The Senate Must Speak

A few months ago, the Government of Liberia indicted the former Managing Director of the Roberts International Airport or RIA for acts incompatible with good governance, including embezzlement while at the airport. Even though Ms. Ellen Corkrum continues to deny ever receiving any indictment from the Liberian Government, she recently expressed her preparedness to appear before the Liberian Senate for hearing on all allegations against her.  Ms. Corkrum told a New Dawn-Liberia interview last week that she had requested a senate hearing, and was willing to fly back to Liberia for such undertaking. But one condition to satisfy such important undertaking is her personal security while she’s in Liberia-a demand already before the Liberian Senate.

“I requested a Senate hearing, and was willing to fly back to Liberia provided that the Senate would ensure my security, and not allow me to be kidnapped, tortured, raped or murdered,” she told the New Dawn-Liberia, further claiming that she has asked the Government  for ‘real independent international audit’ of the RIA, but to no avail. Though she did not say the exact date she informed the Liberian Senate about her hearing, the former RIA Managing Director indicated that since her request, that body is yet to responded to her demand, noting that it has been nearly a year since she made the request to clear her name in Liberia.

While we could not verify Ms. Corkrum’s claims with the Liberian Senate, mainly because the President Pro Tempore, Milton Finley was reportedly out of the country and that other members of the senate, including Senator Isaac Nyenabo declined to speak on the issue when contacted last Thursday, it was unfair for the Senate to have remained mute on such an important matter that is of national concern.

Whether or not Ms. Corkrum was saying it all right, it is incumbent upon members of the Senate to make a clarification because it is not only the new Dawn to whom the former RIA Managing Director has made this revelation; the conspicuous silence of other members of the Liberian Senate, probably unless Pro Tempore Findley can speak, may even result to a full-grown conclusion among the people in favour of Ms. Corkrum, in terms of the truth.

If and only if Ms. Corkrum’s claims of making a request to fly to Liberia for a testimony was true, one would even wonder why would the Senators choose to delay for a ‘year’ to debate the request, say no or yes to her? One would even wonder as to what “fear” would the Senators be harboring for one year just to respond to Ms. Corkrum and go public with such pronouncement?  Again, if and only if Corkrum’s assertion is anything to consider, our Senators would have done the greatest injustice to us as a people.

It is no secret that because Liberians and other nationals may be interested in a logical conclusion of the “Corkrum affair”, not only relying on allegations and sentiments from both sides at different intervals, legal/official engagements with all parties, of course, considering Corkrum’s security so that the Liberian people can truly understand the actual facts.

In view of the foregoing, the Senate must speak to clear the ‘air’.