By Gideon Nma Scott, Jr.
In 2018, when then Senator, George Weah, took office as the President of Liberia, he decided to grade former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her government 80 percent, indicating that the former UP-led government performed exceptionally up to the expectations of the Liberian people. He also did not audit the past government after the public was informed that the over 120m was left in the Federal Reserve of the Republic. He refuted the claim, stating that no money was left in the national coffers, but was challenged openly by Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
On the other hand, Joseph Boakai and his Rescue Team have said, through his campaign, that they will audit the Weah-led government should they win the election. In fact, this was a key campaign message on which many persons may have voted for Boakai.
The message of audit, from different perspectives, is the newest discussion in town, with some people describing audit as a means through which the Boakai-led administration intends to witch-hunt the CDC government and its leader, George Weah, while others say that audit is a process through which the outgoing will explain to the incoming administration on its financial workings throughout its tenure.
With these different views, I thought to research these two words to bring about their similarities and differences, if any.
Outgoing president Weah shakes incoming president Boakai
According to the book, ‘Making Your Numbers Work’, written by Chapman Robinson and Moore, an audit is the examination of the financial report of an organization- as presented in the annual report-by someone independent of that organization. “The financial report includes a balance sheet, an income statement, a statement of changes in equity, a cash flow statement, and notes comprising a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory notes,” he said.
The book argues that the purpose of an audit is to form a view on whether the information presented in the financial report, taken as a whole, reflects the financial position of the organization at a given date.
One of my junior brothers, Archie Nageh Marteh, said that the main purpose of an audit is to report to the owners that the records, financial statements, profit or loss, and cash flow for the year, as well as any other matters, as may be prescribed, offer a true and fair view of the state of the entity’s affairs and financial performance for a given period.
“Many persons do not know that when you audit, you identify weaknesses in the accounting systems that help you suggest useful improvements to ensure a more robust internal control environment. It also helps reduce the scope for fraud, enhance the credibility and reliability of your institution, and poor accounting by providing an independent professional review,” the financial expert lectured.
On the contrary, a witch-hunt, or a witch purge, is an attempt to find and punish a particular group of people who are being blamed for something, often simply because of their opinions and not because they have actually done anything wrong.
In simple terms, it is a campaign directed against a person or group holding unorthodox or unpopular views.
Incoming Gov’t. President-elect Joseph Nyumah Boakai and Jeremiah Kpan Koung
With the explanation provided by my two sources above, I am convinced that auditing the Weah-led CDC government is no form of a witch hunt, but rather intended for the outgoing leadership to provide the financial status of the State which they have governed over the past six years to the incoming government. Such financial understanding will inform government to set priorities where needed and improve in areas that need to be adjusted; and hold those responsible of any financial malpractices for either restitutions or imprisonment.
I suggest that if stringent financial rules or regulations be put in place to monitor and evaluate persons who are designated to execute financial orders, future government officials will alter their financial activities to suit institutional financial best practices.
I believe that misinterpreting audit for witch hunt is a clever attempt by corrupt officials in the outgoing CDC-led government to manipulate President Boakai well-meaning intention of ensuring accountability and credibility of the outgoing government and evade prosecution. They must be audited. There is no “if” and “and” about this.
It is no secret that the outgoing government diverted huge sums of United States and Liberian dollars to their personal accounts, thereby leaving thousands of their kinsmen to live in abject poverty. They have allegedly used State resources to purchase huge properties abroad, send their children to some of the best schools abroad for studies, and live lavish life styles, while the ordinary Liberian lives in slums, attends schools with no desks and books, and sleeps hungry most nights.
It is an honest call to Boakai to do a comprehensive audit of the outgoing administration without fear or favor. It is a national duty that must be executed.
President Weah’s failure to audit Madam Sirleaf should not be a reason that he should not be audited by Boakai. It was a national duty that he reneged on, so he cannot put it on the incoming government claiming that auditing him is a witch hunt.
In fact, there is nothing in auditing an individual, private or public institution, that suggests a witch hunt. I encourage those who are intending to resist such civic responsibility to begin considering the benefits that go along with it and submit to the process.
It is in our collective interest as a people to have our organizations, businesses, as well as government institutions, audited, so as to provide us with a clearer understanding as to how we performed financially.
To all of you who are trying to use various media platforms to deface the issue of audit, think of the many benefits of the process, because “no matter how Mr. Billy goat ties his face, the owner will still sell him.”
*The thought of the son of a professional Kru woman
