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Commentary

Written by Tolo Bonah Corfah

Friday, 28 May 2010

When the investigative news organ FrontPage Africa was only being published in cyber space the Liberian government did all it could to discredit its genuine investigative work; and when Auditor General John Sengbeh Morlu of the General Auditing Commission (GAC) made the controversial remark that the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government was “three times corrupt than the Bryant interim government” everybody in officialdom was calling for his scarp. However, after more than 30 Audit reports, auditor John Morlu and his comission have proven that indeed, the Liberian government headed by the “Iron Lady” Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is very corrupt. The FrontPage Africa news organ has come to be a reliable source of authentic news on Liberia worldwide; therefore it has been a reliable source for the release of Audit reports to the Liberian people and the world at large.

That the Liberian government is doing everything in its power to silence the FrontPage Africa newspaper, and frustrate the radical Auditor General John Morlu cannot be overemphasized, but in their quest to silence the two incorruptible institutions, the Liberian government officials are only proving to the Liberian people and the world that they are not only corrupt, but that they are also very stupid.

A few weeks ago grand Gedeh senator Isaac Nynabo was labeling the Gedeh legislative caucus illiterate, and that he wanted to open a classroom so that he could lecture them in the ways to make laws, but his interpretation of the Liberian constitution shows that he is one of those who ate their school fees, or spied a lot in school. He thinks that the senate chambers is a place where hard working, law abiding citizens are summoned to be harassed by a nincompoop like him. Mr. Isaac Nynabo, John Morlu made you and your corrupt Finley look not only stupid yesterday, but he made you guys look like you do not know why you are in that honorable house of senate, and your answer to the FrontPage Africa legislative reporter made you look like the hoi polloi that you are.

It also seems like those politicians who pretended to be in the vanguard of the struggle for Rice and Rights in the past were nothing but opportunist of the first order. I am here referring to the letter to the lower house by my friend and brother Dusty Wolokolie, in which he was suggesting that the general Auditing Commission be audited by the ministry of finance. What kind of stupidity is that? Can a thief arrest and investigate a police man? Have you forgotten all that you were taught at the New School for Social Research, or have you just lost your marble? It is one thing to criticize other people’s governance style, and it is another whole ball game when the ball is in your court. Over the last four years you have turn 380 degrees from progressive to a staunch reactionary, or are you just showing us your true color, after all there are Wolves in Sheep’s’ clothing.

A few weeks ago you said that you would not seek reelection because according to you, you had not adequately reprtesented your constituents and the district you were to represent.

Some of us are shock that the man who singler-handedly defeated the notorous PRC Decree 88 would turn reactionary overnight.

Now, Auditor General Morlu has again challenged the Liberian government to prove him and his auditing comission wrong by bringing in international auditors to prove their case.

In an interview in the US with the international media, President said that “untrain journalists are spreading lies, and rumors” about the country. The fact is that the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government is doing everything under the sun to silence authentic news organs like the New Democrat and FrontPage Africa, by subjecting them to all kinds of frivolous law suites, and the corrupt courts imposes renders judgements against these papers.

The supporters of the status quo will say that the Sirleaf government is transparent, and that tyhere are no political prisoners in Liberia today, but weask, did these freedoms come on a silver platter? Hell No, these so-called freedoms are the results of hard fought battles, and they were gained on the back and sweat of the masses of the Liberian people.

In conclusion, we say bravo to honorable John Morlu, bravo to FrontPage Africa and bravo to the New Democrat News, keep up the good works.

Comments (18)

	1. 28-05-2010 12:36
	Corfah, It is a good thing that, before our very eyes is the inter-play between those who make news and those who report news. What is not lost on this reader, despite your your failure to admit, is the fact that press freedom is alive and well in Liberia. Look, I couldn't agree with you more that the judiciary of Liberia leaves much to be desired and that is a problem. But if it were a choice between the murderous regimes of the 80s and 90s and the current one in terms of the free press, I would throw in my lot with the latter. Having said that, this current Administration needs to realize, public scrutiny is part and parcel of public life and they might as well get used to it. The all-too-often adversarial relationship between the press and officialdom, though naturally disdained by the newsmaker is inherent in competing interests. The former tends to cover while the other lives to discover. Transparency is the remedy to suspicion. \n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ' target='_blank'>http:// This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Lee Wuanti

