–Over Pres. Boakai and Veep Koung’s Travel
By Agnes M. Tarr, Legislative Reporter
The Plenary of the House of Representatives has summoned the Ministers of State for Presidential Affairs and Finance & Development Planning to give details of the President and Vice President’s recent travels.
President Joseph N Boakai traveled to Ghana to meet with “his brother and friend Nana Akufo-Addo. Pres. Boakai did not meet with Akufo-Addo because the latter was leaving the country the same President Boakai arrived in Ghana.
Vice President Jeremiah K Koung traveled on private jet to Nigeria to participate in the induction ceremony of Douye Diri, Governor of Bayelsa State, Nigeria. Veep Koung also extended his travel to Morocco. No details of his travel there.
But Montserrado County District #10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah believes those travels did not benefit Liberia. He wrote a communication to the House Plenary seeking the august body to probe the travels of the President and Vice President.
In his communication address to the plenary the lawmaker raised concern regarding the purpose of the visit.
“Mr. Speaker…we have cried on the issues of corruption (Accountability and Transparency) which are amongst issues that led to the failure of the Weah-led Government, especially for the failure of his re-election,” Rep. Kolubah asserted.
He said when semblance of “those things start to come out, it is our responsibility to set check-points so that they cannot go out of hand before trying to arrest the situation,” Rep Kolubah’s communication read.
He believes such trips require the government’s sponsorship and if it isn’t the government sponsored trips, they need to know as the people’s deputies.
Accordingly, the lawmaker said it is a concern when it was stated that the Vice President travel on a private jet plane.
Following the reading of the communication, a motion was made to have the Minister of Finance and Development planning and Minister of State invited next week Tuesday to provide all the necessary information on the President and the Vice President’s recent visit.
