The President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Armah Zulu Jallah, has told a visiting Nigerian delegation from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) of Abuja that the working relationship between the Legislature and the Executive branches of the Liberian government is cordial.
Pro Tempore Jallah, however, pointed out that despite the cordiality, there is sometimes friction between the two branches of government.
He said that misunderstandings come about because each branch of government thinks and wants the best for the people of Liberia; noting that,"At the end of the day, we all come together and we have an effective government, which runs smoothly for the betterment of the state."
According to a Foreign Affairs Ministry release, Mr. Jallah made the assertion during a lecture he delivered to 13 participants from the ISS currently attending an Executive Intelligence Management Course at the Gabriel L. Dennis Foreign Service Institute in Monrovia.
The one-week course entails a study of the relationship between the Executive and the Legislative branches of the Liberian government under the theme: "Executive - Legislative Relations: Gaps, Challenges, and Prospects." They will also look at security, governance and development issues of bilateral importance to both countries.
Partial view of the Nigerian delegation
The Pro Temp used the occasion to thank the Federal Republic of Nigeria for its immense support to the Liberian Government and people, especially its intervention in restoring peace to the country.
The Inspector-General (IG) of the Liberian National Police (LNP), Gregory Coleman, told the Nigerian participants that in serving the people and the government, police officers are guided by integrity and their families' image to protect.
IG Coleman emphasized that low salaries and incentives for officers are some of the challenges the LNP faces.
He, however, said that the LNP officers are doing everything professionally to protect lives and property and to keep the peace.
The Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Sylvester Grigsby, stressed the importance of good working relations between the Executive and the Legislative branches of government.
He emphasized that such relationship helps to make government operations smooth and better for the promotion of the national agenda.
He, however, said that the Executive still wields enormous power and that power can be used to its advantage, specifically towards building a better country.
"Liberia is a unitary state. It has three separate but equal branches of government. The Legislature, headed by the Speaker, passes laws; the Executive, headed by the President, enforces laws; and the Judiciary, headed by the Chief Justice, interprets and reviews laws," Minister Grigsby informed the participants.
"To further keep the relationship better, from time to time the leaderships of the Legislature and the Executive hold regular retreats to thrash out any sticky issues or look at the overall governance of the state," Minister Grigsby added.
The lecture ends today when the chairman of the Governance Commission, Dr. Amos Sawyer; the President of the Press Union of Liberia, Charles B. Coffey, Jr.; and the chairman of the National Elections Commission, Jerome G. Korkoya, will address the visiting Nigerian delegation.
