MONROVIA – The incoming Unity Party government has established several committees across various line ministries and agencies to facilitate a seamless transition of power in collaboration with the existing administrations. However, there is a growing sentiment among certain key Unity Party supporters that the transition team lacks the necessary vigor, leaving some individuals feeling excluded from the process.
By Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
FrontPageAfrica has seen messages from Unity Party chatrooms suggesting that some members feel left out of the process and are being silenced for reportedly overstepping their bounds in the transitional process.
From the chats, the disenchanted members of the teams criticized the Unity Party arm of the Joint Presidential Transitional Team of doing too little since Joseph Nyumah Boakai was declared President-elect some 27 days ago. They stated that the anticipated transition process is yet gain momentum and lamented the alleged glaring absence of approved transition teams to assess outgoing government excesses which, according to them, reflects prioritizing celebration of the victory over the crucial task of establishing and validating transition clusters.
This delay, in the view of some, is giving rise to pressing issues, notably the depletion of public funds without guidance from the joint transitional team.
They referenced the expected Budget shortfall of US$114 million mentioned by Gbarpolu County Senator-elect Amara Konneh in a Facebook last week and noted the shortfall could be a result of the ineffectiveness of the transitional team. They at the same time that alarmed a surge in hiring across sectors is compounding these financial challenges, signaling a potential lack of fiscal discipline during this transitional period.
There are also concerns that there seems to be a lack of leadership in the transitioning process, especially from the Vice President-elect who has been tasked to lead the process while the President elect is away.
According to some, the lack of clear leadership and coordination leaves them to believe that no one is steering the transition process and such is denting the confidence in the new administration.
However, FrontPageAfrica gathered some of those assigned at various ministries and agencies appear to see those transitional tasks as a means of positioning themselves in various positions at the various ministries and agencies ahead of the formation of the government after the inauguration. This has reportedly sparked tension in various government ministries and agencies.
Meanwhile, the incoming Joseph Boakai administration has declared a resolute stance against the approval of exorbitant severance packages for outgoing political appointees. The announcement came through John Morlu, a former Auditor General and a member of Joseph Boakai’s Rescue Team.
Morlu emphasized that severance packages reaching as high as $200,000 and $150,000 for outgoing officials will not be approved. He categorically stated that officials working at the “will and pleasure” of the president, whether directly or through failed Board of Directors or Board of Commissioners schemes, will not receive severance. The appointments to leadership positions in public agencies and commissions were highlighted as being driven by political considerations rather than civil service criteria.
Importantly, Morlu made it clear that any severance paid will burden Liberian taxpayers and would therefore not be allowed. Those responsible for approving such payments, including receivers and Board of Directors/Commissioners, will be subcharge, he said. According to him, the administration is determined to seek the repayment of severance funds granted to officials appointed solely based on political connections.
The administration, he said, has taken immediate action by communicating with several Board Chairs, cautioning them against approving substantial severance packages per individual. Morlu urged the Auditor General, GAC, and Director General of the Internal Audit Agency to dispatch auditors urgently to all independent agencies, commissions, and state-owned enterprises as a legal and statutory obligation to safeguard Liberia’s resources, especially during this transitional period.
