At Confirmation Hearing ‘‘Mismanagement, Misappropriation’’ of CDF to Hunt Wolokollie

As the Senate being set for confirmation hearing of the Commissioner-General- Designate of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA), Dr. Samora P.Z. Wolokollie, the newest presidential nominee will find it difficult in sailing through the hands of Senators as he would be hunted on the account of ‘‘mismanagement/misappropriation’’ of the County Development Fund (CDF). 
Since the inception of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led Government, one of the major tools for local development, the County Development Fund (CDF) has been in total turmoil under the watchful eyes of Dr. Wolokollie, who has since served in the capacity as Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning(MFDP).  
It could be recalled that Dr. Wolokollie was placed under oath twice by the Liberian to provide update on the County Development Fund (CDF) after he fell short on his first day to convince members of that august body in justifying the disbursement of 50 percent of the CDF to counties. 
As laid out in the budget, each of the 15 counties is entitled to US$200,000 annually for development purposes. This means that 50 percent of this amount is equivalent to US$100,000. 
 
Deputy Minister Wollokllie, who reappeared before the Plenary of the Liberian Senate on Tuesday, having failed a week earlier to convince Senators on the status of the CDF, while representing Minister Samuel D. Tweah, went on to fail miserably as he fumbled to provide the requested documentary evidence for the pronounced 50 percent of the CDF he alleged was disbursed to each county. 
According to Deputy Minister Wolokolie, MFDP for the fiscal year budget of 2023 made a disbursement of US$1.5M which represents 50 percent of the CDF due them. 
He told Senators that said disbursement was made on January 19, 2023 along with the remaining 50 percent of the CDF for 2022. 
But some Senators in session said they got information through their Superintendents that government has made no payment in that direction.
Doubts from the lawmakers prompted Minister Wolokollie to distribute payment receipts and signees of the checks as they were received by the various counties’ officials. 
However, the Senators observed that the documents provided did not show any trace of payment made for 2023 fiscal year, as it was clearly seen for 2022. 
Sen. Wellington Geevon-Smith of River Cess County for instance, questioned the rationality of disbursing CDF meant for 2023, when in fact the budget was passed in two months later (March 2023). But in his defense, Wolokollie maintained that the money was an upfront payment of the 1/12 of the budget year. 
Like Geevon-Smith, several other Senators, both opposition and pro-government took the Finance Ministry official to task for not telling them the truth. 
 “What the Minister is telling us here is not true. While you were making your presentation I quickly communicated with my fiscal affairs superintendent and he said the County has not received any funding for 2023. So, we want you to show us copies of the check(s) that show that you have paid this money to us,” Sen. Emmanuel Zoe Pennue of Grand Gedeh, who is also a member of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) requested.
Senator Pennue and other Senators’ inquiries could not be fully addressed, thus prompting Sen. Protemp Albert Tugbe Chie to turn the matter over to the leadership of the Liberian Senate and the Committee with oversight on budget. 
Accordingly, despite such stigma of mismanaging the CDF, outgoing President George Manneh Weah, who has barely 20 more days in office, built courage to nominate him as head of the country’s revenue generating department. 
In his letter addressed to the Liberian Senate, which was read during the Senate’s sixth day sitting of the Special Session of the 54th Legislature, President Weah informed members of that august body to consider the confirmation of the MFDP official to LRA to replace the late Thomas Doe-Nah who died last week from stomach cancer. 
Following the reading of the Liberian leader’s communication, a motion was proffered by Montserrado County Senator Saah H. Joseph in which he stated that the communication be forwarded to the relevant committee to act and report back to plenary before the end of the current session. 
But that motion was objected by fellow Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, who in his amended motion, pointed out that the issue of confirmation is not time-bound and as such, he was unready to vote if the time frame attached by Sen Joseph was not quashed. 
Dillon’s amended motion was then accepted by Sen. Joseph, thus giving the relevant committee the responsibility to act but within its own time of convenience. 
And as the decision is now left with the Liberian Senate to make, Liberians are craving the indulgence of the Senate not to confirm Nominee Wolokollie on grounds that he would damage the revenue authority the same as he has contributed to MFDP. 
The nomination by the Liberian leader has received mixed reactions with several individuals and rights based groups expressing serious opposition to the President’s decision on grounds that it’s untimely in the first place for such tenure position. 
On the day of the official reading of his appointment letter at the Liberian Senate, several individuals and groupings kicked against his appointment for his alleged role contributing to the mismanagement of the country’s economy while serving the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFDP) as Deputy Minister for Fiscal Affairs. 
Predicated upon this, Liberians are cautioning the Liberian Senate to halt all confirmation proceedings on ground that the nomination for the sake of expediency.
Appointment of Wolokolie is backed by Article 54 of the Liberian Constitution; however, it contravenes the Liberian leader’s own recent directive, in which he stated in County #4 “All new employment and service contracts across government institutions are hereby suspended. There shall be no promotions and salaries increase during this transition period.”
Liberians from different walks of life maintain that while appointment power is granted onto the President by the organic law of the state – the Constitution, nomination for the position by the President who has less than 20 days in office raises more questions than answer, and as such, the Senate should halt the process.
“We are taken aback by President Weah’s latest appointment Samora Wolokollie as Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority. Though Article 50 of the Liberian Constitution grants executive power unto the President, but for the sake of expediency, we think this appointment is untimely and is questionable,” said one Momo Kamara, on the ground of the Capitol – seat of the Liberian Legislature following the reading of the President’s communication. 
“For me, I feel that the latest appointment does not support President Weah’s own Presidential Directive, in which he halted all new employment and service contracts across government institutions. Therefore, we are calling on members of the Liberian Senate to halt all processes of regarding this nomination,” added Miatta Brown, another concerned Liberian.