Monrovia – The Founder and General Overseer of the Restoration Baptist Ministries, Reverend Joseph Gardea Johnson has described the Legislature as the most corrupt lawmakers in the history of Liberia with just a few good ones among them.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr – [email protected]
Rev. Johnson, in an exclusive interview with FrontPageAfrica, said the lawmakers are running a criminal cartel which passes bills that are not in the interest of the Liberians.
“Let me make it clear that this 53rd Legislature is the most corrupt lawmakers Liberia ever had in our history,” he said.
“In fact, they are not running Legislature. , they are running a criminal cartel in that place and I am not afraid to say it. There are just a few of them that are good, but the bad ones have overshadowed the goods,” he explained.
Rev. Johnson named Senator Oscar Cooper who has been advocating for the reduction of lawmakers’ salaries and Senator Jewel Howard Taylor as some of the few good lawmakers among the bad ones.
He noted that the Senators and Representatives are not in the interest of Liberians; rather, they are seeking their own interest and passing laws that are of no use to Liberian people.
Rev. Johnson pointed out that the Restoration Baptist Ministries (RBM) denounces any form of stealing: corruption, bribery, manipulation, lies or inducement which has the ability to breed widespread chaos in the country and keep Liberians in a state of mental and economic slavery.
The Liberian clergyman, who is celebrated by many Liberians for his stance on critical national issues even during the heydays of jailed former President Charles Taylor, averred that as a Church, RBM supports every honest fight or effort against all forms of corruption including bribery and inducement.
According to Rev. Johnson, given Liberia’s bad historical past as a nation and people who suffered 14 years of civil unrest that destroyed thousands of lives and ran several others out of Liberia, Liberians must refrain from teaching the next generation and this young generation unorthodox acts which amount to criminal politics.
He blamed the legislature for the suffering of the Liberian people.
“If the lawmakers were to stand their ground and pass the good laws that we need to better the lives of our people, the high level of poverty in Liberia today wouldn’t have been as high as it is today,” he noted.
The Baptist Prelate also expressed disappointment in the government of Liberia for what he calls carelessly handling the affairs of the state.
He noted the government headed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is internationally driven thus leaving the people on the ground to suffer.
“Government has been trying to impress the outside world or the international community while they pay less attention to its citizens suffering, the people are living in poverty and that’s not fair to the people of Liberia, “he explained.
Rev. Johnson who was also a serious critic of former President Charles Taylor regime is now grading higher marks to ex-president Taylor’s regime over President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
“I am disappointed in this government as compared to former President Taylor’s government.”
“The difference between this government and Taylor is that during former President Taylor economic suffering was not as high as compared to today, we spoke against him because of torture and other forms of wickedness that were carried out by his boys, but this government that has all of the international community backings, still allows the people to suffer and the issue of corruption is still high as well,” he noted furthered.
