Monrovia — Bong County Senator Prince Moye appears to be enjoying preferential patronage from President Joseph Nyuma Boakai over the nominations of appointees to various cabinet positions in government, amid claims and counter claims of him allegedly favoring his kinsmen for appointments over other competent and qualified Liberians.
Senator Moye served as the National Campaign Manager of the Unity Party (UP) during the conduct of the 2023 general and presidential elections in Liberia.
In recent times, he has been accused of allegedly swapping the names of presidential nominees with his kinsmen to generate funds to support his future presidential ambition.
Particularly, he was accused of flagging and raising an alarm over the appointment of Roger Domah as Deputy Health Minister-designate for Administration instead of one of the leaders of health workers in Bong Madam Martha Morris
But addressing a news conference held at his Capitol Building office in Monrovia on Wednesday, February 28, Senator Moye admitted to holding discussions with scores of others to lure their support and ensure the election of President Boakai during the electioneering period.
He noted that as the government is being formulated, many of those individuals who stood and canvassed vigorously to ensure the election of President Boakai have started reaching out to him.
As a result of this, Senator Moye pointed out that he has recommended some of them to the Liberian Chief Executive for consideration.
He stressed that though he does not have the authority to nominate presidential appointees to various cabinet and other positions, he remains grateful that some of those he recommended are being nominated by the President.
"I don't work for the Executive. I served as Campaign Manager of the UP and its alliance parties. As a Campaign Manager and in a campaign that had no money as it was interpreted all over the country, it means that I had to make friends and talk to other people from across the world. I think it is fair enough that those recommendations be made."
"Those that are getting appointments as a result of one or two recommendations that we've made, I say thanks be to God. Those that have not been appointed, we pray that the President will see our recommendation of people who have the requisite qualifications and do something."
Senator Moye emphasized that though he does not work within the Executive, he remains concerned about individuals from the President's office making mistakes in releasing nominations to the public without verifying.
He said those responsible should be held liable for claims being made by some lawmakers that positions intended for others were swapped and released to the public.
He maintained that it does not sound well for individuals to hold the belief that they would be appointed to various positions by the President, but their names were taking off by others who do not have the authority to do so.
Senator Moye observed that nominees may likely be recalled if the Liberian leader feels dissatisfied that those nominees were misplaced and unfit for the positions for which they were nominated to.
He stressed that the recalling of a nominee does not necessary mean that the President cannot reappoint such an individual back in government.
"The President has worth of experience and he's very educated. How can I pressure him to do something that is not right?"
Senator Moye maintained that it appears that those raising issues with him were "clandestinely" nominated in government, thereby, using "compel compliance" on the Liberian leader to retain their nominations.
He said those experiencing the current situation are "joking" and only "scapegoating" by using his name as a cover up.
He disclosed that since President Boakai commenced the formation of his government, he has not spoken to him (Boakai), nor visited the Executive Mansion.
"I am not a usual visitor to the Mansion. Those that are running with this gossip; Miss Martha Morris in question is a well-known Unity Party person and a very experienced health worker who comes from Bong County and she's one of the leaders of the health workers association in the country. President Joseph Boakai knows her very well. I don't need to fight for her. If something has threatened Martha's position and he (Boakai) tries to inquire and people within the Ministry of State-it should not be attributed to me. Let them solve their frequent problems in the Mansion and leave my name. "
Senator Moye, however, called for anyone involved in the swapping of the name of Madam Morris for the position of Deputy Minister of Health to be brought to book and reprimanded.
He vowed not to question the powers of the Liberian Chief Executive adding that, "it is wrong for people to attempt usurping the functions of the President and they are trying to scapegoating by using the names of people in other places."
"If the President feels that, that was not the name that was associated with that position, he has the right to correct it and bring those involved with it to face the full weight of his administrative power. If the President wants to discipline them, I beg your, your leave my name. I don't prepare documents for the President. All I do is to recommend."
On Marvin Cole
For nearly a week, aggrieved students of the Bong Technical College staged a peaceful protest, paralyzing normal academic and working activities particularly in electoral district # 3. Amongst other things, the students were demanding an investigation into the alleged misused of US$900,000 allocated in the previous national budget for the expansion of the college and the procurement of a bus for its nursing program.
The protest action compelled the county's legislative caucus, headed by Senator Moye, to intervene. However, the intervention of the caucus did not go down well with Representative Cole who is a current member of the Board of the college.
He accused the caucus of undermining him, and levied corruption allegations against its Chairman. Representative Cole further tendered in his resignation as a member of the caucus.
But Senator Moye observed that Representative Cole has been jittering since a pronouncement for an audit was made by the caucus, following a petition from the aggrieved students.
"We are not auditing Honorable Josiah Marvin Cole. We said the Bong County Technical College will be audited for the expenditure of the US$900,000 in recent budget year. Because the students have raised an issue of that matter and the caucus was petitioned Honorable Cole is afraid of the audit on grounds that maybe he's one of the Board members of the college and the college is in his district."
Senator Moye, however, expressed dismay over the failure of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led-government of George Manneh Weah to implement audit reports conducted released by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) and reviewed by the National Legislature, through the Public Accounts Committee (PAC).
He noted that "but this time around", the Bong Legislative Caucus will ensure that recommendations of the pending audit" of the US$900,000 would be executed regardless of who is involved or implicated.
He wondered why Representative Cole who consistently complained the county's former Superintendent Esther Walker of alleged corruption would be jittering over the conduct of an audit prompting the placement of a moratorium on the Social and County Development Funds account of the county.
"This time around when the audit report comes out, it will be executed. I think that, this is his fear."
He termed as a "scare tactics" comments made by Representative Cole on his office Facebook page that "Bong will be a bloody zone."
Senator Moye said the move is intended to discourage the caucus from ensuring the audit of the US$900,000 allotted to the college.
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He added that though the caucus doesn't intend to underestimate the statement attributed to Representative Cole due to his alleged linked to multiple human rights violations and brutalities; the caucus hopes and prays that the pending court action against him by the Nursing Association would be speedily conducted.
This, he said will serve as deterrence and prevent his kinsman from walking with impunity for alleged violent acts permeated against peaceful Liberians, including nurses, Pastors and journalists.
"He (Cole) has this record of beating on people, invading audit report and so, he doesn't want the right thing to be done. But, I don't think he can challenge the people of Bong County and these great men of the caucus alone. There will be no business as usual."
Senator Moye, however, threatened to resign his post if he has been implicated in any audit report released in the country as claimed by Representative Cole.
He encouraged his colleague to brace himself to face the indictment in an audit report released by the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) into the expenditure of funding appropriated under the Bong County Social Development Fund to the college.
He said though the indictment was released, it was not unsealed in Bong due to the intervention of former Solicitor General Cyrennius Cephus, one of the issues which led to his sanctioning by the United States government.
Senator Moye blamed the delay in the prosecution of Representative Cole on the "corrupt nature" of the country's judicial system at the time.
"Honorable Cole's call for the caucus not to delve into the US$900,000 is a very big joke. This caucus is determined to audit not only the Bong County Technical College expenditure of US$900,000 but also the C.B Dunbar Maternity Hospital expansion project that a US$500,000 was also allotted to that project in his district under the George Weah led-administration."
