Written by Vivian Gartyn
Monday, 02 August 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
Liberia’s Ambassador to the United States has been recalled.
The executive mansion says President Sirleaf recalled Ambassador Nathaniel Barnes for consultation and possible reassignment.
It is not yet clear whether Mr. Barnes who contested the 2005 elections on the ticket of the Liberia Destiny Party was involved in any malpractice.
Meanwhile, the President has granted executive pardon to four elderly inmates detained at the National Palace of Corrections in Grand Gedeh County.
The four including Esther Garduah, Julia Quiah, Amos Grear and Esther Gaye were tried and convicted of kidnapping in 2007.
The Executive Mansion says the decision is a result of pleas from citizens of Grand Gedeh during a visit by the President.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Prince Johnson’s Presidential bid gets another blow
Written by Julius Kanubah
Monday, 02 August 2010
Source: Star Radio Libieria
Another Nimba County lawmaker has openly called on his kinsman Prince Johnson to abandon his Presidential bid by not contesting the 2011 elections.
Representative Francis Karway said Senator Prince Johnson must wait for the 2018 elections before getting in the race to become Liberia’s next President.
According to him, majority of Nimba citizens are resolved to vote against Senator Johnson in support of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
The comment by lawmaker Karway comes days after Nimba junior Senator Adolphus Dolo said Senator Johnson was not politically matured to run in 2011.
Representative Karway said his comment does not however mean Senator Prince Johnson is not a good Presidential material.
According to him, Senator Johnson is a good son of Nimba who has the right to contest for any elected position.
Representative Karway spoke to reporters while commending government for successfully hosting the July 26 Independence Day celebrations in Nimba County.
Monday, 02 August 2010
Source: Star Radio Libieria
Another Nimba County lawmaker has openly called on his kinsman Prince Johnson to abandon his Presidential bid by not contesting the 2011 elections.
Representative Francis Karway said Senator Prince Johnson must wait for the 2018 elections before getting in the race to become Liberia’s next President.
According to him, majority of Nimba citizens are resolved to vote against Senator Johnson in support of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
The comment by lawmaker Karway comes days after Nimba junior Senator Adolphus Dolo said Senator Johnson was not politically matured to run in 2011.
Representative Karway said his comment does not however mean Senator Prince Johnson is not a good Presidential material.
According to him, Senator Johnson is a good son of Nimba who has the right to contest for any elected position.
Representative Karway spoke to reporters while commending government for successfully hosting the July 26 Independence Day celebrations in Nimba County.
Unity Party/CDC run-off election set for Tuesday
Written by Moses Wenyou
Monday, 02 August 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
The National Elections Commission has announced that voting will take place Tuesday in the River Gee District number three run-off by-election.
The Co-Chairman of NEC said logistical preparations have been finalized with polling materials and staff being deployed across the electoral district.
Cllr. Elizabeth Nelson said five thousand ballot papers have arrived in the country for the run-off poll which will begin from 8:00am to 6:00pm on Tuesday.
Cllr. Nelson said the ballot papers and other sensitive materials are being packaged for distribution across the sixteen polling places in River Gee district number three.
The NEC Co-chairman called on the seven thousand thirty-six registered voters in the district to turn out in their numbers and vote to fill the vacant seat.
According to Cllr. Nelson, results from the run-off by-election will be announced immediately after the results are tallied and collated.
The two run-off candidates include Christian Chea of the ruling Unity Party and Philbert Toe of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change.
The run-off by-election became necessary due to the failure of all the four candidates in the first round to obtain the required 50% plus one vote.
Monday, 02 August 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
The National Elections Commission has announced that voting will take place Tuesday in the River Gee District number three run-off by-election.
The Co-Chairman of NEC said logistical preparations have been finalized with polling materials and staff being deployed across the electoral district.
Cllr. Elizabeth Nelson said five thousand ballot papers have arrived in the country for the run-off poll which will begin from 8:00am to 6:00pm on Tuesday.
