US$1m Allocation Per Statutory District – Why So Late? By Hon. Joseph O. Lathrobe, Member, Erstwhile Interim Legislative Assembly As it is reverberated in the latter aspect – WHY SO LATE? – In the caption of this epitome, let us somberly reflect and soberly recapitulate on the Liberian adage: IT IS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. The Speaker’s statement in totality has plunged our entire country into a polychotomy; thus creating reactionaries and progressives; protagonists and antagonists; pundits in the converse and pundits in the adverse. There are others who do not know which plane to find themselves on, in the ideological spectrum of the statement. This group of individuals conceives the statement as an idiosyncrasy. There are also others who, because of the peculiarity and unprecedented anatomy of the statement, foresee a result imbued with rancor and acrimony; thus perceiving it as xenophobia. Whatever category mentioned supra that thinkers find themselves in, they all have succinct and germane reasons for their mode of thinking. We will delve into this later, but momentarily we will take a look at the progenitor of the US$1M allocation per statutory district – the man Hon. Atty. J. Alex Tyler, Sr., Speaker of the Honorable House of Representatives. I personally know Hon. J. Alex Tyler from our numerous travels to approximately 15 countries across Africa; many times in his company as he poise for his interlocution with Heads of States or prominent statesmen, discussing the role of parliament in maintaining peace, regional and global stability, economic cooperation and peaceful co-existence. It is from such interaction with Speaker Tyler that I categorize him as an impeccable visionary, a pragmatic patriot and, for his thought and far sightedness to change status of the destitute, impoverished and down trodden Liberians as a consequence of his pronouncement dubs him: THE FATHER OF LIBERIOCRACY. What is Liberiocracy? It’s a new Liberia for, of, run and controlled by Liberians; a new Liberia in which the economy will be in the hands of Liberians; a new Liberia where Liberians will know their destiny. In our candid mind, is our patrimony really for us or controlled by Liberians? Tentatively yes, tenaciously no. Speaker Tyler hails from Bomi County and possibly as a lad, he watched in awe the locomotives filled with iron ore from Liberia Mining Company and the Liberia National Iron Ore Company; the two Concessions that then existed. From November 24 to December 13, 2013, Speaker Tyler and his Colleagues toured the nation in an attempt to solicit the views of Liberians on the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) Act 2013 and the Petroleum (Exploration and Production) Act 2013. Three and a half weeks subsequent to the nationwide tour, the 53rd Legislature opened for its 3rdSitting Session. It is common knowledge that Speaker Tyler made the pronouncement for the US$1M allocation per statutory district at that opening. Prior to this pronouncement, I carefully dissected the opening and closing statements of the Honorable Speaker during the 2nd Session of the 53rd Legislature. In those statements, I discovered two phrases that I considered catch phrases; (1) “a new beginning,” and (2) “effectuating a legacy.” Had something been running through Speaker Tyler’s mind and he was seeking an opportunity to put it out at the appropriate time? What was that something? Could it be Speaker Tyler reminiscing the past as a lad in Bomi and seeing the billions of dollars worth of iron ore taken from Bomi Hills and Mano River or LMC and LNIOC respectively, yet, the people continue to wallow in abject poverty and the county remains one of the poorest in Liberia? What is the opportunity he was seeking? Was it to tour the nation in the manner and form he did to assess and do a comparative analysis; and to become convinced that Bomi County was not the only economic victim, but it was a national phenomena that required an action that would have the semblance of breaking from the past? What was the appropriate time to put what was running through the Speaker’s mind out? The opening of the 3rd Session was the most appropriate time. The Honorable Speaker had taken the tour to acquaint and solicit the views of Liberians on the NOCAL Act 2013 and the Petroleum Act 2013; and to subsequently convene a national conference on same. In the Speaker’s perception that, in the wake of abundance natural resources, majority of Liberians live in abject poverty and destitution. Could he not take an action at this time as an assurance to Liberians that there would be benefits for them from the oil sector? Let us now delve into why some people are opposed to the allocation. There is the argument from the skeptics about the inability of the Legislature to ensure the adequate use of this fund (US$1M). They are right because of the lack of understanding of how the county and social development funds, other financial transactions and budgetary allocations are being handled. Factors responsible for that could be the bureaucracy and the mechanisms that were then put into place. Most of those funds have not been expanded to the districts; in some cases, up to three years or more and are still within the domain of 2nd branch. Besides, there are