Africa-Press – Liberia. The National Civil Society Council of Liberia has highlighted what it termed as high level of inconsistencies and misrepresentation of facts in President George Weah’s fifth State of the Nation Address at the Legislature, a week ago.
The group comprises Naymote Partners for Democratic Development, Integrity Watch Liberia, Institute for Research and Democratic Development and Accountability Liberia said it is utterly dumbfounded by the high level of contradiction in the President’s report especially on infrastructure accomplishments across the country.
Addressing the journalists at their Headquarters in Sinkor, an executive of the group Madam Loretta Alethea Pope Kai said after the President’s State of the Nations address, they followed up to ascertain the truthfulness of the completed projects.
According to her, to their outmost surprise, they were dismayed to learn that most of the reported completed projects in the address were not factual.
“For example, in Bong County, the President reported 100 housing units’ construction project in Bong County was completed. Our verification shows that only 10 housing units were identified. In Nimba County, the President reported 100 housing units completed, but our verification showed that less than 15 units were identified,” Madam Kai said.
She added: “In Gbarpolu, the President reported that 100-bedroom hospital was completed, but our verification showed that the project is not completed but rather has gone 90% completion, the market buildings in Salala and Gbarngawere reported ongoing, but our verification showed that the project has not started just to mention few.”
According to her, the State of the Nation’s address is a constitutional responsibility mandated by Article 58 of the 1986 Constitution and for officials of government to mislead the President to report what she terms as fallaciously to the nation is an atrocious crime that must not go unpunished.
“We call on the President to take stern administrative action against ministers and officials of government who knowingly and blatantly provided false and misleading information on completed infrastructure projects as reported in the state of the nation’s address,” Madam Kai said.
No Solution for ZOGOS
Also, the group stressed that despite the national security threat posed by the growing number of vulnerable youth (ZOGOS) in the country, the President statement failed to lay out a clear strategy to address the menace.
“This population is posing increasing threat to the peace and security of the state. As civil society leaders, we believe that no other platform was appropriate enough than the SONA, to lay out a clear vision as to how the Government of Liberia will reduce or end this nightmare,” Madam Kai said.
She added: “By the same token, we applaud the government’s effort working with her partners to source finance to expend technical and vocational education, but we wish to call on the Liberian Senate to accelerate efforts to have the Drug Law passed as a matter of national emergency.”
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