EVERY LIBERIAN of consenting age and of sound mind can relate that Monday, September 24 peaceful protest by the #BringBackOurMoney campaigners yielded the turnout to some extent.
ALSO EVERY MEDIA OUTLET which provided coverage for the peaceful march spoke and wrote not only of how peaceful the marchers were, their surprising deportments exhibited, comraderies that existed between and among the marchers on one hand and protesters and bystanders on another, police-protesters friendliness, but also the number of people who turned out to the call of the Coalition of Citizens United to Bring Our Money Back (COCUBOMB).
COCUBOMB LEADERSHIP say they are a mass-based umbrella pro-democracy and pro-advocacy organization consisting of over 26 civil society organizations, youth/student groups and trade unions.
THIS GROUP ON MONDAY had peacefully rallied and assembled thousands of “conscious and patriotic Liberians” from every nook and cranny of our society to petition some of Liberia’s very important diplomatic missions in pursuit of L$16 billion (US$106 million) that have allegedly disappeared under the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)-led administration of President George M. Weah.
COCUBOMB MAINTAINS that their ultimate and collective goal as a pro-democracy and pro-advocacy citizen action movement is to demand the full restitution of L$16 billion (US$106.6 million) that had allegedly gone missing under President Weah on March 31, 2018.
THE MEMBERS OF THE international community, they presented their petitions to, included the United States Government, through its Embassy near Monrovia, the European Union Compound near Monrovia and the United Nations Headquarters on First Street, Sinkor. At the UN Headquarters, the African Union and Economic Community of West African States were also on hand to receive the same petition that was presented to the UN.
THE PROTESTERS HAD many key points that they called the attentions of those to whom they presented their papers and asking their intervention.
HOWEVER, AMONG those points, stands one which we have made the main subject of today’s editorial — ‘full asset declaration.’
“WE CALL ON YOU TO prevail upon the Weah-led government to ensure full asset declaration by all public officials especially the President either before or during the course of the Independent International Forensic Investigation. As members of Weah’s administration have been accused of amassing properties using state funds, we demand that they include in their asset declarations the date of acquisition of those assets,” Mr. Martin K. N. Kollie, national chairman, COCUBOMB, said.
THIS POINT WAS SO WELL picked and struck by Martin and his colleagues, including Emmanuel Gonquoi, head of Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia and Jeremiah Swen, Alliance for Transitional Justice in Liberia.
COUNTLESS NUMBER OF TIMES, this newspaper called on the President to take the lead in doing the honorable thing by declaring his assets. He paid deaf ears to the calls, which also came from the public. So, too, did his officials follow in his footsteps.
HERE WAS THE THING, amidst his reluctance to declare his assets as is required by law, the President embarked on the construction of his dream home and at the same time decided to reconstruct his 9th Street property while construction works are also ongoing at his Thinkers Village Jamaica Resort – all happening together.
IN AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW with this newspaper, the Chairman of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), Cllr. James N. Verdier told ForntPageAfrica in January that per the regulations regarding assets declaration, officials are to declare their assets to the LACC within 30 days after their confirmation.
SECTION 10.1 OF THE REVISED Code of Conduct referencing declaration of Assets and Performance Bonds states: “Every public official and employee of government involved in making decisions affecting contracting, tendering or procurement, and issuance of licenses of various types shall sign performance or financial bonds and shall, in addition, declare his or her income, assets and liabilities prior to taking office and thereafter: (a) at the end of every three years; (b) on promotion or progression from one level to another; (c) upon transfer to another public office; and (d) upon retirement or resignation.”
MANY HAD BELIEVED that President Weah would have led by example, especially when he said in his inaugural address – “Those chosen to serve will and must be dedicated to the ideas of grassroots, social transformation. Any person looking to cheat the Liberian people through the menace of corruption will have no place in my administration.”
WHILE LIBERIANS eagerly waited for the President to declare his assets and that of his officials, he kicked off a facelift spree of his properties in and outside Monrovia.
HIS US$150,000 9TH Street beach-side structure was demolished. Some said the President intended transforming it into a hotel. The 9th Street residence served as home for many of his youthful and loyal supporters. There are reports that the President is also constructing his dream house off the Robertsfield Highway just opposite the Baptist Seminary.
JAMAICA BEACH RESORT, which also received a facelift, is a private non-domicile residence of President Weah.
WELL, THE PRESIDENT did finally declare his assets but it was done way after six months into his tenure.
THE GENERAL AUDITING COMMISSION (GAC) announced that on Wednesday, July 25, it received the declaration of personal interests, income, assets and liabilities forms from President Weah at 6:05 PM.
ACCORDING TO THE GAC, submission of the personal interests, income, assets and liabilities forms by the President is in fulfillment of Section 10.2 of the Code of Conduct which calls on public officials of the Executive Branch of Government to declare their personal interests, income, assets and liabilities to the General Auditing Commission.
THE GAC THEN CALLED on all Cabinet Ministers, Public Officials and Employees of Government involved in making decisions affecting contracting, tendering or procurement, and issuance of licenses of various types to declare their income, assets and liabilities, too.
IT’S STILL A MYSTERY to us concerning what was actually declared by the President IF indeed he did as since he allegedly did so, no one in his Cabinet has followed his steps, save Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor.
SO, COCUBOMB’S urge to the international community to prevail on the President to tell his officials to ensure full asset declaration, could not have come any better time than now. Most of the President’s foot soldiers have been accused of amassing properties using state funds.
SO, AMIDST REPORTS of the missing L$16 billion, we support calls by this group that full asset declarations of officials of this administration be pushed by the International Community.