Monrovia – From all indications, Liberians are eagerly awaiting the report of the alleged ‘missing 16 billion’ investigation.
Report By J.H. Webster Clayeh (00231770745986)[email protected]
Some say it is a test for the government because for them it is going to derail the image of the CDC-led government if the report is swept under the rug.
Others say implementation recommendations in the report will boost the confidence and the trust of the Weah’s administration.
FrontPageAfrica has been gathering views from some Liberians ahead of the release of the report.
J. Blio Brownell, Secretary General Women Presidium of SUP
“We are hoping that the report will give us a breakdown of what went on with the 16 billion dollars. We are discussing our country’s economy and we are discussing our future. We cannot have 16 billion missing and you have the University of Liberia in a poor state like this. That money could have helped the university a whole lot.
I can assure you that if the report having to come out tomorrow and we see that people are responsible for the money that got missing and if the government want to act reluctant to prosecute those that are involve trust me the masses will speak out to make sure those people be brought to justice.
You cannot have our money being misused and then people just go scotch free, it shows that we are not serious-minded people in this country.
It is our taxes, you cannot take over a year ago and then at this point you have a huge amount of money missing is not good for this government.”
Abayomi Tarplah Santi jr., Co-chair Veteran Bureau of Doe Community
“We all have been waiting for a fruitful result on the 16 billion saga. To be realistic, the issue of this 16 billion has the propensity to derail the popularity of this government and also have the propensity to increase the trust and confidence that the people have created for this government.
As the President has said in his interview with the BBC that anyone found culpable in the report will face the full weight of the law. So, we trust the President ability to execute the 16 billion report to the fullest.
In the case where the President try to silence the finding or recommendation of the report, I think this government is going to lost credibility from both the international community and people at home. But I am sure that this government is not will to lost its credibility in this soonest of time.”
Cooper Paasewe, Member of Unity Party
“For me, I do not trust the Alex Cuffy committee, the Financial Intelligence Unit. So, I am waiting for a report from USAID. If this comes out and people who are implicated are not prosecuted, we are going to write the Senate to impeach President Weah.
We will not sit in this country and watched a group of people who are sitting around the president to eat more than four million people money and go free.
Every time you ask the President about the issue of the war crime court he can say we will sit on the round table and talk but we will not do that to the missing 16 billion issues.”
Eric S. Myers, Veteran of UL
“I wholeheartedly trust the report from USAID because they are a credible institution of the American government. I trust the President for his word because he said he will prosecute anyone found in that report.
The Liberian people wholeheartedly voted for him, so it is left with him not to make them shame.
The ‘16 billion’ report has stigmatized this government. So, it is a test for this government. And, if anyone government official will be implicated in this report it will not be good for this government.
It is finance we are talking about. The international community believe in people that take care of their finance. This is more than 100 million United State dollar, it is not a joke. So, we are eagerly waiting for that report and to see how best the finding from the report can be implemented to the fullest, anything other than that will not be good for his administration.”
Delux Fahnbulleh, MCSS Teacher
“I must commend the President because during his state of the nation address he mentioned the report will be out at the end of his month and that if anyone found culpable in the report they will be prosecuted according to the law.
Although I commend the President, my worry here is it is not the first time for such an issue to come out and after one week it just goes down the drain. So, it is my hope that what the President said that whosoever that will be cut with face the full weight of the law.
The ‘16 billion’ issue is so cardinal to the growth and development of our country. You can now see around how our country’s economy is strangulated.
So, if there will be a positive outcome from the 16 billion issue I think the international community will be willing to work with this government but if is done the normal way where people have gone with impunity then, of course, the President will be judged on the wrong side of history.”
Ephraim Nyumah, Secretary General of SUP
Critically speaking, the nation Liberia is at the crossroad. The issue of the 16 billion has become a national issue. So, we will all wait to see the report from USAID because we do not trust the report from the government local investigators.
I do not have trust in the President to prosecute people who will be in the report. What we will see from president Weah is business as usual. The President has been violating many of our laws.
The missing money has made our country’s image to be damaged internationally. And you know that Liberia is a country that is depending on the international community.
So, we are appealing to the USAID that this report should not be temper with because it is at the detriment to our future in this country.
Albert Ninneh, Official of LINSU
“I trust the report from the USAID, but I want for those actors that will be highlighted in the report to be prosecuted. We are recommending to the President that if any of his official or even his closed confidence found in the report should be prosecuted.
It will be served as a serious precedent of this government. If those found culpable in the report are prosecuted it will be the only way that the government will attract investors in this country.
If he will compromise the finding of the missing ‘16 billion’ report then it means that his government is not going anywhere. And if he implement the report it means that he has set a serious precedent for his government.”
Gabriel H. Jasper, Resident of Capitol Bye-pass
“The issue of the 16 billion report is overdue. Since last year, the issue of the 16 billion had been the real national issue and the government had not been able to come out with the result.
They have gotten foreign investigators to find out the result. So, we will be awaiting a very accurate result come tomorrow from the USAID. The 16 billion report is the first national impressive corruption issue of this government and this President told us that he will fight corruption to the fullest, so we hold him in high esteem and I believe that the report will include all those associated with the 16 billion.”