	2. 28-05-2010 16:59
	CPA TAKES AG MORLU TO SCHOOL... Magically turning us$273,749.31 to US5m, how AG Morlu is fooling some deadhead. Why will the international community give much credence to this kind of unprofessional auditing by AG Morlu. Only fools will give credence to such an audit. So what does the AG say in his report about the US$ 5,028,548.00? Excerpts from the AG’s report, pages 40 and 41, Sections 230 through 237 under the caption, Unaccounted For Expenditure: “…total expenditure incurred by the three departments of MOF, excluding basic salaries of the Ministry for the FY 2007/2008, amounted to US$5,028,548.00.” The AG further writes, “…my review of PVs presented for audit revealed that the three MOF departments could not account for the entire US$5,028,548.00.” Note that the AG uses the word, entire. The AG then writes, “…the vouchers I validated amounted to only US$4,224,256.65.” Now this was during the preparation of the draft audit report. Following the draft report that showed the variance of US$806,291.35, additional vouchers were validated by the AG, about which he (the AG) wrote: “MOF has, since the receipt of its draft management letter, submitted 24 vouchers with value US$530,524.69, out of the unsupported expenditure of US$804,291.35. Director Konjay is yet to provide remaining supporting documents for US$273,749.31.” You will note that there are typos in the exact figures here, and the calculations in the AG’s table on page 41 do not exactly add up, but my focus is not to dwell on such trivialities, but on the meat: according to the AG’s report, is the Minister of Finance culpable for not accounting for US$5m? My question to the general public is, is a CPA (Certified Public Accoutant) who is also a Fellow of the ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accoutants- UK) needed to provide translation that the amount to be accounted for is not US$5m but US$273,749.31? Or are people deliberately misrepresenting the facts of what the AG’s report says? I could try in Grebo, er, I mean English, but clearly the amount in question according to the AG is US$273,749.31, which is 5% of total expenditure excluding payroll, or 4% of total expenditure including payroll. When an auditor uses the words “unaccounted for”, what exactly is s/he saying? S/he is basically saying that sufficient, competent evidence has not been provided to determine what exactly happened. In this case, the AG has said in his recommendations that “MOF management should require that the Budget and Finance Director, Konjay account for the expenditure totaling US$806,291.35 for FY 2007/2008 which were not supported with vouchers and other related documents”. This recommendation was made in the draft report, and repeated in the final report, even though the AG also writes that the figure is now reduced to US$273,749.31. The AG, in my opinion, and following best practice, should have appropriately revised his draft report after receiving responses and additional evidence, so that his final report does not give so much confusion about the true state of affairs, but instead reflects the state of affairs as at the report signing date and time (INTOSAI Code of Ethics and Auditing Standards Chapter 4.0.8.b. Reporting Standards in Government Auditing). Best practice also requires the AG to hold an exit conference with the auditees to discuss ALL his findings so that additional clarification where relevant can be discussed across the table. When a draft report is submitted, or a management letter is submitted to the auditee, and after the auditee shall have responded to the draft report and management letter, both auditor and auditee are required to discuss the report before it is finalized. From all indications, this did not happen. As a result, the final report does not focus on the final state of affairs as at the audit signing date, but creates confusion about what exactly is unaccounted for. So did somebody embezzle or misappropriate US$273,749.31, (not US$5m)? It was the MOF which, in its own report asserted that it had spent US$5m. Certainly, that figure must have come from a detailed list of expenditure, which required supporting vouchers and other documentation, US$273,749.31 of which the AG did not see at the date of signing the final audit report. Did the AG carry out alternative tests to get assurance that this amount was actually spent, and the nature of such expenditure, by reviewing returned checks, reviewing bank statements, reviewing expenditure reports of the spending departments, reviewing the payment collection log book containing signatures of payees, etc.? The AG does not say. Is it possible that MOF could find the missing vouchers, just like they were able to find 24 previously missing vouchers valued at US$530,524.69? Very possible. Some of these deadheads had not even read the audit report or even if they had read the sudit, they will not understand a thing but they still open their mouths to make themselves look like fools. ELLEN SIRLEAF IS THE BEST LIBERIAN PRESIDENT EVER ...... VICTORY SIRLEAF/ BOAKAI 2011

THE LIBERIAN PEOPLE

	3. 29-05-2010 00:37
	CPA TAKES AG MORLU TO SCHOOL... I just read Mr. Tolo Corfah's incendiary remarks about the Liberian House of Representatives and particularly the ignominous manner he described some of its members. Mr. Corfah had the mendacity to refer to one of those house members as his "friend and brother" and yet subjected this so-called friend to the vilest of public disrepute by challenging the man's sanity. What a friend? The gods must really be crazy for uniting such characters as friends.