Cllr. Nelson said the ballot papers and other sensitive materials are being packaged for distribution across the sixteen polling places in River Gee district number three.
The NEC Co-chairman called on the seven thousand thirty-six registered voters in the district to turn out in their numbers and vote to fill the vacant seat.
According to Cllr. Nelson, results from the run-off by-election will be announced immediately after the results are tallied and collated.
The two run-off candidates include Christian Chea of the ruling Unity Party and Philbert Toe of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change.
The run-off by-election became necessary due to the failure of all the four candidates in the first round to obtain the required 50% plus one vote.
WAEC releases exam results…over 6,000 seniors fail
Written by Moses Wenyou
Monday, 02 August 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
The West African Examination Council has released provisional results for the May 2010 Liberia Senior High School Certificate Examinations.
This year’s results show the worst performance of candidates over the last three years with none qualifying for the first two divisions so far.
The Head of National Office of WAEC told a news conference Monday the provisional results cover only seventeen thousand six hundred forty-four students.
Prof. Thomas Gaie said the results of the remaining four thousand three hundred eighty-five students are yet unavailable.
He attributes the unavailability to the failure of their respective schools to file the grades on time.
Prof. Gaie said of the total number of students whose results are available, only ten thousand nine hundred ninety-seven made a pass in division three.
According to Prof. Gaie, a total of six thousand six hundred forty seven candidates failed the examinations.
He however said the overall performance of the candidates may likely change as soon as grades from the delinquent schools are processed and consolidated results finalized.
Professor Gaie named some of the schools that failed to submit their results on time as Tubman High, BW Harris, Monrovia College, JJ Ross among others.
Meanwhile, WAEC says it is withholding the results of at least one hundred schools for their alleged involvement in examination malpractices.
Monday, 02 August 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
The West African Examination Council has released provisional results for the May 2010 Liberia Senior High School Certificate Examinations.
This year’s results show the worst performance of candidates over the last three years with none qualifying for the first two divisions so far.
The Head of National Office of WAEC told a news conference Monday the provisional results cover only seventeen thousand six hundred forty-four students.
Prof. Thomas Gaie said the results of the remaining four thousand three hundred eighty-five students are yet unavailable.
He attributes the unavailability to the failure of their respective schools to file the grades on time.
Prof. Gaie said of the total number of students whose results are available, only ten thousand nine hundred ninety-seven made a pass in division three.
According to Prof. Gaie, a total of six thousand six hundred forty seven candidates failed the examinations.
He however said the overall performance of the candidates may likely change as soon as grades from the delinquent schools are processed and consolidated results finalized.
Professor Gaie named some of the schools that failed to submit their results on time as Tubman High, BW Harris, Monrovia College, JJ Ross among others.
Meanwhile, WAEC says it is withholding the results of at least one hundred schools for their alleged involvement in examination malpractices.
Progress reported at Ganta border post
Written by Matthias Daffah
Monday, 02 August 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
Authorities at the Ganta border post of entry in Nimba County have reported improvements in revenue collection.
The Senior Collector in the area Akoi Garwolo said despite the difficulty encountered, Finance Ministry agents still succeed in doing their job effectively.
Mr. Garwolo said business people who complain about the inspection process at the port of entry are those who want to evade the payment of taxes.
He said the inspection exercise is necessary to determine the quantity and quality of goods coming into the country.
Government has meanwhile, completed the construction of new structures at the Ganta port of entry to facility cross-border inspection of goods and services.
The construction of the new structures was funded by the United States Aid for International Development and implemented by LCIP.
Monday, 02 August 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
Authorities at the Ganta border post of entry in Nimba County have reported improvements in revenue collection.
The Senior Collector in the area Akoi Garwolo said despite the difficulty encountered, Finance Ministry agents still succeed in doing their job effectively.
Mr. Garwolo said business people who complain about the inspection process at the port of entry are those who want to evade the payment of taxes.
