NUDP takes solace in history. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf , accused other presidents like Samuel Doe of enlisting every tribal chief, paramount chiefs and the entire Government of Liberia in his 1985 campaign. But the same Ellen Johnson Sirleaf accused Doe of losing the election but won only on the basis of cheating. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has now come full circle to follow President Doe’s formula. So she will lose as well come October 2011.

Abuse of Office and Misuse of Public Resources

The Ellen Johnson Sirleaf campaign team is a clear demonstration that she is once again willing to use taxpayers’ resources for campaign at the disadvantaged of Liberian taxpayers. This is unacceptable and all well meaning Liberians and international partners should bring Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and her Unity Party to book. Her action is flagrant disregard for the proper use of taxpayers’ resources is putting Liberia’s nascent democracy at a greater risk of a free fall.

NUDP agrees with Liberty Party that all political appointees who have also been appointed to serve on the campaign to immediately resign their position in Government. It is a clear abuse of public office and misuse of public money and time for Ministers, Deputy Ministers and political appointees to be serving as ministers while also actively participating in political campaigns. Madam President claimed to have graduated from Harvard and has western experience.

Even the American and European Ambassadors would agree political appointees cannot remain in their respective positions while also participating in political campaign in the Presidential system of Government we have in Liberia. The President of Harvard University would not accept such a practice in his home country, America. It would be considered an abuse of office and misuse of public funds, act that would be punishable. President Sirleaf was forced to resign from the United Nations to contest the elections in Liberia.

Why would Ellen Johnson Sirleaf say if President Tolbert, President Doe and President Taylor did that. She was in the frontline criticizing these former Presidents for such practices. This is again another demonstration of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf lack of commitment to honesty and accountability. She criticized former Presidents for activities that she is today engaged in. This is hypocrisy at the highest level. Republic Political Strategist Karl Rove resigned to work on the campaign of John McCain. We have seen a slew of Whitehouse officials resigning to work on President Barrack Obama campaign, as they know it would be unethical, a waste of public resources and an abuse of office to be an official of Government while at the same time on a campaign team. David Axelrod resigned from the Whitehouse to work on Obama campaign.

It is therefore surprising that those ministers like Internal Affairs Minister Harrison Karwea, Labor Minister Jeremiah Sulunteh, Planning and Economics Affairs Minister Amara Konneh, Finance Minister Augustine Ngafuan, Youth and Sports Minister Mrs. Etmonia Tarpeh, Public Works Minister Kofi Woods, and Deputy Planning and Economics Affairs Minister Dr. Marcus Dahn, who boast of western education and experience are also engaged in abuse of office and misuse of public resources. They know it is wrong to use their offices as political campaign offices. But the desperation on the part of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to remain in power at all cost is now pushing these Liberians to break away from good governance practices in favor of business as usual. Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, etc accused Samuel Doe’s Internal Affairs Minister, Karmo Soko Sackor for using his position as minister to ensure victory for Samuel Doe in 1985. Today, she is doing the same thing.

While it is acceptable for civil servants to join in campaign, it is not acceptable in any serious country wanting to build a sustainable democracy for political appointees to engage in misuse of public funds and abuse of office to serve as members of a campaign team while at the same time serving as ministers. But again, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf led Government is so corrupt that it is has lost its will to do anything good for Liberia.

The Corrupt Campaign Team—Mr. Sam Wlue, etc

NUDP also note that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has finally informed the Liberian people that the war on corruption has come to a full and complete halt. Not only did she sack the Commanding General for corruption, John Morlu, she has enrolled in her campaign team people captured for corruption in audit, anti-corruption and other reports.

First, on the list is Minister of Gender, Verbah Gayflor. The audit report of the GAC clearly showed that Minister Gayflor mismanaged the funds belonging to the Ministry of Gender, especially funds earmarked for poor rural women. But Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has ignored the plight of ordinary, hardworking women in favor of the audit indicted Verbah Gayflor.