Josiah Anderson

	4. 29-05-2010 13:53
	CPA TAKES AG MORLU TO SCHOOL... So-called TheLiberianpeople, You agreed that money was misappropriated, not accounted for or whatsoever you would like to term it, but the fact is that our peoples' money was used and the ministry of finance and the budget bureau can not show paper as to how it was used.Whether it was US$273,000, Us$5.00 or US%5 milion, the point is that the ministry of finance can not give documentation as to how it was expended. The ministry of finance and the budget bureau shouild be able to, and must must account for every penny of the peoples' money spend. Anyway, thank you for agreeing that indeed money was spend and no paper can be fopund showing how the money was used. http://qwest.com

Tolo Bonah Corfah

	5. 29-05-2010 14:20
	CPA TAKES AG MORLU TO SCHOOL... Mr. Josiah Anderson takes me to task for criticizing my friend and brother, honorable Wolokolie. So, are you telling me that you will go on defending a corrupt brother just because he is a brother? The good book says that you must first take the dirt out of your own eyes before trying to take it out of your brother's eye. If you can not see the wrong that youir brother does, what right have you to criticize other people's inpropriety? I STAND BY EVERY WORD IN MY COMMENTARY. And I have more in store for coming days. So, get ready to be shocked, Mr. Anderson, because I believe that if it was right for us to criticize Tolbert, Doe and Taylor for bad governence, so should it be for the Sirleaf government. We will praise my friend and brother, honorable Wolokolie when he takes on criutical issues that impact our people, and vehemently criticize him when he takes a reactionary stand on corruption. http://qwest.com

Tolo B onah Corfah

	6. 29-05-2010 17:30
	CPA TAKES AG MORLU TO SCHOOL... To:Lee Wuanti and other blind guys and loyalists If this government was independent it would have been the worst govt. How could this government not play to the tune of the UN and other international stakeholders when its security is in their hands. Just imagine, despite the presence of UN troops Sirleaf's brother at NSA is turning into Chucky, Pennoh. Do you know how many incidents of violation of press freedoms and other rights buses been reported and reported? The govt. is no gademn better than the previous, mehn. What about corruption? This govt. is 100x corrupt than the previous mehn. Below is the latest incident More condemnations are still coming from all quarters on the attempted arrest of the Director of Communication at the General Auditing Commission (GAC), Mr. Ernest Maximore by officers of the National Security Agency (NSA) last Saturday. The latest condemnation comes from the Democratic Alliance of opposition Political parties and Independents. In a statement issued today the DA said, “Such actions bear resemblance to the tactics of the discredited past, the sold intent of which was to arbitrarily curtail rights; intimidate and discourage free speech; and undermine the maintenance of productivity and efficiency in the governance culture,” the statement signed by the Interim Secretary General of the DA said. The statement said, “the Alliance frowns on the attempted arrest as an unwanted example of growing intolerance and a demonstrable lack of understanding between state power through the use of instruments and personal power,” the statement went on. “One cannot and must not be substituted for the other. Nor should we use state power to settle personal scores. Liberia cannot return to the mistake of the past. We cannot afford to nurse the temptation to go after critics with the view of intimidating them into silence,” the statement warned. Stressing further, the DA statement said, “The Alliance believes that after 14 years of reckless behaviors of state actors and the attending painful consequences, no official, not even the president or her son, should be above public scrutiny and the law and that as such, the attempted arrest of the GAC Communication Director for accusing the Executive Mansion of ‘having a hand in a scheme to discredit the Auditor General’s is a breach and return to the system of bad governance that trickered the civil conflict and the crisis of legitimacy”, the statement continued. Concluding, the statement said, “DA wishes to remind the administration that any claim of an abuse of constitutionally guaranteed free speech can only be challenged in a court of law. Lest we forget, the time is long past when the cells of the National Security Agency and or maximum security prisons were used to quash dissent, to get even or to settle scores. As such, the Alliance calls on the government to go beyond mere pronouncements that President Sirleaf disapproves the attempted arrest, and institute strong remedial actions against the President’s son and National Security Agency Director Fomba Sirleaf,” the DA press statement concluded.

