MONROVIA – One of the strong pillars on which President Joseph Boakai ran his election campaign was the promise to fight corruption, a commitment reiterated in his inaugural speech. However, there has been significant corruption within his own party in the days leading up to his inauguration. The affected districts are now calling for an investigation and restitution.
By Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
Having won the election, President Boakai promised to give each of the 73 electoral districts across the country US$5,000 each for the celebration of the inauguration in each district. The money totaling US$365,000 was given to the Unity Party by the President for onward disbursement to the party’s county authorities.
However, reports have emerged that the party’s county chairmen who were invited to Monrovia to receive the money for distribution in their counties had an agreement with the party’s national leadership to take US$1,000 from each of each US$5,000 slated for the districts in their respective counties. The UP County Chair for Nimba told OK fm Afternoon Drive show with Julius Jeh that the national chairman, Rev. Luther Tarpeh gave the greenlight for the deduction of the US$1,000 each.
The Unity Party, however, in a press statement indicated:
Prior to fund disbursement to the counties, a meeting was initiated by all 15 County Chairs, during which they proposed the deduction of $1,000.00 per district. This decision aimed to enable county leadership, collaborating parties, and auxiliaries to conduct similar celebrations at their respective county headquarters. The collective agreement for the deduction was not an instruction from the National Chairman, contrary to the implications of the publication.
The press statement further indicated:
The National Chairman is an esteemed figure, a dedicated clergyman, and an advocate for a corruption-free society. He upholds principles, values, and ethics and would not compromise on these.
Through this statement, the National Chairman instructs all County Chairs to submit comprehensive expenditure reports of funds received to the National Secretariat by January 31, 2024.
Grossly Misappropriated
Mr. Sagee Weah, a coordinator in District 3, Rivergee County, told FrontPageAfrirca that his district received US$2,700 while the remaining two districts in the county received US$2,500 each.
Mr. Weah: “There was a gross misappropriation of that money and it has to be restituted because the county has three electoral districts and each district is entitled to US$5,000, so the three electoral districts in Rivergee has US$15,000 and the money was grossly misappropriated and it needs to be restituted. In Monrovia, when they first got the money, few individuals who did not even constitute a quorum upon receiving the US$15,000 sat in Monrovia and removed US$6,000.”
He further alleged that the UP auxiliaries in the county did not any share of the money.
“They used the money in Monrovia before coming to the county. So, even on the inauguration day, at the party headquarters in the county, there were no chairs for people sit on. There was no money to rent more chairs. There was not even water for people to drink. So, this needs to be investigated. The money was grossly misappropriated and it must be restituted.”