--For unfair distribution of Liberian refugees' compensation
Myers revealed that the CBL communicated to the LRRRC that it had failed to manage the situation proportionally.
Monrovia, August 29, 2024: Deputy Finance Minister Anthony Myers has blamed the Liberia Refugee Repatriation and Resettlement Commission (LRRRC) for allegedly conducting an unfair compensation process for returning Liberian refugees.
During a press briefing on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, Minister Myers stated that the Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) was unable to provide the exact amount that LRRRC had requested to compensate the returnees.
According to him, the CBL only raised a small amount of the requested money and gave it to the LRRRC.
Following that, the LRRRC allegedly distributed the funds to a portion of the refugees from Bong County, Montserrado, and some southeastern counties.
This distribution left others wondering if they would receive their promised compensation.
"For example, if we agree to give every journalist in the hall 100 USD and only raise a small portion of that money, serving certain numbers of people and leaving others out was not the right approach," Myers contended.
Minister Myers noted that upon receiving this information that the funds were distributed with a portion of the refugees, they informed the LRRRC that the distribution decisions were inappropriate.
He insisted that the process was not conducted fairly, blaming the LRRRC for the delay in compensating the remaining Liberian refugees from Ghana.
In May of this year, approximately 770 Liberian refugees from Ghana entered Liberia through the Luogatuo Border in Nimba County after traveling by road for nearly four days.
Upon their arrival, it was agreed that each refugee aged over eighteen would receive one hundred United States dollars in cash, while those under eighteen would receive fifty United States dollars, along with other items.
However, during a press briefing, Minister Myers stated that the CBL was unable to provide the exact amount requested by the LRRRC.
Describing the situation as a management issue, Myers revealed that the CBL had communicated to the LRRRC that it had failed to manage the situation proportionally.
"The head of every institution should be a situation manager. Regardless of the ratio of funds we provided for disbursement, they should have distributed them proportionally among the total number of affected refugees," he argued.
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According to Myers, they have been collaborating with the LRRRC and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, sponsoring most of their travel and repatriation costs of budget.
He suggested they should understand and manage the situation when such issues arise.
However, he revealed that they have expressed these concerns to the LRRRC and are working with the agency under certain terms to find additional resources to settle the remaining refugees.
