President Sirleaf Visits GAC, Promises Gov't Support
The President of Liberia, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf on Tuesday this week paid an impromptu visit at the offices of the Auditing General (AG) of the Republic of Liberia , John S. Morlu, II.
In chitchat with the AG, President Sirleaf expressed concern about the appalling condition of the building hosting the General Auditing Commission (GAC).She then promised government maximum support to assist and collaborate with the European Union (EU) that has begun renovation of the Old Executive Mansion, which hosts the GAC.
Commenting on the slow pace of governmental agencies and organizations to cooperate with the ongoing 2005/2006 and 2006/2007 audits being conducted by GAC, President Sirleaf urged all stakeholders not to create bottlenecks to the ongoing audits.
“I have a meeting with the Ministry of Finance urging the Ministry to do everything possible to provide needed and requested documents to speed up the audits “ , President Sirleaf asserted, adding “the audits findings will help all of us.”
Since the auditing exercise, institutions that are inch by inch complying with the audits include, Liberia National Lotteries Corporation, National Housing Authority (NHA), Independent National Commission on Human Rights, National Elections Commission (NEC), Ministry of Internal Affairs County Development Fund, National Port of Authority (NPA) and the Monrovia Transit Authority (MTA).
Ministry of Finance, Central Bank of Liberia , are among institutions that have pussyfooting and lackadaisical about complying to the audits.
The compliance of these supra governmental agencies and organizations paves the Commission's pathway to efficiently and effectively carry on its task of conducting transparent comprehensive audits, special financial investigations, reconciliation and analyses, GAC communication department noted.
“The availability of financial records from agencies of government does not vindicate or indict the auditees, neither have audits been concluded”, Auditor General (AG) John S. Morlu, II maintained.
The AG has reaffirmed GAC's faithfulness and commitment to cleanse Liberia from corruption, graft, waste, fiscal impropriety and misuse of resources and public monies.
In a related development, President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has told the National Insurance Company of Liberia that the Old Executive Mansion is been turned over to the General Auditing Commission for use.
Speaking to workers of NICOL squatting in the old executive Mansion, the Liberian leader indicated that the Auditor General and the Auditees can not be resident in the same building. In further observation, the president of Liberia expressed serious regret that NICOL has been taking pay since her administration without any indication of during work.
President Sirleaf has however, called for a discussion with the aim to reform the National Insurance Company of Liberian to make it more effective.
