Liberians who care to question how the Sirleaf Administration apply the nation's financial and mineral resources often allege corruption from the perspective of lack or insufficiency, not from the perspective of efficiency or unexplained dispensation and allotments. In other words, they allege corruption only in terms of project failure, the absence of citizens' benefits, and the underfunding and lack of and/or insufficiency of basic social services. But former presidential advisor and veteran politician Bai M. Gbala says corruption begins with and resides mainly in budgetary appropriations and allocations. Now, shocked out of his wit by three budget line items in the draft 2013/2014 National Budget, he is calling for "reasonable, credible explanations/rationalizations for the taxpayer and our foreign donors". The Analyst, reports.

"The concerns raised by these figures demand explanation; in that,  our country that is reeling not only under the burden of socio-economic and political under-development, but also that with an overwhelming majority of its citizens shackled with abject poverty, un-information, illiteracy, disease and an alarming mortality rates, it is next to inhumanity to note that three offices are allocated, almost, a million, US dollars each with no obligation to account."

In these words, former presidential policy advisor Bai M. Gbala expressed his disbelief about the amount of United States dollars the framers of the draft 2013/2014 National Fiscal Budget allotted to three legislative offices.  – The Speaker's, the Deputy Speaker's, and the Senate President Pro-Tempore's.

Mr. Gbala's disbelief was contained in his July 3, 2013 statement titled, "This is Corruption!! Deceit, Bribery, and Theft of Property".

The veteran politician, who was still awaiting the response of peace and reconciliation stakeholders to his questions, "What is Wrong with Liberians?" which regards the incoherent approach to peace, said  looking at the draft budget, there was no wonder Liberia's infrastructure remained in bad shape more than a decade into  the reconstruction process.

Mr. Gbala's query came against the backdrop of his belief that Liberia has "'what it takes' – the need, commitment, education, training/experience, natural/human resources, foreign aid/capital support' – to [construct] all-weather roads and super-highways throughout its length and breadth".

But he said a review of the draft budget shocked him to the point of understanding that there was more to nation-building than expertise and resources.

The lack of honesty and patriotic spirit amongst Liberia's fiscal managers, he implied, was to blame for the corruption what was undercutting the nation's efforts to recover from years of dysfunctional economy and warfare.

"With the aid and knowledge of computer technology, these budget and finance gurus have captured the nation's successful salary/wage allowance system and transformed it into a sophisticated, booming, corruption bonanza for the few, well-heeled and connected," he alleged without naming names.

He however expressed regret that some in the business community and some watchdogs of donor nations and institutions, who should hold these "gurus" accountable and expose them to the Liberian people, were themselves shoulders-deep into the corruption quagmire.

"For, they and their business friends are wheelers/dealers in high-priced SUVs, electric generators, spare-parts and service, high-rental apartments, mobile cell telephone, etc., all financed from and by 'allowances'".

He added, "No wonder, also, that the Country Representatives/Agents of our 'Partners-in-Progress' (the donors who made all of this salary/wage 'allowance' possible) have joined the bandwagon, because it is financially reasonable and beneficial, although their superiors have a declared, anti-corruption policy."

This was so especially, he said, when it was considered that the draft budget allocated a total of US $2,313,312.00 or a little more than US $2.3 million for the use of the offices of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Office of the President Pro Tempore of the Senate.

Of the amount, according to Mr. Gbala quoting the draft budget, the speaker's office gets US $766,357.00; the deputy speaker's office gets 700,302.00; and the president pro tempore's office get 846,653.00.

He said what should concern thinking Liberians is not how much was allotted or which office gets what, but why the drafters of the budget believe these offices deserve such huge  allocations in a country of devastating poverty in which the average citizen lives on less than US $1.00 daily.

He said they should also ponder why the nation's financial resources should be allocated with such reckless abandon in a county in which weather-determined impassable roads restrict the transfer of basic and life-saving goods and services.

For instance, the former policy advisor said he saw no reasons for the drafters of the budget to make available to the legislative offices huge sums of money for general use, special use, and salary.

In generally accepted and practiced conventions, he said, employers pay salaries and allowances to help offset the demands of the costs of living of their employees. There was therefore no reason, he argued, for the state to allot such huge sums for the use of the legislative offices aside from the take-home pay and allowances of legislators and their office staffs.

However, he said that was not the only qualm he has with the draft budget.

"A closer look at these budgeted, line-item 'allowances' is, indeed, necessary because there are several, unexplained categories of allowances – 'general, special and salary' – raising questions about the level of amounts allocated," he said.

One line that he said needs explanation is that regarding the $233,357.00 allocated to the Office of the Speaker that includes US $90,942 for vehicle fuel, US $24,000 for rent, US $4,000 for newspaper, US $28,892.00 for special services, and yet US $11,271.00 for operational expense.

This line was repeated in all three offices, according to observers who concur with Mr. Gbala, with adjusted allocations that surprisingly disregard seniority.

For instance, they observed, the Deputy Speaker's Office was allotted US $9,114 more than that allotted for vehicle fuel for the Office of the Speaker and more than three times lower than that allotted to the Office of the President Pro Tempore for fuel. Another surprise of the budget line in scrutiny, they observed, is that the Deputy Speaker's Office gets US $36,000, US $12,000 more than what the drafters allocate for the Office of the Speaker.

As horrendous as this budget line is, Mr. Gbala said, it is likely to be the tip of the proverbial 'iceberg' of what is likely to happen during the implementation phase of the budget, which by all accounts will pass both Houses, as is.

"Apparently, public/private dishonesty – corruption – has become a thriving, big business, an industry, than ever before, with specialized experts and consultants – MBAs, Economists, Financial Managers – who 'earn' or steal six-figured 'income', fashioning our fancy, line-item budgets and financial statements by disguised theft. All of this corruption enterprise is taking place right under the noses of our policymakers. No wonder, the President of the Nation has described corruption as the nation's 'public enemy No.1'," he said.

Mr. Gbala's observation and impression of the draft fiscal budget 2013/2014 might be reasons for concern, but observers say the bigger questions are – will the Legislature pass the budget as is? Do the Liberian people have the guts to face their representatives, at constituency-level, to demand explanations and cause those representatives to cut the allocations down and redirect them to the provision of basic social services – health, education, and opportunities?

"Democracy and good governance, which invariably work under informed citizens' pressure, does poorly when citizens are complacent and credulous," observes one analyst.

Does Liberia have such citizens who will confront their representatives – against the discredited belief that "fish rots from the head" – instead of summarily blaming the presidency for promoting and condoning corruption? some say, is the enduring question in light of Mr. Gbala's budget shock.