The payment of legitimate benefits to staffers of both the House of Representatives and Senate has been a contentious aged-old issue at the National Legislature.
MONROVIA — The Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence has threatened actions against staffers who are in the constant habit of accusing the Senate’s leadership of chopping their Special Sitting benefits at the Capitol Building in Monrovia.
By Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
The payment of legitimate benefits to staffers of both the House of Representatives and Senate has been a contentious aged-old issue at the National Legislature.
Staffers usually accuse their bosses, especially those holding leadership positions, of pocketing monies allocated for them at the climax of Special Sittings requested by past and current Presidents.
In most instances, staffers are constrained to stage protests for days, obstructing normal legislative workings, before their legitimate benefits are paid by their bosses.
Over the weekend, aggrieved staffers of the Senate issued a press statement, calling on the leadership of the Senate to pay their benefits for the just ended Special Sitting which led to the passage of the draft National Budget for Fiscal Year 2025.
But in a statement issued in Monrovia during the opening of the Second Session of the 55th National Legislature on Monday, January 13, Senator Lawrence warned against “unlawful disruptions” of the Senate workings for Special Sitting benefits by staffers.
She rubbished the claims made by the staffers in their recent statement released in Monrovia, saying the Liberian Senate had three Special Sittings in 2024, and all staffers were paid for the two sittings.
As for the just ended Special Sitting, Pro Tempore Lawrence pointed out that “payment is being processed from the 2025 national budget that was signed by the President after the press statement from the leadership of the staffers.”
“We would like to inform the leadership of the Senate staffers that the Senate will no longer tolerate unlawful disruptions of the Senate functions and misleading information to the public. The press conference by the leadership accusing the Senate of denying staff Special sitting benefits is false and misleading, and the Senate Rules, Order and Administration Committee Chairman has been asked to investigate this matter and take appropriate actions.”
The committee, which is headed by Maryland County Senator Gbleh-bo Brown, has been mute on the matter.
He failed to respond to a FrontPage Africa inquiry on accusation that some leaders of the Senate are allegedly planning to chop the Special Sitting benefits of the staffers.
Pro Tempore Lawrence, however, called on the staffers to encourage their leadership to always use the options of engagement and proper research to address matters of concern as the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Rules, Order and Administration has always been accessible and cooperative.
Speaking further, Pro Tempore Lawrence disclosed that the leadership of the Liberian Senate has requested the Liberia National Police (LNP) to take charge of the security at the Senate and work in collaboration with its security department.
Pro Tempore Lawrence pointed out that the LNP will provide security until all security measures are put in place by the Senate Defense and Security Committee.
“We ask for the cooperation of everyone to ensure the proper execution of measures that will be put in place.”
She disclosed that the Senate is also concluding arrangements with the Minister of Public Works Roland Giddings for the installation of Solar-Powered Streetlights to enhance nighttime visibility to deter criminal activities around the Capitol Building.
According to her, the Security and Defense Committee is also consulting for the installation of a state-of-the-art CCTV surveillance system covering all key areas within and around the Capitol Building.
This, she added, will complement real-time monitoring that will enhance rapid response to any incidents and aid in post-event investigations.
The measures taken by the Senate on its security comes in the wake of the December 18, 2024 fire incident which destroyed the Joint Chamber and other offices at the Capitol Building.
Initial report released by the government, through the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police (LNP) Gregory Coleman, claimed that the incident was an arson.
