Nimba County District #7 Representative Musa H. Bility has pledged support to the ongoing debate at the Liberian Senate on the reduction of lawmakers’ salaries from US$8,000 to US$5,000.
A bill was recently introduced by Montserrado County Senator A. Darius Dillon titled “An Act Fixing the Monthly Remuneration of the Legislature,” and a report on the bill is expected to be submitted to the Plenary of the Senate next week for deliberation.
In a statement issued on Thursday, December 4, 2025, Representative Bility said he stands 100% in support of the bill, stating that especially when their people are struggling to access basic healthcare, quality education, and decent public services, it is morally indefensible for their elected representatives to continue to preside over a wage structure that is generous to officials and cruel to citizens.
Bility said Senator Dillon’s initiative is a bold step toward discipline, moderation, and accountability in the use of public resources, and commended his consistency and courage over the years in this matter.
“However, this reform cannot stop at the Legislature. The Liberian people are not only questioning lawmakers’ pay. They are questioning the entire architecture of excessive remuneration for top public officials. If we cut only our side while leaving executive officials with larger, more hidden packages, we will not have achieved true equity or discipline in our compensation system,” he said.
The Nimba County lawmaker called for an amendment to Dillon’s bill that ensures that no member of the Executive Branch, including the President, the Vice President, and principal and deputy heads of all Ministries, Agencies, Commissions, and SOEs, shall earn more than US$5,000 per month from public resources.
He said the benefits of these officials also need to be reduced, and anything less than this would be partial and incomplete, adding that one of the deepest wounds in this democracy is the perception that government is a machine designed to enrich public officials. He indicated that capping salaries of all top public officials will help save the country significant resources, free up millions of dollars that can be redirected to hospitals, schools, medicines, teacher pay, and infrastructure, promote discipline in public spending, and send a clear message that leadership begins with sacrifice, not privilege.
“When the people see their leaders taking cuts, it becomes easier to ask them to tighten their belts. Applying the same benchmark across the Executive Branch and standardizing salaries at a reasonable level will help restore public trust and confidence. And show that we, as leaders, are prepared to live within limits. It will also create fairness across branches, as it is unfair for one branch to reduce its pay while another continues to enjoy higher, unregulated packages,” Bility noted.
According to him, a standard ceiling on remuneration demonstrates that no position in government is above sacrifice in the national interest and under the Constitution, appropriation and control of the national budget lie with the Legislature.
He further said power is meaningless if leaders are afraid to regulate their own pay, and now that Senator Dillon’s bill is formally before the Senate, there is no excuse.
Bility said the matter is no longer about talk shows and public debates; it is on the table as a bill, and therefore pledged his full support in the House of Representatives for Senator Dillon’s bill and strongly suggested that the reduction in salaries of top officials of the Executive Branch be included in the bill.
“When this bill is transmitted from the Senate to the House, I will vote for it and advocate for its speedy passage. To my colleagues in both Houses, this is not about comfort, nor is it about popularity. It is about justice and responsibility. History will remember whether we used our time in office to protect our personal allowances or to reset Liberia on a path of fairness and discipline,” Bility said.
He indicated that the Liberian people are watching; they have endured too much hardship, while a small group of officials live far above the realities of ordinary citizens.