times when party politics become attributable. We have seen where Superintendents of counties have been dismissed because of the misuse of county and social development funds. This issue of the US$1M allocation per district cannot be the same as the county and social development fund; obviously the mechanism to be put in place will not be verbatim. Indeed, there is a dire need to improve the living standard of the Liberian people. I candidly believe that this is the beginning where Liberians will begin to feel being a part of the nationhood. No Representative, irrespective of how cunning he or she is, will have the guts to consume US$1M in the wake of high expectation before the eyes of his or her constituents. If anyone tries that, I envision him or her running for life out of the constituency. What the concern of all should be momentarily is, whatever mechanisms are put in place for the expense of the US$1M, it must have the input of the people; let’s give to chance what chance duly deserves. Have Liberians really benefited from the nation’s resources? The answer is a blatant no. With the abundance of natural resources, why is our country so underdeveloped, after almost a hundred and sixty-seven years of existence? Without compunction of conscience, I will emphatically say a weak Legislature that in the past has always acted subserviently. The Legislature is the First Branch of the three branches of the Government of Liberia. The Senators are there as the Trustee. The Representatives are the people. Each Representative represents 38,000 or more individuals. Their livelihood, education, healthcare, and human development rely on you as their Representative. You don’t have to take money from your pockets. You are the ones who apportion in the National Budget. You have the authority to make allocations in the interest of your constituents, and ensure implementation through the execution of your fiduciary responsibility of OVERSIGHT. The Legislature is a microcosm and anyone elected here must learn to walk the corridors. Your failure to do so strangulates the development of your constituents and constituencies. May I beg the indulgence of Hon. Edwin Melvin Snowe, Jr. to use his experience as a classical example of what the inner part of the Legislature looks like? Prior to becoming a legislator, the Man, Edwin Melvin Snowe, Jr was highly successful. He served as Deputy and Managing Director for the Liberia Petroleum Marketing Corporation; President for the Liberia Football Association; Member of the campaign team for Africa for the re-election of FIFA President Sepps Blatter; he acquired estates; married the daughter of a President; he was overwhelmingly elected to the House of Representatives; poised himself and was elected Speaker of the 52nd Legislature, amidst colleagues with Masters and Doctorate degrees. With all of Hon. Snowe’s brilliance and prowess outside the Legislature, he could not make it inside the Legislature as Speaker. What happened? He made four points of history as follow: 1. the youngest Speaker ever elected; (2) the shortest serving Speaker in our legislative history; (3) the first Speaker ever who was forced to resign in an elected government, and; (4) by standard, the least educated – being only second year college student at the time. (Contemporary time) This is an indication of the peculiarity of the Legislature. Hon. Snowe took those points of history as a challenge and prepared himself by obtaining his Bachelor and Masters. Today he is within the echelon of the Leadership of the Honorable House of Representatives. He is even ripe to be a presidential aspirant if the so desires. The continuous stagnation of our people is reflected in the inability of others who were elected to prepare themselves after being elected. The consequence is seen in the grave underdevelopment of our country after 167 years of existence as a sovereign nation. Many who were elected here did not understand what it meant to be a representative. On the other hand, the electorates do not know what to look for in an individual before electing them to the Legislature. There have been instances where people who cannot read and write were elected to this Honorable House. Can an Honorable Man or Woman who is illiterate understand what lawmaking, representation or oversight are all about? No. An elementary or mere high school graduate, coming here is practically of no use to his people in this contemporary and technological age. At least there must be a constitutional provision for one to obtain a first degree before being eligible for election to the Legislature. The Legislature should not be a place for people ho are not up to the task. This has been one of the primary reasons in the past why it has been bullied by the Executive. There were not many men and women with the temerity to speak out. Today, the tide is changing; bravo Speaker Tyler, bravo Pro-Tem Findley, bravo Honorables of the Liberian Senate and House of Representatives. Your Excellency, the people of the country are beginning to speak because “All power is inherent in [them].” His Hon. The Chief Justice, you are the interpreter and final arbiter.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Jan 2014 12:50:27 +0000
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