Just a day after United States Ambassador Michael McCarthy issued a statement on the National Legislature, accusing legislators of buttering their own bread, while the masses suffer, Montserrado County District #4 Representative Rustonlyn Suacoco Dennis excepts, describing the Ambassador's statement as not only unfair but also misleading.
Rep. Dennis says it is excruciating and painful for Amb. McCarthy to have a blanket statement over the entire legislature claiming that 30 senators and 73 lawmakers spent US$65m on feathering their own nests proves the agony and bitterness really took hold of the U.S. envoy.
The female lawmaker says she acknowledges the work done by the U.S. Ambassador in Liberia over the years and she's grateful for his services rendered.
"In your recent statement, you addressed multiple issues of bad governance and malpractices in certain sectors in those counties. I am elated that you visited some of the hard-to-reach areas in Liberia and thank you for the face-to-face interactions with our people and the practical experience"., she continues.
Dennis agrees with Amb. McCarthy on some issues raised in his statement about lack of accountability, misappropriations of public funds, donor funds, bad governance, and other acts that undermines the development of Liberia and feels frustrated by those revelations as any conscious-minded person would.
However, she says she is of the opinion that the frustration took complete control of the Ambassador to the extent he tried to correct the wrong or bad by deliberately mixing the bad fruits with the good fruits and presenting them as a lemonade.
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"Let me state unequivocally herein, our budget we passed is never 65m, next, the 40m plus that is passed is not for 30 Senators and 73 Representative, rather, it's for the over four thousand workers in central administration and all the legislative staffers", she explains.
She argues that monies received legally by lawmakers for operations can't be cruelty while reminding Amb. Michael that the U.S. Government allots monies to congressmen and congresswomen for operations, except that Americans want policies and laws, unlike in Liberia where citizens opt for legislative impact projects.
"Your failure to analyze those legislative engagement funds, four thousand plus central administration staff as well as individual member staffers led to your blanket categorization of the legislature."
Dennis concedes that there are totally bad and corrupt people in the legislature but equally so, there are members who do not support corruption, misappropriation of public funds and poor implementation of legislative allotments, adding that the legislature is a democratic institution, not every budget that is passed meets the approval of all members so, the U.S. Ambassador should know that there are gallant men and women in the Liberian Legislature.
"Before you came to Liberia, we have advocated strongly especially, like-minded lawmakers. Your blanket statement did not only hurt or weaken us but it was also intended to frustrate our efforts and destroy our public images in the eyes of our constituents [despite] all the sacrifices", she laments.
