Africa-Press – Liberia. Nimba County Electoral District #7 Representative, Musa Hassan Bility has thrown a full weight behind transparency and accountability and has challenged President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to muster the courage to order the audit of the Legislature, which he said is at the peak of corruption.
In an open letter to President Boakai, the Nimba County lawmaker revealed that there is systemic theft of public funds within the Legislature, which the President should not turn a blind eye as the government goes on to prosecute lawmakers over the fire incident.
“You have the authority. You have the responsibility. Now, summon the courage.
Audit the House. Audit the Legislature. History is watching,” stated Rep. Bility as he goes on to highlight various levels of corruption and ills that have gone unnoticed in government and at the Legislature.
He intoned that millions, perhaps hundreds of millions, have lost through abuse and misappropriation within the Legislature itself, stressing that for months, while this investigation into the fire incident was pursued, the national budget was misused.
Rep. Bility asserted that funds meant for development were repurposed for political expediency and that millions of dollars, under the 2024 budget, were diverted, far more than the damage from the fire. But despite all this, he noticed no similar urgency has been shown in investigating that crime.
The Nimba County District #7 Representative disclosed how countless motions proffered by him for the audit of the House of Representatives have failed.
“We have tried to bring a motion for the audit of the House of Representatives. We have failed. We’ve raised it multiple times. We have failed. Clearly, the Legislature will never muster the courage to audit itself. But you, Mr. President, are empowered under the law.”
He urged the Liberian leader to use his constitutional and moral responsibility to order a comprehensive audit of the House of Representatives and the Senate, particularly from 2011 to the present so that Liberians would have an opportunity to see how their money has been used, misused, and abused.
With the Revised Act establishing the General Auditing Commission giving the President the authority to mandate the audit of any public institution, including the Legislature, Rep. Bility challenged the government to begin ensuring transparency and accountability at the very heart of our democracy, if the government is indeed, is committed to ending corruption and abuse.
“This should be your legacy, Mr. President. Not just the prosecution of a few alleged arsonists, but the bold decision to clean the system from within. Yes, it will hurt. Yes, it may expose allies and discomfort friends. But Liberia deserves it. Our people deserve it. History will honor you not for your silence, but for your courage.”
He said Liberia cannot continue to beg the world for aid while squandering its own resources through unchecked legislative corruption, stressing that the international partners will never truly respect the country until it shows respect for itself.
This, Rep. Bility noted, was President Boakai’s chance to restore the bleeding dignity of the people’s House.
“Do it for the homeless mother, the out-of-school child, the hungry elder, and the countless citizens watching a trial while their government refuses to account for far greater crimes,” he added.
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