“I OWE NO APOLOGY”-SIRLEAF
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf says she owes no apology for her failure to appoint an Auditor-General of the Republic of Liberia, since the departure of Mr. John Mulu several months ago.
Presidential Press Secretary Jerolinmek Piah addressing media personnel at his Foreign Ministry/Executive Mansion office in Monrovia on Thursday, July 5, reaffirmed the President’s defense for not appointing an Auditor-General up to this time, claiming “the President wants to be more careful and scrupulous in the vetting process.”
Piah noted, “the appointment of an Auditor-General was a requirement and the President has chosen to be scrupulous and critical in how she makes the selection and that will be done.” He assured.
However, it may be recalled that the head of Delegate of the European Union (EU) office in Monrovia, Attilio Pacifici revealed that the EU will no longer support the position of Auditor General of the Republic of Liberia, such as the payment of salary.
The EU said it will instead divert the salary that was paid to former Auditor-General, John Morlu, to the institution instead. Pacifici recently disclosed that, “the agreement we made with the government was that we will support the institution because we have to build the institution.”
He said former Auditor-General Morlu was somebody who built up the system; did his job and his contract finished, it is over.” Ambassador Pacifici, declared conclusively.
In another development, while grading the Liberian Government recently, the Liberia Media Center (LMC), said President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s 150-day deliverables scored zero percent, because of her failure to appoint someone to the position of Auditor-General seemingly over a protracted period.
But speaking in defense of the administration, Presidential Press Secretary Piah said, “the President decided to be very critical in the process of scrutinizing and mind you, in the absence of that, it does not suggest that the auditing commission is not working.”
“The Auditing Commission is working; it has a leadership and it has people who are performing.” Press Secretary, Piah defended.
Speaking further, Secretary Piah declared,“the Liberian Government is not crawling and that could not be a reason because the President did say when she spoke the last time that the Auditor-General will be appointed.
Our law provides for an Auditor General and whether money is coming from somewhere or not we will have an Auditor-General.” He maintained defiantly. This is an apparent response to the European Union’s head of Delegate decision to no longer pay the salary of the Auditor-General of Liberia.
The Editorial Staff of the Independent Eye News (IEN), welcomes feedback (comments/reactions) from our readership to any of our publications. We assure you, your feedback will be published without censorship.
THE INDEPENDENT EYE NEWS (IEN), IS THE FASTEST AND LEADING NAME IN NEWS. WE REPORT, YOU DECIDE.
BY: TARNYON NYENON
PUBLISHER & MANAGING EDITOR,
INDEPENDENT EYE NEWS (IEN)
TNYENON59@YAHOO.COM (763) 226-3634-CELL
“I OWE NO APOLOGY”- SIRLEAF; GOL REINTRODUCING HUT TAX:
Dear Mr. Editor;
I had suspended my comments, articles and replies until after the funeral of the late Jackson Wonde, Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs. After that, I will not only comment on the above issues and other senseless charge(s) against me.
Especially, I will not only comment on the hut tax issue but also provide distasteful historical perspective and its modern implications on said hut tax issue.
Thank you for the space provided.
P. Allison Tarlue, Sr.
I think the president is right, because appointing Auditor-General will be of no use just a waste of tax payer money. the corruption will still flow even if the Auditor General is appointed. Let the oldma lick her eyebow, Auditor go away.
Again fellow Liberians, we must be very careful on how we response to issues of national concerns.
I am again pleased to call on all peace loving LIBERIANS in the diaspora, at home, and partners in progress, to kindly investigate further into issues before criticizing or defending an article publication or the individual involved in such publication weather it being over the AIR or in PRINT MEDIA.
I am sorry to say that the issue of an Auditor General for the Republic of Liberia is a national security issue and should be treated as such.
If one should read the Constitution of the Republic of Liberia, Chapter X, Article 89 on “AUTONOMOUS PUBLIC COMMISSIONS,” namely, the Civil Service Commission, Election Commission, and the General Auditing Commission.
One will then be able to sideline the importance of each commission to include that of the General Auditing Commission, one of the strongest pillows of the government good governance and accountability programs.
I will like to call the attention of the President to the provision of the General Auditing Commission and what it means to the government and people of Liberia, including its attachment to the development of the country as it relates to good governance and accountability.
According to the giving background narratives of the General Auditing Commission which goal is for “FIGHTING FRAUD, WASTE and ABUSE, the below reference will give us the people of Liberia the good reason for which the President can not just ignore the office of the “AUDITOR GENERAL” up to press time.
It readS as follow:
“Prior to 1956, the General Auditing Office (GAO) was established by an Act of the National Legislature, as the Bureau of Audits, to pre audit requisitions, vouchers and payroll in connection with the disbursement of public moneys.
This was amended under Chapter 32, section 740-744 of the Executive Law of Liberia in 1956 to audit all accounts of the Government of Liberia in the manner prescribed in the Revenue and Finance Law of Liberia.
In 1972, the Executive Law of Liberia was amended, with its Chapter 53, Sections 1-11, establishing the General Auditing Office (GAO). Under this law, the Auditor General was reporting directly to the President.
In June 2005, an Act was passed to amend Chapter 53, Section 53.2 of the Executive Law of 1972 to create the General Auditing Commission (GAC).
The June Act 2005 created the GAC as an autonomous Commission reporting directly to the Legislature. The 2005 amendment makes Chapter 53 of the Executive Law comply with Article 89 of the 1986 Liberian Constitution, which named GAC as one of the three autonomous Commissions in Liberia.
However, this amendment did not bring the GAC to full compliance with the 1977 LIMA and the 2007 Mexico reaffirmation.
In recognition of the limitation and the legal ambiguities of the June 2005 amendment, the development partners through the GEMAP and under the leadership of the European Union engaged a Legal expert to draft a new Law that will enable the GAC to fully comply with the 1977 LIMA standards and the 2007 Mexico reaffirmation.
(gacliberia.com/1content.php?sub=124&related=1&third…sp )
With the duties and functions as spell out below, the General Auditing Bureau need net to go out off a proper Auditor General, read below:
Duties of the Auditor General The functions of the Auditor General are derived from Chapter 53, section 53.3 of the 1972 Executive Law of Liberia.
The Act stipulates that, “The Auditor-General shall be the officer of the Government principally responsible for conducting comprehensive post audits, special financial investigations, reconciliation’s and analyses, and continuous audits on a routine basis. He shall; (gacliberia.com/1content.php?sub=124&related=1&third…sp )
Therefore, the President shouldn’t fine any excuse in appointing a person to hold such a prestigious position in government, or is the President telling us again that she is looking for such a qualify person in her family line since the office of an Auditor General is a life line of any leadership.
Thanks and may God continue to guide the president in her endeavor of putting the rightful people in trusted positions of government.
A word Of wisdom:
“THE GARBAGE IS NOT THE HOME OF THE CHICKEN,
BUT RATHER THE LIFE LINE OF THE CHICKEN”