THE LIBERIAN PEOPLE

	7. 31-05-2010 10:01
	CPA TAKES AG MORLU TO SCHOOL... The Liberian People, For one who ends almost every post with the all-too familiar signature of fervent support for a re-run of the current Administration in the next election cycle, how could you look further a-field for a better example of a loyalist? In post #2 you rose to the defense of the Administration by thrashing the AG's audit and calling those who 'give credence' to it 'fools'. Would you have been critical in a similar manner if this had been,say, a George Weah or Charles Brumskin administration? Look, we need to be realistic about our expectations for political, economic and social progress in Liberia. When our leaders err, lets say so.Building successful institutions that define a democracy is an ardious evolutionary process that requires the efforts of both government and the governed. There will be a whole bunch of failures and small gains by both before we finally get it right. Given the enormity of the challenges of rebuilding Liberia on the one hand and our limited resources and capabilities on the other, we ought not expect any outcome other than what reflects these facts. All too often in this debate, some are too eager to tie their own social and economic mobility to the resources of government. Perhaps it this view demonstrates the prevailing thought and popular imagination that a government job defines ultimate success. Don't get me wrong; there will always be a need for people to run the affairs of the state.(But does EVERYONE have to get one?) And so, rather than turning to personal ingenuity and creative enterprise everyone waits indefinitely to elect that next perfect parent-government who will provide all their need. In 2012 at about this time, we will be here (Lord willing)debating on the politics of Liberia. No matter whose, administration it is at that time, would there be a marked progress in our nation's over-all well-being? I think not. \n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ' target='_blank'>http:// This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Lee Wuanti

	8. 01-06-2010 11:12
	LEE , LOOK OUT FOR IMPOSTERS!! Mr. Lee, I take the interest of Liberia first before any government. If a government is being falsy accused and I have information to show that the accusation is not true, I'll put it out there no matter who is leading the government. If we are going to fight corruption, let us fight it truthfully with the real facts being presented in a proferssional way. You can not fight corruption or for that matter all our problems with deception. There is a CLOWN (post# 6)posting as me and I made it clear before that I'll put at the end of all my posts this caption:VICTORY SIRLEAF/ BOAKAI 2011 so as to differentiate by posting from the CLOWN who is posting as me. If this clown want to use the pen name "The Liberian People" it is fine with me - but clearly it is not about my pen name, it is about my view or else this CLOWN will not be trying to post like me. So Lee, my post will always end with my signature caption VICTORY SIRLEAF/ BOAKAI 2011. I hope this will clear things up for you and everybody because I've important things to do than concern myself with an imposter CLOWN. VICTORY SIRLEAF/ BOAKAI 2011

The Liberian People

	9. 01-06-2010 15:18
	I DO NOT POST FROM GARBAGE SITES! I do not post fron FOXNEWS-FPA and the CLOWN favorite website GNN - which could mean "The GAY NEWS NETWORK" (GNN). So anytime there is a posting from these garbage websites, then it is the CLOWN. VICTORY SIRLEAF/ BOAKAI 2011

THe Liberian people

	10. 01-06-2010 18:31
	The Executive Clown Hi Lee, The executive clowns are the ones defending corrupt government. So watch out for the real impostors. VICTORY SIRLEAF/ BOAKAI 2011

The Liberian People

	11. 01-06-2010 19:37
	The Executive Clown The Liberian People, Thanks for pointing out that poster #6 is not the original legal tender that is you that I have exchanged profound views with in the past. As I had been irregular on this site for most of the past three months, I was unaware there exists a namesake of yours with an atithetic stance. A further comparison of the contents of the posts supports your clarification. \n This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ' target='_blank'>http:// This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Lee Wuanti

	12. 01-06-2010 23:17
	The Executive Clown Here you go again, calling other website garbage, yet you don't own a common blog. You are using liberianforum You collect commentaries from perspective. Perspective is not a news website, rather an ED-OP website. You don't even have a laptop of you own. You use tax payers' equipments (computer) from ministry to post comments here. This why you don't post comments over the week-ends and evenings, you sorry clown. VICTORY SIRLEAF/ BOAKAI 2011

The Liberian People

	13. 02-06-2010 10:28
	GOOD JOB MY CLOWN!! Now, here is what I want you to say about the best Liberian president Ellen Sirleaf. In addition to my caption:VICTORY SIRLEAF/ BOAKAI 2011 which I've forced you to use, I demand that you start using this caption too: ELLEN SIRLEAF IS THE BEST LIBERIAN PRESIDENT EVER . I'll have more captions for you to use or else, I'll fire you as my clown and hire new clown from your rank of the oppositions. So I'll keep forcing you to say thing that you do not want to say, but because you are a clown, you have no choice. Here we go... ELLEN SIRLEAF IS THE BEST LIBERIAN PRESIDENT EVER .. VICTORY SIRLEAF/ BOAKAI 2011

