LIBERIANS ASSOCIATED FOR PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY AND DEMOCRACY HOLDS DIALOGUE WITH SPEAKER GEORGE KOUKOU AND HONORABLE JUAH OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF LIBERIA

Whereas we Liberians are bent on finding a lasting solution to our political madness that has troubled our country for few decades, the need to promote public dialogue and interesting national forums in which public officials could participate and tell the general Liberian public about current state of affairs in the country is one of the pillars of accountability and democracy.

LAPAD, having perceived this view with much interest, was able to catch up with two key Liberia’s transitional government officials who were in the United States of America recently to attend a United Nations conference.

In this dialogue, Mr. Clarence Gono, Jr., a staff writer for LAPAD asks series of questions relating to the national political, economic, and social conditions in our country. Mr. Gono opens up his statements of introduction at this dialogue thus:

This important dialogue is intended as a continuation of the freedom of speech that we are informed is being enhanced in our country that is just emerging from a protracted civil conflict. Legislative politics, as Liberians will want to think is being done in our country currently, needs to be rebuffed by giving critical looks at some of the daily issues that continue to unfold in our country. Please be informed, Honorable Speaker, that this dialogue is to be published on various Liberian or other websites and some electronic and print media with the objective to give equal chance to the general Liberian public or public at large to know about what the Liberian Speaker in the upper chamber of the legislative House thinks about political, economy, and social conditions in our country.

Having said that, issues that do confront our foreign policies and international relationships with various state and non-state actors will come later in the second phase of this dialogue when the Chairman of international relations committee at the legislative council, Honorable Juah, will be telling the greater public at large much about the focus of current Liberia's international and diplomatic relations vis-a-vis the sub-region of West Africa, Africa in general and the rest of the world. It is our hope that the greater public will be given a better chance to get the big picture of what the goals and objectives of our foreign policies are when it is about our interactions with the outside world.

Mr.Gono: Who are you Speaker Koukou? And what do you consider your best legislative public policies ever in terms of various House debates on varied national pressing issues that have the propensities to bring political, economic and social advancements to our people in Liberia?

Speaker Koukou: Thank you very much for your question. I am George Koukou and I was born on May 25, 1945 in Nimba County. I did studies in Liberia and in Europe. I have lived in the capital city of Monrovia for decades. My basic aim in politics has been to curb corruption and I did write the national Assembly that corruption should be exposed. I am here in the United States on a United Nations conference. I have been in the National Assembly for some 15 years. I have always promoted open administration, which should be a good starting point for public policy.

Mr.Gono: Having gathered that you are or were a senior Senator for Nimba County, what sort of credible public policy action that you may want to believe locals living in rural areas in Nimba County will want to tap your shoulder as a way of approval for following a course of action that depicted good sense of responsibility for representing one’s own?

Speaker Koukou: I have always stood by my people even during the times of the civil conflict. I do not believe in tribalism and even at the time the question of who to replace former Speaker Dweh came up at the National Assembly, many looked upon me for the post. I had the thought that some would say that the former Speaker and I could be rivalries because he is from the Krahn ethnic group of Grand Gedeh County whereas I am from the Mano ethnic group from Nimba County but I was still elected unanimously at the Assembly because of my past records and competency and experience in the House and not anything to do with ethnicity. I see everyone as Liberians if that is the case. I have tried to bring about ethnic conflict resolution in Nimba County. I have always told some Mandingo leaders that they will have to compromise when it comes to gaining lost properties in Nimba County and that to do so is not by violence or another confusion. I did tour with some Mandingo leaders in Nimba County. I think many Nimba citizens will remember me for all of what I have done to keep Nimba from any destruction like we saw during the days of the civil war when former Lurd fighters mostly of the Mandingo elements came to Nimba County and totally burnt down Ganta. If we did not give our moral supports to some brave Nimba children to defend their county, we may be talking another story by now.

Mr.Gono: According to the business of Legislative politics, especially in the upper chamber in a bicameral system such as ours, there should be a need to have a neutralizing power to balance ambitions of some legislators. For instance, in the United States Congress, there is a filibuster power at the Senate that minority can also use to stop some public policies actions of the majority. Does the upper chamber of the Liberian legislative council have any such neutralizing power? If there is, how often do they use it and what are some of the occasions that it has ever been used?

