By Bill W. Cooper
Margibi County Senator, Nathaniel McGill, is said to be facing mounting pressures from the public to recuse himself from the legislature amidst an ongoing investigation by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) over his alleged involvement into corruption.
The investigation, which linked McGill to alleged corruption and payroll padding during his tenure as Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, also raised serious concerns about his integrity and ability to serve as a Senator, especially the Chairperson of the Senate’s Committee on Education.
McGill, who got the overwhelming mandate from the people of Margibi during the 2023 general election, has been at the center of controversy since the inception of the administration of former President George Weah.
The Senator’s case is similar to that of former House Speaker Alex Tyler, in similar quagmire, who was asked by his colleagues to rescue himself from presiding over the body until cleared of charges he then faced related to a Global Witness report which accused him and several others of bribery.
The report accused Tyler and others, including Senator Varney Sherman of receiving money to change a portion of the Public Procurement and Concession law to allow British-based Sable Mining to gain mining rights over the Wologisi Mountain in Lofa.
Following months of pressure from his colleagues, Tyler then announced his decision to rescue himself from all proceedings at the House of Representatives in September of 2016, despite maintaining his innocence.
But unlike former Speaker Tyler, McGill has so far shown no sign to step down or recuse himself from the Senate, but continuously registered his innocence of any wrongdoing, describing his investigation as politically motivated and a witch hunt.
It can be recalled that Sen. McGill, then Minister of State, former National Port Authority (NPA) Managing Director, Bill Tweahway and former Solicitor General, Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus, were all sanctioned by the US Government for corruption in Liberia.
According to the US Government, McGill manipulated public procurement processes to award multi-million-dollar contracts to companies in which he had ownership, including, by abusing emergency procurement processes to rig contract bids.
McGill is also being accused of involvement in a wide range of other corrupt schemes, including soliciting bribes from government office seekers and misappropriating government assets for his personal gain.
He is accused of using government’s funds allocated to other institutions of government to run his own projects, made off-the-books payments in cash to senior government leaders, and organized warlords to threaten political rivals.
The US Government added, “McGill has received an unjustified stipend from various institutions of government and used his position to prevent his misappropriation from being discovered. He regularly distributes thousands of dollars in undocumented cash to other government officials for government and non-governmental activities.”
As a result of the sanction, McGill and his colleagues, were all forced to resign their respective lucrative positions from the Weah-Taylor government in 2020, but later ventured into politics in 2023, and later won the Margibi County Senatorial seat.
With the dark cloud of sanction still hanging over him as a Senator, McGill was recently invited by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) over his alleged involvement into corruption and the creation of new payroll while serving as then Minister of State under Weah.
The investigation, which is actively ongoing also suggested that McGill was involved in corrupt practices, including the illegal creation of government payrolls to pay employees without authorization.
These latest allegations against McGill, have since sent panic amongst the citizenry, with many questioning his fitness to hold public office coupled with the chairing of a leadership committee at the Senate.
Several civil society organizations, including prominent citizens have all called for his resignation or suspension, arguing that his continued presence in the Senate undermines the credibility of the institution and the fight against corruption in Liberia.
However, in a sharp reaction to these allegations and concerns, McGill maintains his innocence saying, “I have done nothing wrong and I will not be intimidated by any investigation. I will continue to serve the people of Margibi County to the best of my ability and I will cooperate fully with the LACC to clear my name.”
Meanwhile, like McGill, there are also concerns in some quarters regarding the Senate’s ability to uphold transparency and accountability amidst the presence of some senators who are being sanctioned by the US Government for corruption.
These concerns are however triggered as a result of those senators who are designated under the US Government Global Magnitsky Act and sanctions for their alleged involvement into rampant corruption, to keep occupying key committees’ positions.
Amongst those senators who are elected to major standing committees, are the likes of Nathaniel McGill and Emmanuel Nuquay, both of Margibi County, Bill Twehway of Rivercess, Prince Johnson of Nimba, and Albert Chie of Grand Kru, have all been sanctioned by the US Government Global Magnitsky Act for their alleged involvement into corruption and the abuse of their respective offices.
On the other hand, Bomi County Senator, Alex Tyler, who served as Speaker of the House of Representatives in the erstwhile Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s government, was labeled as “Corruption King Kong” for his involvement into the Sable Mining corruption saga.
As a result, their continuous stayed in the Senate, leading and serving leadership committees, have since generated significant debates, raising questions about the Senate’s ability to operate effectively, restore public trust, and adhere to international standards of accountability and transparency.
Some Liberians believe that the presence of sanctioned senators heading influential Senate committees brings into question the Senate’s integrity and its capacity to effectively carry out its duties as promised in line with the UP’s ‘Rescue Mission.’
They explained that, owing to the fact that these committees play crucial roles in shaping legislation and overseeing critical areas such as finance, foreign relations, and judiciary, the issue might also affect the country internationally, especially with the US, which is Liberia’s oldest diplomatic partner.
They added that it is possible that the legitimacy and credibility of the Senate may be called into question by the international community, potentially leading to diplomatic and economic repercussions for the country.
“We are saying this because with these individuals, the perception of corruption and compromised governance within the Senate could damage Liberia’s relationships with key global partners and negatively impact foreign investment and aid inflows,” some citizens asserted.
The Liberian Senate is a critical organ of the country’s Legislature, which is the first branch of the Liberian government, and has a fundamental responsibility to enact laws, oversee government activities, and serve as a key check and balance within the nation’s governance framework.
With its influence on policy-making and resource allocation, the composition of leadership, key committee memberships and its members, the Senate is essential in determining the direction of the nation, coupled with strengthening international relationship with our foreign partners.
