The former Auditor  General John S.  Morlu has turned down invitations from the political leader of Congress of Democratic Change (CDC) Standard Bearer George Weah to attend Weah MBA graduation ceremony scheduled July 27, 2013 in Florida and the CDC leadership conference slated August 1 through 4 in Philadelphia.

CDC partisans, sympathizers, well-wishes and those at the helm of party leadership who have been optimistic in recent time for a potential Morlu- Weah or Weah-Morlu 2017 Dream Ticket were taken aback that Morlu was not in attendance for the graduation. There Dream Ticket hopefulness appears to be further gloomy when he turned down the next invitation, this time the Party international conference.

Morlu Previously Attended   Weah and CDC Ceremonies
Morlu and Weah bond of friendship began cemented when both made public appearances together in 2011 raising wide conjectures of a probable alliance for Morlu-Weah  or  Weah-Morlu  2017 Presidential Dream Ticket. Morlu, was special guest at Weah graduation ceremony in Florida , June 2011 when Weah earned his bachelor’s degree from Devry University.

Just last year, Morlu ,at the invitation of Weah and the CDC, Morlu  served as keynote speaker of the party’s USA branch inauguration October 2012 where he provided a categorical analysis and recommendations  of Liberia’s  governance  and fiscal management  problems.

Speculations on Dwindling Relationship
Multiple sources, including some in the CDC   who asked for anonymity agreed an appearance of a feud between Morlu  and Weah bordering on lot of issues. Morlu has never been a member of the CDC and we were hoping he becomes member as such configuration was going to be a strong youthful blend, the source indicated.

Sources  reveal  that three stalwarts of the party  ,including him  is planning to resign soon from the party insinuating   that the former AG  is playing cool because he must have realized his expectations of the direction of the party proved contrary to what has been unfolding.

“Some higher ups in the party continues to use the party as a banking institution-hustling here and there from government and other external sources to get money in the party names and pocketed by those higher -ups whenever they get brook”, one of the CDC insider who is bitter with the party how  its handle national policy  issues averred,  “those party officials most times create a scenario of what appeared to  be strong disagreement with government policy issues but when called in the corner, they compromised  the overall good of the public for their person good. They often come in our series of party meetings and condemned the government is corrupt but they go in the back door to beg some of the same corrupt officials for gas, money and make compromise against the interest of the party and the general good of the state.”  At some extend partisans lost their lives …

The truism of this source comment has not been proven as the CDC -US branch representative could not be reached for comment as his   phone ring repeatedly without answer up to press time, but CDC own lawmaker Edward Forh  made similar concern after his expulsion from the party last month.

Forh : “But it is CDC and I am not surprised. The party has been taken over by blackmailers and extortionists. Even the intent of making statements critical of the government most times has had extortionist motives. Listen to the radio everyday and you will hear strong statements from the CDC against the government. The intent most times is to extort money from the government in the end".
Sources also indicate that it is Weah who decided to keep a distance from Morlu. Since Weah was appointed Peace Ambassador by President Ellen, sources say, he immediately kept a distance from Morlu.
Varney Sherman ,the ruling Unity Party (UP) national chairman and UP Standard Bearer President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf are not in  good rapprochement so Weah sees himself having a upper hand of a possible Weah and Ellen succession plan, leaving the UP with Varney Sherman. Ellen and Sherman relationship is further strained by Varney Sherman July 26, 2013 oration condemning the government, among other things of window- dressing the fight on corruption and impunity.

Invitation restriction could be another reason Morlu turned down the CDC –USA conference where Morlu was again scheduled to deliver the keynote address, the second time in CDC history.  A CDC insider who asked not to me named in this report, says,  the former AG was told by CDC officials not to be tough on CDC as he did October last year when he spoke at the CDC-US inauguration washing  CDC dirty clothes outside to the surprise of Weah and the party, but  Morlu refused to do so.

Morlu did not mince his words last year when he spoke at the CDC-USA inauguration last year. He blamed the problems of corruption and nepotism in Liberia  not just  the single effort  of   President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf fighting those vices  but the CDC.

Morlu:“They{CDC senators and representatives } have become part of the system. I will want to see the position of any of the CDC Senators and House of Representatives on the current budget that budgetized corruption and denied civil servants a raise in salaries. They are all enjoying the loot but then they like to throw mud at President Sirleaf.”

Morlu:  “When I was Auditor General, two CDC Senators were among the people that opposed and antagonized me. I busted the late CDC senator, may her soul rest in peace. The Senator sent her “friend” as a front to bid on the EU renovation of the GAC's building. When I asked for the procurement records because someone had whistle-blow to me that the supporting bank statement in the tune of US$123,000 submitted by the company was actually the bank statement of the CDC's Senator and then she tried to lie to me about it. I called EU and they put hold on the bid. The current CDC Senior Senator led the effort to create the Maritime Authority at any cost and then when she did not get all she wanted she decided to attack Commissioner Kesselly.”

“Where is the Legislative agenda of the CDC legislators? Once the legislature does not have moral clarity on corruption, the presidency will always conceal its excesses under the lapses of the legislature. CDC must be forward looking,” Morlu admonished CDCians when he served as keynote speaker.

John Morlu, a Business Man
Morlu is beyond those speculations as he being gone out of Government since three years and focusing on his auditing firm,  “JS Morlu, LLC”, a licensed CPA firm in Virginia and Washington, with extension in Haiti and soon to be extension in Liberia, disclosed a   source close to Morlu  who asked for anonymity since he was not authorized to speak on this report.

Jobs creation and training opportunity for his staff are among his priorities. Few of his staff are initially undergoing intensive month-long training programs in various sphere of auditing and he is opting to extend this to Liberia in few months creating jobs opportunity and career path for many Liberians, the source said.

Do we have to depend on foreign audit firms when we have highly qualified Liberians with viable experience and expertise to do the same work and even more than those foreign audit firms? The source rhetorically asked.

About the Author
 Lee H. Williams is a  free lance journalist based in Boston, USA. He is the author of several articles.
Can be reached   either at leewilliamsh@yahoo.com/ leehwilliams@yahoo.com