Speaker Koukou: Ever since I have been in the House, I have always promoted minority rights and the way our system is, most people in the House do not even know why they are there and they only think about money, money, money. That is all. The current house is a mixture of people who came from the “bushes� and because every stakeholder in the conflict or civil war had to have a representative, so people were just sent in there who do not understand much about how government functions and we have been living with that.

Mr.Gono: Does the Legislative Council in its totality have any meaningful and responsible committees and sub-committees that are responsible for enhancing the passing of Bills unto the floor for faster debates and approvals and if that should be the case, are there any committees responsible for making sure that the basic needs of our people in Liberia are met on time? How often do these committees make sure that constituents interests are taken care of and if they do, is there stability in committees policies to adhere to these basic needs of the general Liberian public such as good roads, electricity, medical improvements, etc? Why do Liberians still live in the dark when we hear about millions of dollars spent in government, and who is the government catering to, itself or the real people who deserve help?

Speaker Koukou: The Liberian system of government is a strange system. Many people in Government do not know what really goes on at the head when it comes to money. For instance, I am hearing about some US$150,000 case of corruption right now. It is about trying to understand the issue surrounding this money. No one can provide proof that I have embezzled that kind of money. Quite often the President keeps or holds the budget without any reason and many civil servants go unpaid for no good reasons. I have on many occasions insisted that the President gave a clear picture or view of revenue collections in this country and also insisted that we must check on all the various revenue sources in this country but I am not being given the chance to do all of these things. In the case of the US$ 150,000 case, the way I understand it, it was our allowances that have been held for months without any reason that were being given to us and in fact when this money came, I did not handle it but it went to those who are responsible for taking care of financial matters at the Assembly. I was informed that it was our allowance arrears that were being given to us. According to my information, some Assembly members whose allowances were among this money were not treated fairly by their colleagues and so they decided to bring it in the public and the press took it out of context for corruption without making any investigation. I have decided to look closely into this issue to know what is really going on and when I get back to Liberia you will hear about it. I did also gather some reports that even the President himself has some huge some of money stored in some banks outside this country and investigation is being done. Our people in this country go hungry because some people feel they must have all and others nothing. I also have revelations that the Mittal Steel deal is full of corruption because some people were bribed to make it happen. I have always thought that when it comes to concession agreements in this country, the locals of that area where that concession will be taking place must also be involved. I have nothing to hide and I am already over 60 years of age and I feel I must leave with a good name that must be remembered.

Mr.Gono: Do you have any regrets at any time in your political career for not doing enough to stabilize some uncomfortable political situations in our country when you had the opportunity to do so? And if you do not, what manner of legislative politics you hope to see be enhanced in our country and what contributions are you making toward that?

Speaker Koukou: I will first admit that all those liberation struggles that have destroyed our country are all false and fake. I first though that the international community could help us when we emerged from these fake struggles but it did not. I would want to see education improved in our country. I never abandoned my people and I have the dream to build a university in Nimba County some day before I depart from this earth, but it would not teach political Science but will be left out for the university in Monrovia . We will have to respect one another in this country and live in peace. Liberia needs you guys up here to come and let us all try to initiate a better system for our country. I hope that after the elections, there will be an improvement in our system. When Charles Taylor was president, on numerous occasions, I gave him pieces of advice about how to keep this country together but he did not take me serious and some time ago when I went to Nigeria for a parliamentary meeting, he was regretting that he did not heed to my advice. Now all those that were around him who told him to do this or that have mostly abandoned him.That must be regrettable that a president does not work well with his people that he should be working with to keep a country out of any violence. There are many things that have passed but I cannot say all right now because of time but will be back in the near future and hope to talk to you then.

Mr. Gono: How often is the system of checks and balances that must be the bedrock of legislative and presidential relations in terms of promoting democratic accountability misapply in current legislative and presidential politics in Monrovia?

Speaker Koukou: Absolutely there is no cooperation between the President and the National Assembly. It is like we are working as independent bodies as many matters that we should know about at the national assembly seem to be like they are only the business of the executive. I have already explained much from the start.

Mr. Gono: Thank you, Mr. Speaker, for having you take some minutes out of your time to be with us.

Speaker Koukou: Thank you too for all the good things you guys are doing here at LAPAD.

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