|
Headlines
|
|
Written by Tonita Copson
|
|
Tuesday, 07 August 2012 23:56 |
The Minister of Education, Etmonia Tarpeh has failed to adequately defend the ministry’s allotment of US$66milliom in the Draft Fiscal Budget for 2012 and 2013 currently before the National Legislature. Minister Tarpeh appeared before the Joint Ways and Means Committees of both Houses in the Joint Chamber of the National Legislature Tuesday, August 7, 2012 to justify the allotment of the ministry, but she fumbled during her presentation, thus prompting the lawmakers to send her back. She is to reappear on Friday of this week.
The Education Minister, when quizzed by the legislators to give the actual allotment for the ministry she could not even remember her ministry’s allotment in the budget, something which amazed the huge audience. ”Go home and study the budget properly and come back Friday to defend it,” one lawmaker told her suspecting her deficiency.
Earlier, the minister sent Deputy Education Minister for Instruction Mator Kpangbai to defend the ministry’s allotment in the budget on her behalf, but the lawmakers rejected him.
They said it was prudent enough for the proper minister to appear before them to defend the budget since she was in the country, a situation that compelled her to appear in person.
At the same time the Joint Committee of the House of Representatives and the Liberian Senate yesterday aborted hearing on the budget of the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs until President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf can appoint a minister to the ministry.
The Deputy Minister for Administration of the minister, Dr. Marcus Dahn had appeared to defend, but the legislators rejected him insisting that until a minister is appointed there will be no budget hearing.
According to the lawmakers, there was no need to allow Deputy Minister Dahn to defend the ministry’s budget because there is no Minister to manage the Liberian people money.
Following the rejection of Deputy Minister Dahn, the Co-chairman of the Joint Committee Representative Emmanuel Nuguie of Margibi County adjoined the budget hearing session until Friday.
|
