By Ethel A. Tweh
The Liberian Senate has ordered Deputy Finance Minister Samora P. Z. Wolokolie to produce documents backing his claim that each of the 15 counties received US$100k as a County Development Fund (CDF).
The Liberian Senate kept Mr. Kollie under oath Thursday, 26 October 2023, and ordered him to reappear next Tuesday with documentation backing his claims.
The Deputy Finance Minister for Fiscal Affairs on Thursday, 26 October 2023, honored the plenary’s request, asking him to appear and update members of that body on the status of the fund.
Plenary recently took the decision following outgoing Grand Cape Mount County Senator Cllr. Varney Sherman’s communication was submitted to the body.
Cllr. Sherman highlighted the reported failure or deliberate refusal of the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning to disburse the fund in the 2023 national budget to all counties.
Shockingly to many of the senators during Thursday’s session, Wolokolie alleged that a total of US$1.5 million was given to those counties by the Ministry.
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He said each county received the sum of US$100,000.
Although his revelation raised many questions, the Deputy Finance Minister maintained that despite the doubts by the lawmakers, they and the local county officials who claimed not to have received a dime would later realize when the records show.
“It is my hope that by the time we shall have provided all of the evidence available to substantiate that the amount of 1.5 million United States Dollars was disbursed to the 15 counties in the Republic of Liberia, 100,000 each, either the Fiscal Superintendent or the Superintendent or the Senator or whoever provided the information, will just be fair to us to make the public to know that we did not provide misleading information,” Minister Wolokolie stressed.
“As a professional accountant, as a lawyer, and as a statesman, I will not come before the Liberian Senate and give misleading information to the Liberian Senate,” he argued.
The Deputy Minister added, “I will not come before the Legislature and I have never, ever appeared before the Liberian Senate or anybody of the Legislature and made misleading statements … before,” he said.
Before his comments, Bomi, Montserrado, River Gee, River Cess, Lofa, Grand Cape Mount, Bong, and Grand Kru Counties Senators emphasized that the Minister was not telling the truth while under oath.
According to Senators Edwin Melvin Snowe, Abraham Darius Dillon, and Cllr. Varney Sherman, their respective counties are yet to receive such money reportedly disbursed as claimed by Mr. Wolokolie.
“I just called my Fiscal Superintendent and he denied your information. My county has not received any county development fund,” Senator Snowe said.
Also, Senator Dillon emphasized that, “Mr. Minister, as a lawyer, we expected you to have appeared here with documents not to just say the ministry paid this or that.”
“Where is the record to show that my county received 100,000 United States Dollars?” Dillon asked.
According to a motion made by Grand Kru County Senator, Numene T. H. Bartekwa, Deputy Minister Wolokolie has been requested while under oath to return on Tuesday, 30 October 2023 with all documentation.
He said the document must indicate that such money was disbursed.
The body’s decision further mandates the witness to make available 35 hard copies of the document on or before Monday before his reappearance on Tuesday.
