Home Governance Act Swiftly …CSO Council Tells Boakai; Questions Outcome of US$22m ‘Used On Roads’

Act Swiftly …CSO Council Tells Boakai; Questions Outcome of US$22m ‘Used On Roads’

by News Manager

MONROVIA: Considering President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s own assertion that there would be “No Business As Usual”, the National Civil Society Council of Liberia (NCSCL), has called on the President to act swiftly on his public declaration. NCSCL, which is the umbrella organization of all CSOs in the country, urged the Liberia leader to remove ‘non-performing or poorly performing appointed officials’ from government.

The NCSCL said the officials ranged from Ministers to Assistant Ministers as well as heads and deputy heads of public corporations and agencies.

In a statement issued recently, under the signature of its Chairperson, Madam Loretta Pope-Kai, NCSCL observes that the loud and numerous public outcries indicate certain things are not going well in the governance of the country as a result of government’s actions and inactions.

And to correct the wrongs, the CSO Council said, the President needs to, and must act swiftly by replacing all those who are reneging on appropriately performing their assigned duties, and to a large extent, rendering the entire government ineffective.

The statement named one of the areas that have received widespread public criticisms and, or condemnations for ‘underperformance’ as the Ministry of Public Works.

The NCSCL pointed out that despite being allotted about US$22M for the rehabilitation of major roads across the country, several of those roads that were reported repaired by the Works Ministry are currently impassable and remain delipidated state.

“These primary roads in many of the counties remain inaccessible, a situation which has led to hikes in transportation fares, the group said.

Several places in Monrovia, the Nation’s Capital, and its environs are also affected by bad roads, the statement added.

Public Works Minister Roland Lafayatte Giddings has also admitted to some serious challenges when he addressed the Ministry of Information, Cultural Affairs and Tourism (MICAT) press briefing recently on Capitol Hill in Monrovian, the CSO group added.

NCSCL’s calls come on the heel of President Boakai’s return to the country following nearly three weeks of being away to the United States of America (USA) for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

“Thank God that the President is back; he needs to take some serious actions. Certain things aren’t going on well at all. We believe that some officials aren’t
performing their duties that are assigned to them. When you follow the different media platforms; various social media platforms, you don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that some things need to be fixed very quickly,” indicated the council’s statement.

“Look at our various roads across the country, since the heavy downpour of rain, those very projects that were praised all around here are all damaged now.
Some roads are no longer useable following damages caused by rain. This means that they were not done well at all. We are talking about serious money; whole US$22 million was put behind these projects that have yielded absolutely no results.”

The road works, which started back in April of this year, were in accord with President Joseph Nyuma Boakai’s pronouncement that “no car would get truck in mud in his (President Boakai’s “first 100 days in office.”

In a related development, the National Civil Society Council of Liberia has asked President Boakai to probe all allegations corruption against some officials of the current government.

It can be recalled that upon his ascendency to the Nation’s Presidency, Liberian leader, in his first public appearances (Inauguration and State of the
Nation Address), promised that there would be “no business as usual.”

As contained in said promise, the Liberian leader pledged to ensure high level of integrity and accountability, hence with a stern warning to his officials to uphold high level of transparency and accountability to maintain public trust.

But amid this open warning, some public officials seem not to be adhering to said promise by the President.

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