Margibi County Senator Nathaniel McGill revealed that there will be no recasting of the 2024/2025 National Budget until an independent investigation into allegations of budget tampering is conducted.
Speaking at a news conference in Monrovia on Thursday, McGill emphasized the importance of resolving these allegations before proceeding with any budget adjustments.
McGill urged the General Auditing Commission and the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission to take immediate action in investigating the claims made by Senators Amara Konneh and Clarence Garr, who chair the Public Accounts Committees of the Senate and the House of Representatives, respectively.
They recently raised concerns about potential alterations to the national budget by certain government officials.
“How can we start a recast process of the budget when we don’t know which one is which?” McGill questioned. “We could just recast the altered one and leave the original one. The best option is for an independent investigation to be carried out before the commencement of the recast exercise.”
The senator clarified that his call for an investigation is not politically motivated, countering accusations from the ruling party that the initiative is partisan.
He highlighted the presence of Representative Musa Bility, a member of the Liberty Party, at the conference to underscore the non-partisan nature of his appeal.
McGill also noted that President Joseph Nyuma Boakai may not be fully aware of the circumstances surrounding the budget issues.
He expressed confidence that accountability would extend to certain members of both the executive and legislative branches, rather than solely resting on the president.
“The Ministry of Finance and some of our colleagues on the budget committee should be questioned about what went wrong,” McGill said.
“This process should first be examined by the leadership of the House of Representatives and the Liberian Senate, and later our integrity institutions should get involved to provide an independent assessment.”
The senator reiterated the seriousness of budget alteration, describing it as a crime under the law, and called for those responsible to be held accountable and prosecuted.
As the ruling establishment continues to investigate officials from previous administrations, McGill’s statements highlight the urgent need for transparency and integrity in Liberia’s financial governance.