He said the inspection exercise is necessary to determine the quantity and quality of goods coming into the country.
Government has meanwhile, completed the construction of new structures at the Ganta port of entry to facility cross-border inspection of goods and services.
The construction of the new structures was funded by the United States Aid for International Development and implemented by LCIP.
Phebe School of Nursing threatened with closure
Written by Clarence Jackson
Monday, 02 August 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
The Chief Medical Officer for Bong County says the Phebe School of Nursing School may not open this academic school year.
Dr. Garfee Williams attributes the situation to the school’s huge indebtedness to vendors.
According to Dr. Williams, government-sponsored students in the school are yet to settle their tuition fees.
He said the Phebe School of Nursing trains nurses to work at government hospitals and clinics across the county to help reduce maternal mortality.
The Bong County Chief Medical Officer expressed fear that the closure of the school could prove disastrous for the county’s health sector.
Although Dr. Williams did not disclose the amount the school owes vendors, sources hinted it could be more than fifty thousand United States dollars.
He appealed to stakeholders in the health sector to prevail on the requisite authorities to resolve the school’s debts to avert possible closure.
Monday, 02 August 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
The Chief Medical Officer for Bong County says the Phebe School of Nursing School may not open this academic school year.
Dr. Garfee Williams attributes the situation to the school’s huge indebtedness to vendors.
According to Dr. Williams, government-sponsored students in the school are yet to settle their tuition fees.
He said the Phebe School of Nursing trains nurses to work at government hospitals and clinics across the county to help reduce maternal mortality.
The Bong County Chief Medical Officer expressed fear that the closure of the school could prove disastrous for the county’s health sector.
Although Dr. Williams did not disclose the amount the school owes vendors, sources hinted it could be more than fifty thousand United States dollars.
He appealed to stakeholders in the health sector to prevail on the requisite authorities to resolve the school’s debts to avert possible closure.
Bropleh Declares 2011 Run: Ex-Minister Eyes Bassa Legislative Seat
Hamilton Smith, FPA STAFF WRITER
Source: FrontPage Africa
Buchanan, Grand Bassa County-
Bropleh, embroiled in an almost US$300,000 theft at the Information Ministry, resigned the post shortly after being indicted by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) following an audit of the foreign mission payroll of the Ministry.
The fallen minister was immediately suspended by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf after some of the auditees tied him into the fraud, recommending that the Ministry of Finance calculate the appropriate interest over the period Bropleh allegedly siphoned the money from state coffers through fraudulent means.
The audit held the suspended Information Minister responsible for three major fraudulent transactions including payments allegedly made to four ghost employees, salaries and allowances of Bernard Warity collected by the suspended Minister for eight months and money paid to ghost name Nathaniel Walker upon the directive of Bropleh.
“Minister Laurence K. Bropleh should be made to immediately restitute US$262,772.73. This represents the funds he misappropriated from the fraudulent processing and payments of salaries to four ghost names in the amount of US$207,160.72, the US$21,807.08 he misappropriated from the salaries and allowances paid in the name of Bernard Waritay, the US$13,855.20 he misappropriated from the salaries and allowances paid in the name of James Essieh, US$9, 569.73 he authorized and paid to ghost worker Nathaniel Walker and US$10,380.00 he authorized withdrawn from the operating account of MICAT at the CBL. Minister Bropleh should be made to restitute the total at an interest determined by the Minister of Finance on the basis of prevailing market rate, compounded monthly since salary and allowances are paid on a monthly basis”, the audit recommended.
Beside restitution, the audit stated that the Ministry of Justice institutes the appropriate legal means to remedy the fraudulent act committed by suspended Minister Bropleh.
“The Government of Liberia, through the Minister of Justice, should institute the appropriate legal procedure to remedy the fraudulent payroll transaction committed by Minister Laurence K. Bropleh”, auditors recommended.
