New Democrat (Monrovia)
13 April 2011
In a press release, the Liberia Maritime Authority (LMA) said it is “shockingly attracted to falsehoods and innuendoes spread
in the local press by Senator Freeman- Sumo against its Commissioner, Mr. Binyah Kesselly and the LMA.
The release: “The LMA says it is extremely appalled and disappointed that a senior government official like Senator Freemen will elect to trade falsehoods in the public glare only with the diabolical intent of maligning the hard earned reputation of Commissioner Kesselly.
“The Senator, in her ‘wild’ allegation, intimated that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is retaining Commissioner Kesselly for the same reason former President Charles Taylor retained Mr. Benoni Urey at the Maritime to control and siphon the Maritime millions”, as the New Democrat Newspaper quoted her some two weeks ago.
“The Senator also in her purported press conference held at her residence claimed that the current beach cleaning exercise embarked upon by the LMA is a charade and “mere campaign tactics”.
“Just today again, the Senator is quoted by the FrontPage Newspaper (April}, 11, 2011 Edition) as indicating that the Commissioner had made a telephone call raining ‘stinging’ insults on her and even threatening her in response to her interview carried in the New Democrat recently.
The Senator is also quoted by the same paper as saying that the LMA has bribed the Liberian Senate in order for that honorable body to pass its supplementary budget in the tone of US$3.4 Million. The LMA says it is deeply bemoaned by the fallacious allegations made by the Senator and wonders why she will elect to willfully and intentionally paint a grimy picture of other officials of government including the Liberian President she branded as criminal in comparison to former President Taylor.
“The LMA whishes to state here, that at no time has Commissioner Kesselly telephoned Senator Freeman and had an exchange or conversation with her regarding her interview carried in the Democrat Newspaper, and that the LMA had bribed the Honorable Liberian Senate to pass its supplementary budget certainly amounts to a smear campaign against both the LMA and the Liberian Senate.
“For the sake of the record, the LMA wishes to state unequivocally to Senator Freeman that the institution prides itself with transparency, accountability and efficiency, not graft, waste and abuse of national resources as alleged by the Senator.
“The LMA, under the current administration of Commissioner Kesselly publishes annual and financial reports, copies of which are sent to the Liberian Senate on a yearly basis thus leaving us to wonder as to whether Senator Freeman is familiarizing herself with such information so as not to dabble in falsehoods like she is exactly doing now at the detriment of the LMA and its Commissioner.
“While we understand that the Country has ushered into electioneering period once more and politicians will certainly be politically charged and go off-tangent in their utterances sometimes, we also believe that people who are political leaders like Senator Freeman must be responsible, factual and professional in their public disclosures so as not to mislead the Liberian people and subsequently injure other people’s reputation in the public glare.
Let Senator Freeman, be aware that maritime under the Ellen Johnson- Sirleaf’s administration is not a “zoe-Bush” that is why you have people like the Finance, Transport and Justice Ministers sitting on its Board including topnotch Liberian personalities like its Chairman, Ambassador John S. Morlu.
Besides, it is important to note that Maritime millions do not come to Kesselly, his deputies, or the LMA. It goes through the US Federal Bank then onward to the Central bank of Liberia. The LMA’s Operating and Capital Budget is submitted to its Board of Directors for approval with onward submission to the President for final approval so as to ensure rigorous checks and balances thus enhancing transparency, a key principal LMA thrives on.
Interestingly, Senator Freeman is Co-Chair for the Senate Maritime Committee and is not in the know of such proceedings. Is she actually performing her oversight road as a lawmaker? The People of Montserrado must ask the Senator some questions.
Finally, the LMA is upbeat about the beach cleaning exercise for two major reasons. One, that the exercise will make our beaches clean and when our beaches are clean they will be habitable and attract tourists. When the beaches are transformed from dumpsites and public toilets to tourist attraction centers, revenue will be generated for the country, JOBS will be created, and the Liberian economy will be positively impacted. Secondly, the exercise is currently providing jobs for many young Liberians including ex-combatants and unskilled laborers thus reducing the unemployment rate which opposition persons like the very Senator Freeman speak about and condemn the government on a daily basis. Montserrado County, which the senator serves as senior senator, is the first county benefiting from this program with 400 young people to date already employed… is the SENATOR aware of this?”
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Maritime Rejects Senator’s Claims