By Precious D. Freeman
The Student Unification Party (SUP) is demanding the Government of Liberia for the immediate suspension or dismissal and subsequent prosecution of the Liberian Institute of Statistic and Geo-Information Services (LISGIS) Boss, Prof. Francis Wreh and his deputies for the alleged misuse and financial abuse of over US$700,000.
Addressing the press yesterday, the chairman for SUP, Mustapha N. Kanneh explained that LISGIS has a vital and indispensable role of conducting the National Population and Housing Census in Liberia, but since 2018, the CDC government through LISGIS has failed to conduct the second post-war census in contrast to the constitution which mandates the government to conduct census every 10 years.
He mentioned that LISGIS boss and his deputies, Lawrence George and Wilmot Smith are needed to be subsequently forwarded to court for prosecution in line with the findings and recommendations of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC’s) Reports.
“The recent LACC’s reports clearly opened our eyes on the high level of corruption scandal at LISGIS which all but hooked LISGIS’s boss and two of his top deputies for organized corruption,” he stressed.
Chairman Kanneh furthered that based on the result for open corruption at LISGIS it is disappointing that these individuals have since quadrupled their act in astronomical proportion of plundering the remaining census funding, adding that they got the information from Eco-bank Liberia Limited.
He emphasized that the bravery and willful act of Director General Francis Wreh and his colleagues in crime is anchored on the assurance of protection by Finance Minister, Samuel D. Tweah Jr, who is LISGIS’ board chair.
SUP boss sustained that since President Weah has taken no action to suspend or dismiss these individuals pending prosecution, plus their assured protection by Minister Tweah, they can proceed to depleting the remaining census resources without fear.
Chairman Kanneh stressed that the Liberian people will not accept anything less than the comprehensive conduct of the National Population and Housing Census in 2022, adding that if it is not done to ascertain the proximal numbers of inhabitants in the country, then President Weah and his cronies will use the absence of the conduct of the National Census as a clever attempt to stealing the upcoming 2023 General and Presidential Elections.
“We categorically state that any attempt by the President and his clique of crooks to furthered delay or suspend the conduct of the planned Housing Census this year (2022) will be vehemently resisted by the militants population because Census will pay a key role in ensuring electoral transparency and fairness,” he said.
Meanwhile, SUP promised not to rest and will intend going to any length to ensure a forceful action is implemented to restore the lost value of LISGIS and the Republic at large.
