Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor is making the case for the governing CDC’s reelection bid, stating that they have achieved a lot during difficult times for the past 5 years than what they inherited from the former regime of the Unity Party (UP).
She names those achievements across the country as completed and dedicated structures, as well as other ongoing developmental projects. They include the security sector – keeping the country quiet; building of roads and health facilities (hospitals and clinics), market buildings, and the placement of dozens of medical doctors, nurses, and volunteer teachers in the national budget.
Others are free tuition at public universities and colleges across the country, payment of fees of both 12th and 9th graders for the West African Certificate Examinations (WASSCE) for the past 5 years, increment in public servants’ monthly income (salaries); agriculture, mining and energy sector, youth development and empowerment, among others.
Howard-Taylor, addressing the nation on a wide range of issues on state-owned broadcaster (ELBC) yesterday in Monrovia, said they have achieved lot within 5 years than what they inherited from the last administration, and they shall do their best again once given the chance to complete those programs that are in the works.
She stated that for the security sector, when they took authority of the country, an appeal was made to the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to stay for another year, but that was rejected, on grounds that Liberia is now on its own after 12 years of their being in the country; therefore, they could not approve such request.
Following that meeting with UNMIL, the VP continued, “We decided to take full responsibility of the security, which is paramount to keeping the country quiet or stable, not allowing it slip back into another round of conflict, as some our critics wanted, because then they would have said we were not able to do the job given to us.”
She recounted numerous public protests that went against the regime from 2018, which were spewed out from the opposition blocs, both local and international, whether Liberians or non-Liberians, thinking that they would use those incidents to take the country backward, “but we did not care, as we withstood the test of time.”
“Because whenever it involves the CDC, it is widely condemned, but if it is the opposition blocs, people keep silent and welcome it,” referencing the behavior of Montserrado County Electoral District #10 Representative, Yekeh Kolubah, raining insults on both the President and her,” the VP noted.
The VP indicated that new hospitals are presently being built in Grand Gedeh and Rivercess, while the need for the construction of additional ones with the approved budget has been earmarked in Nimba, Bong, and Lofa, thereby making the facilities available and services affordable to the population.
On the 25 percent allocation to education, she went further that it came about in the early 1970s, during the tenure of President William Richard Tolbert, who suggested the need for that allocation towards education; therefore, it is the responsibility of the Senate, as the government has done much better, if not the best in taking it from the mess.
“The Law was passed during the era of President Tolbert, though not yet there, but we are doing our best to improve. Hopefully, if we do win the election, we will do some cutting down, in an effort to meet the 25 percent or go near it, because it is important that we do,” Howard-Taylor noted.
Notwithstanding, she went further that the present administration for the first time in the country’s history, has relieved or reduced some of the burden of poor parents and guardians, with the offering of free tuition at public universities and colleges, as well as the payment of fees for both 12th and 9th graders for the West African Certificate Examinations (WACE).
About fighting corruption, she pointed out that the General Auditing Commission (GAC) report covers every sector of government, but the report goes to the Senate before going to the presidency; therefore, the President cannot override or overstep the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC), which has now been given prosecutorial power.
On inclusive government, Jewel said the regime has been inclusive, because those who they met as partisans of the former Unity Party (UP) are still in the government up to present, as they were never sacked, unlike what the party did when it came to power in 2005 by downsizing the opposition, adding, “UP has partisans in the present administration.”
“Look at the MDR (Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction), there was a lot of positions given to them, both at local and national level, in the 3 branches of government, in every sector from the arrangement. That tells you these people are Liberians and they are serving their country,” the Head of the Senate lamented.
On the harmonization of salary, the Vice President said the harmonization was necessary because had it not been done, the country wouldn’t be where it is now, on grounds that they do have the budget to pay people huge salaries like US$20,000; US$18,000; US$15,000; and US$10,000 per month.
She stated that the former regime was paying those huge salaries because of the huge donors they had at the time, but that is in the past now because we are on our own as country and we have to carry out domestic revenue mobilization by not depending on donor support.
“Since we were told by the international community during the meeting with UNMIL that we were now on our own as country, we decided putting into place those measures and programs as a government instead of continuously begging outsiders to do for us what we should do for ourselves,” Jewel said.
The VP said all of the ongoing developmental projects across the country, whether completed not, are the result of revenue generated from taxes, since the inception of the present administration.
Therefore, she appealed to the population to reconsider giving George Weah the second term, so as to complete those projects that are not completed, as there shall be more development, noting that the reelection of the CDC with a single round victory is cardinal, instead of going to a runoff, which will be too costly.