Bropleh was in February, 2010 indicted along with two others from the Ministry–former MICAT Comptroller, Joseph Z. Nyamunue, Sr. and former Chief Accountant, Josiah B.S. Gwaee by the Grand Jury of Montserrado County, Criminal Court ‘A’ at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia, and have since been forwarded to the Criminal Court ‘C’, which has legal jurisdiction over the trial.
Promise To Work With Bassa People
During an interactive forum held at the ‘All People, One People Atai Shop’ on Tubman Street in the Port City of Buchanan, Bropleh promised to work along with the citizens of the county if he is elected as their next representative for the seat currently being held by Representative Gabriel B. Smith of the Liberty Party.
Why not promising to build roads, the former minister told his audience that he will do his best to make the Bassa citizens to achieve more because, according to him, working with them would enable him to make discussions.
Bropleh’s declaration was supported by Charles Taylor’s former Defense Minister Daniel Chea, himself a possible aspirant for the junior senatorial seat of the county who told the audience to put their trust in the resigned information minister.
Speaking on his own indictment, Bropleh told the interactive forum that he was indicted for criminal facilitation but the February’s indictment of the former information minister holds him liable for theft of property and criminal conspiracy in addition to the criminal facilitation.
According to the indictment, between the period of November 2006 and September 2009, defendants Bropleh, Nyamunue and Gwagee, “without any color of right and the fear of God; and in violation of the statutory laws of Liberia, knowingly, purposely, intentionally, criminally, stole, took and carried away, and converted sundry amounts from various accounts of GOL, under various schemes, and acting in concert, did place on GOL payroll names of Foreign Service personnel who are not legitimate employees of the Ministry of Information.”
The indictment further said the men forged the signatures of some legitimate Foreign Service personnel as well as fictitious persons. They had also signed for and received the salary checks totaling US$208,407.01 and converted the said amount to their personal use.
The actions of the defendants, according to the indictment, is in violation of sections 15.51, 15.70 and 10.2 of the Penal Laws of the Republic of Liberia.
Count one of the Court’s indictment states that: “the defendants, Joseph Z. Nyamunue Sr. and Josiah B.S. Gwagee did commit theft of property, while serving as comptroller and chief accountant at the Ministry of Information, by placing the names of Foreign Service personnel who are not legitimate employees of the Information Ministry; did forge the signature of some legitimate Foreign Service personnel, received their salaries and converted same to their personal use and benefit to the disadvantage of the plaintiff, Republic of Liberia.”
It remains unclear as to Bropleh’s chances of winning the legislative seat in the midst of both his alleged role in the corruption that brought him down from the governmental post that had him to be one of the President’s closest aides and in an election that promises to be a hot one for an electoral constituency in the country’s second seaport city.
Source: FrontPage Africa
Buchanan, Grand Bassa County-
 |
| Laurence K. Bropleh |
Despite a hanging indictment over his head over his alleged role in the siphoning of US$262,772.73, former Information Minister, Dr. Laurence K. Bropleh, over the weekend declared his intention to contest Electoral District Number Four as representative come the 2011 elections, bringing an end to long-standing speculations of the former minister’s intent to do so.
Bropleh, embroiled in an almost US$300,000 theft at the Information Ministry, resigned the post shortly after being indicted by the General Auditing Commission (GAC) following an audit of the foreign mission payroll of the Ministry.
The fallen minister was immediately suspended by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf after some of the auditees tied him into the fraud, recommending that the Ministry of Finance calculate the appropriate interest over the period Bropleh allegedly siphoned the money from state coffers through fraudulent means.
The audit held the suspended Information Minister responsible for three major fraudulent transactions including payments allegedly made to four ghost employees, salaries and allowances of Bernard Warity collected by the suspended Minister for eight months and money paid to ghost name Nathaniel Walker upon the directive of Bropleh.
