MONROVIA – President George Manneh Weah has refused to sign into law a bill submitted to him with an omitted page which he believes should form a very vital part of the agreement and has therefore sent it back to the legislature for review.
The bill entitled “An Act to Ratify the Investment Incentive Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Liberia and Fouani Brothers Corporation”.
The agreement is for the development, construction, and operation of a Refinery, which is expected to process approximately 13,000 metric tons of Crude Palm Oil (CPO) per month for the production of edible vegetable oil and the derivatives from such oil palm.
The investment, in the view of the President, is expected to bring key benefits including value addition and job creation, thereby contributing to the economic recovery of the country.
However, having carefully reviewed the bill passed by the Legislature and submitted to President Weah for approval, President Weah said he could not approve the bill as a careful analysis showed that the bill did not contain page 31 which should contain “information germane to the overall operationalization of the Agreement.”
President Weah, therefore, decided to veto the bill.
He stated in a communication disclosing his intent to veto the bill:
“At the end of page 30, I noticed the heading “Confidentiality” and therefore believe page 31 must contain details about confidentiality. The principle of confidentiality is key to any agreement; it is about privacy and respecting the wishes of others. It means that one party should not share personal details about another party with others unless that party grant permission to do so. Therefore, without page 31 the bill is incomplete and I cannot approve it.”
President Weah informed the Speaker that vetoing the bill also gives the Legislature an opportunity to review the entire bill and ensure that all ambiguities are corrected in the interest of the country.
“At the end of page 30, I noticed the heading “Confidentiality” and therefore believe page 31 must contain details about confidentiality. The principle of confidentiality is key to any agreement; it is about privacy and respecting the wishes of others. It means that one party should not share personal details about another party with others unless that party grants permission to do so. Therefore, without page 31 the bill is incomplete and I cannot approve it.”
– President George Manneh Weah
President Weah’s decision to send the bill back to the Legislature is in line with Article 35 of the Constitution which state:
“Each bill or resolution which shall have passed both Houses of the Legislature shall, before it becomes law, be laid before the President for his approval. If he grants approval, it shall become law. If the president does not approve such bill or resolution, he shall return it, with his objections, to the House in which it originated. In so doing, the President may disapprove of the entire bill or resolution or any item or items thereof. This veto may be overridden by the repassage of such bill, resolution or item thereof by a vote of two-thirds of the members in each House, in which case it shall become law. If the President does not return the bill or resolution within twenty days after the same shall have been laid before him it shall become law in like manner as if he had signed it, unless the Legislature by adjournment prevents its return.
No bill or resolution shall embrace more than one subject which shall be expressed in its title.”
It remains unclear how the Legislature submitted the bill to the President with a missing page.
However, some lawmakers who asked for anonymity said the move was a clever attempt by some members of the Legislature who have interest in the Fouani Brothers Incorporated to have had the President sign the bill into law with missing clauses which would have been added before printing.
“This would have created some leverage for the company in the future and their reliance would have been the agreement which would be then be considered law. This has been the case with most agreements passed by the legislature and signed by the President. President Weah was smart to catch this one,” the lawmaker said.
It may be recalled, on Tuesday, July 14, House Speaker Bhofal Chambers, as mandated by Plenary, set up a specialized committee comprising representatives of the 15 counties to scrutinize the Investment Incentive Act submitted by President George Weah in favor of Fouani Brothers Corporation to construct the refinery.
According to the Specialized Committee, the refinery will be a US$30 million investment that will add value to crude oil palm produced in Liberia by producing refined edible vegetable oils, margarine, and other processed food products, glycerin, and soap noodles; all of which that are currently imported.
In addition, the refinery, as per the agreement, will process 13,000 metric tons of crude palm oil per month for the production of edible vegetable and the derivatives from such oil, adding it will be enough for export to the Mano River Union and other neighboring countries and create employment.
“The Lack of skills by the youthful population to enable it to fit the job market is one of the main factors responsible for unemployment. The committee sees the Fouani Brothers Corporation Investment Incentive Agreement as an opportunity to addressing the high unemployment rate in the country,” an excerpt from the report said.
In addition, the committee notes that within five years, the investor shall ensure the employment of at least 25 Liberian nationals in technical and other skilled or professional positions in the refinery. And not later than its 10th anniversary, the investor shall ensure the employment of not less than 50 Liberian nationals in technical and other financial, administrative and supervisory positions.