workers, let us quickly insure and give each of them US$1,000 as stipend for being in harm’s way and continue to provide for siblings orphaned by the death of bread winners.”
Posted on: Thu, 18 Sep 2014 22:23:15 +0000
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