THe Liberian people

	14. 03-06-2010 11:55
	GOOD JOB MY CLOWN!! The Liberian People, while you are busy praise singing for who you call the best president, could you ask her to pay the arrears owed to the Commissioners and staff of the TRC. She nominated and inducted them as Commissioners and asked them to carry out a patriotic duty, which they did, now she does not want to pay them their just salaries and other benefits in arrears. The Commissioners of the TRC have threatened to file a law suit against the Liberian government if they are not paid. It is a shame for the Unity Party government led by Iron Lady Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to refused to pay Commissioners of the TRC and staff. Is it because they indicted her for financing the war the destroyed our country? How can such government be called best? http://qwest.com

Tolo Bonah Corfah

	15. 03-06-2010 19:52
	TOLO, SEND SOME MONEY FOR THEM? Tolo, there are two sides to every issue - so if you want to take one side of the story and play politics, then you should send some money for these poor Commissioners. First of all there was always a budget for the commission and at one point they extended their mandated time and they went to the Legislature to extend the time and if you know anything about which branch of government has the power of the purse, you will not be rushing to blame the executive branch. This is not a get rich project and a lot of funds were provided by the international community that went directly to the commission. So try again, Tolo!! ELLEN SIRLEAF IS THE ONLY BEST CHOICE FOR LIBERIA....... VICTORY SIRLEAF/ BOAKAI 2011

THe Liberian People

	16. 03-06-2010 21:34
	GOVT. FUNDING FOR TRC $2.8 MILLION!! Tolo, did Foxnews-FPA even try to present the full story about the funding of the TRC. This is how people like you are always being fooled by Foxnews-FPA. Maybe you can read this and be better informed. REPORT: Organized by CSO Coalition: (Transitional Justice Working Group, Catholic Justice and Peace Commission, Foundation for International Dignity, and Talking Drum Search for Common Ground) Funding of the Commission: The TRC has been funded mainly by the Government of Liberia to the tune of approximately 2.8 Million United States Dollars and the international community through bilateral funding. The funding from the international community has been managed by the United Nation Development Programme. Private foundations such as OSIWA have also provided funding. Funding of the Commission: The TRC has been funded mainly by the Government of Liberia to the tune of approximately 2.8 Million United States Dollars and the international community through bilateral funding. The funding from the international community has been managed by the United Nation Development Programme. Private foundations such as OSIWA have also provided funding. So Tolo that's a lots of fundings from many sources, so where all the money went - do you want to call for auditing of the TRC to determine where all these fundings went? ELLEN SIRLEAF IS THE ONLY BEST CHOICE FOR LIBERIA.... VICTORY SIRLEAF/ BOAKAI 2011

The Liberian People

	17. 04-06-2010 09:28
	GOVT. FUNDING FOR TRC $2.8 MILLION!! It is clear that there are still many Liberians who don't understand the separation of powers and the roles and responsibilities of each branch. The mere fact that these individuals focus so much on the Presidency is what gives the position and person so much power. As a collective the Legislators in the House and Senate have equal power to the Executive, the same goes for the Judicial branch. Stop emphasizing the Presidency and start holding the people in the other two branches feet to the fire as independent entities they are.

V.R.

	18. 04-06-2010 19:32
	TOLO BASELESS CLAIMED! Tolo, I guessed you read the Finance Ministry response to you and the so-called commissioners claimed for more money. This is how people like you run off with baseless stories on Foxnews-FPA and tried to make issue out of it. As V.R. stated, you do not even know the separation of power to understand who supposed to provide any actual funding and not this baseless claimed for money to these commissioners. The President does not have a pot of money sitting under her bed to give to anybody that comes by making baseless claimed for money. All the millions of dollars that went to the commission for them to do their work is fully known by everybody including the international community - now they want millions more just for the time they used to clean their desks after their work was done. Now for pure political motive, you are running around make fool of yourself as the spokesman for more money for these poor commissioners. Trying getting the full story before you keep making yourself to look like a fool. ELLEN SIRLEAF IS THE BEST LIBERIAN PRESIDENT EVER .... VICTORY SIRLEAF/ BOAKAI 2011

THe Liberian People

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