Monrovia – Bomi County Senator Sando Johnson has openly admitted that members of the Legislature are failing to use their constitutional powers to ensure the betterment of the country and its citizens.
Senator Johnson is a stalwart of the National Patriotic Party (NPP), one of the collaborating political parties that make up the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
The powers of the Liberian Legislature, which comprises of the Senate and the House of Representatives, are enormously stated in Article 34 of the Liberian constitution.
These powers include: to create new counties and other political sub-division, and readjust existing county boundaries; to provide for the security of the Republic; to provide for the common defense, to declare war and authorize the Executive to conclude peace; to raise and support the Armed Forces of the Republic, and to make appropriations therefor provided that no appropriation of money for that use shall be for a longer term than on year; and to make rules for the governance of the Armed Forces of the Republic.
Others are to levy taxes, duties, imports, exercise and other revenues, to borrow money, issue currency, mint coins, and to make appropriations for the fiscal governance of the Republic, and to constitute courts inferior to the Supreme Court, including circuit courts, claims courts and such courts with prescribed jurisdictional powers as may be deemed necessary for the proper administration of justice throughout the Republic.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with FrontPageAfrica, Senator Johnson said lawmakers have not been able to adequately utilize their constitutional tasks and responsibilities to help improve the living conditions of the ordinary citizens.
He maintained that most often lawmakers take decisions on key national issues at the will and pleasure of their “political godfathers and godmothers” instead of the interest of the citizens.
According to him, members of the first branch of the Liberian government have not been able to use their vast powers to immensely contribute to the country’s growth and development.
The Bomi County lawmaker indicated that despite the aged-old problem of lawmakers not taking decisions in the interest of Liberia and the ordinary citizens, there is still a room to turn things around.
He stated that the future of the next generation would not be guaranteed if national leaders refused to listen to those who elected them.
“There could be rooms for improvement and growth if we as national leaders will be able to listen to advices and suggestions from the people and act properly. But if we don’t do that, we are doomed-if we don’t do that, we fail the next generation and this country fails,” he noted.
Senator Johnson is one of many politicians who campaigned for the election of President Weah. But the current economic constraints, voluminous wave of lawlessness, sexual abuse of girls, escalation of the prices of basic commodities, scarcity of gasoline, among others, have immensely contributed to the Bomi County lawmaker’s dissatisfaction over the governance process of the nation.
Senator Johnson said most Liberians are unsatisfied about the bad state of the country’s economy.
He noted that though he supports the government, he remains unhappy over the unprecedented hardship confronting Liberians.
“To be honest with you, I am not satisfied with the way things are going; most of the people in this country are not satisfied too. Things are not going the way it should be. I am not happy and many Liberians are not happy about the way the economy is bad; and there are lot of things we are not happy with,” the Bomi County Senator said.