By Alex Yomah
The Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD) says, the Liberian government under George Manneh Weah is not only weak and corrupt, but it is also in perpetual deep coma.
Making the disclosure when IREDD Executive Director, Matthias M. Yeanay addressed a team of media practitioners on scores of national issues including what he terms as distasteful, unwholesome, and undemocratic happenings concern, directly affecting the livelihood and the survivability of ordinary Liberians most especially women and girls who are the victims of violent circumstances on a daily basis.
“We are all witnesses of so many horrifying happenings in the country that should claim the attention of every Liberian and our international partners. Nearly everyone nowadays lives in endless fear, not knowing what will be the next repugnant act with the news only lasting for two weeks,” Yeanay stated.
Mr. Yeanay added that the need for sustained advocacy championing the voices of ordinary Liberian citizens for socio-economic justice, security, and the unconditional provisions of basic services to improve the standard of living for every Liberian void of political connection and linkage is now; and that the government is unable to provide the basic social services like water, electricity and security for its citizens.
“Contrary to good democratic governance tendencies and practices which among other things are geared toward peaceful coexistence in every country seems remote in our country under the leadership of this CDC led-government,” Yeanay intimated.
“Over the last five years, the respect for the rule of law, transparency and accountability in public service management had been taunted,” Yeanay stated further.
He alleged that the government has otherwise been evidently weak and mute on options of providing real-time leadership direction to curtail these unabated awful happenings in the country.
Adding, “Glaringly, there are overflowing socioeconomic injustices, undemocratic governance tendencies, high level of corruption in public service, misapplication of public funds, high level of hypocrisy by government officials, limited transparency and accountability practices, the creation of political party’s militia groups, the alarming disappearances and ritualistic killings of ordinary Liberian citizens, the appointments of unqualified cronies in higher public positions and the scraping of tenure of Integrity and strategic government institutions by the Liberian Senate for political maneuvering.”
IREDD further mentioned that based on these unfolding happenings in “Our beloved country, it is now the compelling fact that this CDC led-government is in perpetual deep coma with no daylight option or clear strategy to remedy these horrific happenings.”
“On governance performance scale of one (1) to five (5) where 1 is very poor, 2 is somewhat poor, 3 is fair, 4 is good and 5 is very good while the three (3) Branches of the government under this CDC led-government have been underperforming.”
CSOs statement indicted that the Legislative Branch is rated 2 which is somewhat POOR, purposely for not effectively and efficiently carrying out its cardinal functions of law-making oversight and representation for the public good; for instance, they have not been able to make budgetary appropriation that addresses the basic social services and livelihood of ordinary Liberians, instead they have continued to annually incrementally increase their budgetary allocations upward of 64m United States Dollars as been reflected in the 2022 National Budget.
“The Executive Branch is equally rated 2 which is somewhat POOR of too many wrongful decisions made and the lack of strategic leadership direction; the Executive has been overly mute on options of remedial action to address the too many unwholesome happenings in the country. It seems they may be benefiting from these happenings as being the reason for not taking concrete actions,” CSOs statement indicated.
“The Judiciary Branch is rated 3 which is fair; this is because amid limited budgetary support, it has been a bit functional, and however much more is required to ensure adherence and compliance with judicial rulings,” the statement added.
IREDD state further that there are compelling facts that many court rulings have not been respected and enforced by the Executive Branch of the Government which has the statutory power to enforce; there are numbers of government ministries and agencies that unlawfully refused to implement courts’ rulings without any action against them; the Judiciary Branch must follow up on court’s rulings to compel their implementation. The muteness of the government of Liberia over these provocative awful happenings has the propensity to reignite instability across the territorial boundaries of Liberia if not adequately addressed in Real-Time.