In the HIPC audit report on the Ministry of Health, Tornorian Varpilah was indicted for changing the engine of his car. He took the Ministry car engine and replaced it with an old engine. GAC called Japan and found that the van number on the seat belt did not match the old engine number in the car. Now he is appointed by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as her campaign manager.

Minister Amara Konneh was indicted by a report commissioned by President Sirleaf. In the Nagbalee Warner’s report, Minister Konneh is indicated to have signed a certificate for the fraud- induced contract with Carbon Harvesting. He was recommended for investigation and prosecution but the President cleared him without any Court trial. He is today on the campaign team of President Sirleaf.

Minister Augustine K. Ngafuan was accused of corruption at the University of Liberia when he served as President of ULSU. He begged his fellow students to drop the charge against him. He carried his corruption to the Budget Bureau where he placed bogus companies like the Intellectual Property System in the budget, which he later removed two years when GAC discovered the bogus company. He was also indicted for millions of dollars in undocumented payments at the Ministry of Finance during the HIPC audits. He has yet to account for the US$53 million expended on General Claims, for which Auditor General vowed to resign if Minister Ngafuan provided the documents to acquit the expenditure. But today instead of standing in Court, Minister Ngafuan is now a card carrying member of the campaign team of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.

NASSCORP Managing Director, Francis Carbah is a long time confidante of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. It was Ellen Johnson Sirleaf that brought Mr. Carbah from poverty in Canada to serve on the Governance Reform Commission. GAC audit report holds that Carbah for blatant misuse of public office. Carbah was also busted by the GAC for using NASSCORP funds to donate to the Unity Party. Carbah was also busted for giving US$140,000 to the Executive Mansion for an alleged July 26 Celebration, money that has not been accounted for by the Executive Mansion. Today, MD Carbah is a bona fide card carrying member of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf campaign team.

NUDP could go on and on listing these bad apples in the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf led campaign. But one thing that really also stood out is the inclusion of corruption indicted Sam Wlue. Mr. Wlue is former Minister of Commerce and Industry in the Interim Transitional Government of Liberia.

Mr. Wlue was charged with corruption in the ECOWAS’ Economic Crime Report on Liberia. Mr. Wlue was indicted and arranged by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s Minister of Justice, now LACC boss, Cllr. Francis Johnson Morris. President Sirleaf Government brought the corruption charge and indicted Sam Wlue. NUDP wonders how LACC boss, Johnson-Morris feel today that the person she indicted for corruption is now enrolled as HIGH profile card carrying member of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf campaign.

It would not be surprising for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to come out and once again provide the false and misleading excuse that she did not know Mr. Wlue was charged in the ECOWAS report and that her own Government indicted him for corruption. President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was brave to look in the eyes of the Liberian and international partners and say that she was not aware that Emmanuel Shaw was on travel ban and asset freeze list. Even the 10 grader knows that Emmanuel Shaw is on travel ban, as this issue has been a national discussion since 2006 when President Sirleaf took office, unless President Sirleaf is telling Liberians that her age is now making her to forget things.

Blurring the Line between Church and State

In our democracy, we have a fundamental requirement to maintain separation of Church and State. The Council of Churches has played a major role in serving as an independent group to mediate disputes in Liberia. But due to the desperation of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to win at all cost, she has enlisted on her campaign team the head of the Council of Churches. Bishop David Daniels was named as member of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf campaign team.

NUDP does not want to indicate that his inclusion was on the basis that Bishop Daniel spent considerable time running to the Executive Mansion for “Duty Free” privileges. But NUDP is concerned that his inclusion on the campaign team has undermined the independence of the Council of Church. NUDP is therefore calling on the Council of Churches to immediately dismissed BISHOP DAVID DANIELS since he is now an important political player.

NUDP would like the Liberian people and our international partners to take note that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf is taking Liberia back to the “dark ages” wherein Presidents use their offices to finance their campaign with the use of state resources, time and money. The Liberian people will be paying for the gas, the car and per diem for the entire minister when they go to campaign. These political appointees will also be campaigning on Government time, while they are being paid by Liberian taxpayers. Liberians and international partners must reject President Ellen Johnson misuse of public funds for her campaign.

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