MONROVIA – Senator Prince Johnson of Nimba County, the man who helped President George Weah to win Nimba County for the first time in his three-time contest for the presidency in 2017 has frowned on what he called politicizing the fight against the COVID-19.
Report by Henry Karmo, [email protected]
Making remarks on Wednesday during a Senate’s debate on President George Weah’s state of emergency measures, he said the fight against the virus should not be seen as an individual project and does not require pictures of politicians on billboards carrying awareness messages.
“It is not an individual project, this fight has been politicized, nobody should be putting their pictures on buckets and billboards to fight COVID-19. I received buckets from the Executive to be dispatched to Nimba with pictures of the President. We elected you as our President, we know you are our President why put your pictures on buckets?”
“As a Senator with oversight responsibility, I want you take into consideration plans to have the billboards on COVID-19 awareness with pictures of politicians brought down.”
The controversial Nimba lawmaker also called on his colleagues to exercise to the letter their constitutional oversight during this period of health emergency. He also frowned on statutory committees with oversight on finance for not taking charge of claims made President Weah that he took over a country with empty coffers.
“It is not an individual project, this fight has been politicized, nobody should be putting their pictures on buckets and billboards to fight COVID-19. I received buckets from the Executive to be dispatched to Nimba with pictures of the President. We elected you as our President, we know you are our President why put your pictures on buckets?”
– Senator Prince Y. Johnson, Nimba County
Sen. Johnson wants the requests made by President George Weah for approval of US$25 million as stimulus package for the state of emergency looked at thoroughly to avoid a repeat of what happened with the US$25 million given the executive to mop-up the economy.
“President Weah made us understand when he took over that he took over an empty coffer, the former President said something contrary, what did our oversight committee do to have them brought to the legislature to explain? Nothing.”
“Let us be more robust, our people need all the help to stay home; you cannot quarantine people without paying them. Let’s recruit people who are trained with money given us by donors and not because of political alignment. Let’s ensure that civil servants get paid. If care is not taken, this virus mountain will burst. The President asked us when he took over to help him even though they don’t listen at times when we speak.
“I will not affix my signature to a document that does not address the plight of our people.”