“Minister Laurence K. Bropleh should be made to immediately restitute US$262,772.73. This represents the funds he misappropriated from the fraudulent processing and payments of salaries to four ghost names in the amount of US$207,160.72, the US$21,807.08 he misappropriated from the salaries and allowances paid in the name of Bernard Waritay, the US$13,855.20 he misappropriated from the salaries and allowances paid in the name of James Essieh, US$9, 569.73 he authorized and paid to ghost worker Nathaniel Walker and US$10,380.00 he authorized withdrawn from the operating account of MICAT at the CBL. Minister Bropleh should be made to restitute the total at an interest determined by the Minister of Finance on the basis of prevailing market rate, compounded monthly since salary and allowances are paid on a monthly basis”, the audit recommended.
Beside restitution, the audit stated that the Ministry of Justice institutes the appropriate legal means to remedy the fraudulent act committed by suspended Minister Bropleh.
“The Government of Liberia, through the Minister of Justice, should institute the appropriate legal procedure to remedy the fraudulent payroll transaction committed by Minister Laurence K. Bropleh”, auditors recommended.
Bropleh was in February, 2010 indicted along with two others from the Ministry–former MICAT Comptroller, Joseph Z. Nyamunue, Sr. and former Chief Accountant, Josiah B.S. Gwaee by the Grand Jury of Montserrado County, Criminal Court ‘A’ at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia, and have since been forwarded to the Criminal Court ‘C’, which has legal jurisdiction over the trial.
Promise To Work With Bassa People
During an interactive forum held at the ‘All People, One People Atai Shop’ on Tubman Street in the Port City of Buchanan, Bropleh promised to work along with the citizens of the county if he is elected as their next representative for the seat currently being held by Representative Gabriel B. Smith of the Liberty Party.
Why not promising to build roads, the former minister told his audience that he will do his best to make the Bassa citizens to achieve more because, according to him, working with them would enable him to make discussions.
Bropleh’s declaration was supported by Charles Taylor’s former Defense Minister Daniel Chea, himself a possible aspirant for the junior senatorial seat of the county who told the audience to put their trust in the resigned information minister.
Speaking on his own indictment, Bropleh told the interactive forum that he was indicted for criminal facilitation but the February’s indictment of the former information minister holds him liable for theft of property and criminal conspiracy in addition to the criminal facilitation.
According to the indictment, between the period of November 2006 and September 2009, defendants Bropleh, Nyamunue and Gwagee, “without any color of right and the fear of God; and in violation of the statutory laws of Liberia, knowingly, purposely, intentionally, criminally, stole, took and carried away, and converted sundry amounts from various accounts of GOL, under various schemes, and acting in concert, did place on GOL payroll names of Foreign Service personnel who are not legitimate employees of the Ministry of Information.”
The indictment further said the men forged the signatures of some legitimate Foreign Service personnel as well as fictitious persons. They had also signed for and received the salary checks totaling US$208,407.01 and converted the said amount to their personal use.
The actions of the defendants, according to the indictment, is in violation of sections 15.51, 15.70 and 10.2 of the Penal Laws of the Republic of Liberia.
Count one of the Court’s indictment states that: “the defendants, Joseph Z. Nyamunue Sr. and Josiah B.S. Gwagee did commit theft of property, while serving as comptroller and chief accountant at the Ministry of Information, by placing the names of Foreign Service personnel who are not legitimate employees of the Information Ministry; did forge the signature of some legitimate Foreign Service personnel, received their salaries and converted same to their personal use and benefit to the disadvantage of the plaintiff, Republic of Liberia.”
It remains unclear as to Bropleh’s chances of winning the legislative seat in the midst of both his alleged role in the corruption that brought him down from the governmental post that had him to be one of the President’s closest aides and in an election that promises to be a hot one for an electoral constituency in the country’s second seaport city.
SENATE ‘REJECTS’: Is Rejection of Presidential Nominees: A Cash Scheme?
