Bong County Senator and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education Prince Moye has cautioned the Minister of Education Prof. D. Ansu Sonii and team to properly manage and use the additional US$ 3Million that was allocated to the Ministry to have volunteered teachers place on payroll or risk being summoned by the Liberian Senate.
“Minister Sonii and your team, I do not want to see you guys coming to the Capitol Building again because we want you people to properly use the money that was given to make sure that teachers who are volunteering are included on the payroll. The President Pro-Tempore make reference to that during the opening of our session and I hope you take a cue”, the Senator warned.
Sometimes when we allot money to an institution that is barely in need, we come to realize that to the close of the budget period the outturn of that particular fund is left”, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Education added.
Senator Moye was speaking briefly in an interview during the weekend at the Ellen Johnson Ministerial Complex in Congo Town after attending the Ministry of Education Program. Mr. Moye urged the Ministry of Education to act fast and utilize the additional USD$3 million given to the Ministry to have all the teachers on the payroll so there can be enough teachers in various public schools across the country.
The Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the World Bank launched a Project for “Improving Results in Secondary Education (IRISE)”, certified and certificated 200 Special Female Career Guidance and Psychosocial Counselors on Friday, May 20, 2022, at the Ministerial Complex, in Congo Town Monrovia. The counselors will be placed in various public schools nationwide.
He urged the Ministry of Education to make sure that the money is utilized before the second quarter of the budget period, something he said will enable the Ministry next time to request more funding for the education sector which he believes will be supported by his colleagues due to the proper use of the first fund given them.
“Some of the institutions came to the committee crying for additional budgetary allotment based on the program they have initiated. However, they do not use the money as requested and when call to account for it, they can not defend anything. Education being one of the sectors that is very important to our country, we made a case and took a decision” the Lawmaker added.
The opposition Lawmaker indicated that the Liberian Senate and the Legislature, in general, decided to give the Ministry of Education an additional USD$3 million to what was already in the draft budget to close the gap between teachers and students ratio.
Speaking further, he mentioned that the additional fund means that the Ministry of Education needs to employ more volunteer public school teachers in the country so that the classrooms can have more teachers attending to the students and at the same time said if the money is not used properly, during the next budget sitting there will be no increase in the fund for the Ministry.
Reported by: Stephen G. Fellajuah
WhatsApp: +231777015294
Email: fellajuahstepheng@gmail.com