08/02/2010 - Rodney D. Sieh
Source: FrontPageAfrica
Monrovia -
In April this year, Daryl Ambrose Nmah, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s nominee to head the Liberia Broadcasting System found himself in what at the time appeared to be an impossible position, needing 20 votes to reverse a tide which saw the Senate Executive Committee rejecting Nmah’s bid for the post previously held by Charles Snetter. While lawmakers at the time shied away from divulging why Nmah was rejected, some Senators pointed to what some alluded to as Nmah’s 'poor human relations' as a reason why he was rejected.
Months earlier, the Senate also twice unanimously rejected Sirleaf’s nominee to head the Ministry of Labor citing among other things that Gongloe was incompetent to serve as Labor Minister, based on his experience and professional background, the senators argued. During their second rejection of Gongloe, fourteen Senators voted against the motion of reconsideration and eight in favor while the rest abstained during session. A third motion to reconsider was filed.
Marc Amblard, the current Inspector General of Police also endured similar fate when Senators took him to task over his admission that he did not undergo police training. Now, a Minister-Designate for the Ministry of Education has joined the ranks of Senate rejects, presidential nominees who have fallen prey to the wraths of the lawmaking body.
Last week, Plenary rejected another presidential nominee, this time, Dr. Kadiker Rex Dahn, Deputy Minister-Designate of Education for Planning and Research amid claims of questionable academic credentials.
What changed overnight? How did Gongloe go from “incompetent” to “Competent”? How did Nmah go from having “poor human relations” to being able to survive a double doze of rejections from the same body? And how did Amblard go from not having police training to becoming Inspector General in the post-war government. Is there any possibility that the latest rejection casualty, Dahn will survive or fall? The answer critics say lies in the now infamous “Motion for Reconsideration”.
Strangely though, the reasons giving for the rejection of some nominees border around payback for previous crimes to what some believe is a gross scheme amid allegations that some Senators have been misusing the “Motion for Reconsideration” as a bargaining tool or strangulation effort to muscle money out of nominees for key government positions.
Several presidential nominees who have gone through the process but would only speak to FrontPageAfrica on condition of anonymity have confirmed that they had to use massive payments to win confirmation. One candidate, Gabriel Williams, a former Deputy Minister of Information Culture Affairs and Tourism was given the run-around for almost a year because he did not cough up enough money to win confirmation. Lawmakers finally caved in and confirmed Williams.
In the case of Gongloe for example, some Senators at the time, recounted how some of their colleagues including Senators Roland Kaine and Richard Devine of Margibi and Bomi Counties respectively, were arrested and prosecuted by Cllr. Gongloe while serving as Solicitor-General of Liberia.
In Nmah’s case, a motion for reconsideration was filed before the Senate by Sinoe County Senior Senator Mabutu Nyenpan. According to the Senate Standing Rules, the motion filed on behalf of Mr. Nmah will have to obtain 20 votes if members of the Liberian Senate are to reconsider their decision regarding his rejection. Nmah prevailed in the end and is now serving in the position.
Even the latest casualty, Dahn’s future appears to be looking good. Grand Gedeh Senator Isaac Nyenabo filed a motion for reconsideration, which will attempt to overturn an 16-1 vote which sealed Dahn’s rejection. If Dahn survives, he will join Nmah and a host of others who have turned whopping rejection margin into safe Senate passages weeks after being rejected.
Critics say the stains of rejections and motion to reconsider have the potential to lessen public trust in the national legislature which has been clouded with issues of bribery.
Jim Dube, a Partner Emeritus in the Canadian.-based, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP said in a letter to FrontPageAfrica at the time of the Gongloe rejection controversy that he was puzzled at the double rejection of Gongloe: Said Dube: “For Gongloe to be refused Senate Confirmation as Liberia's new Labor Minister by some in the Senate because Cllr. Gongloe was doing the very thing he was obliged to do as Liberia's Solicitor General has attracted attention here in North America as it is an indication that Liberia may be lessening its commitment to the rule of law by politically punishing one of its best lawyers for doing his job as the country's most senior prosecutor for the past three years.”
Critics contend that the decision by lawmakers to consistently reject nominees to key government posts only to resort to reconsideration motions does not augur well for the post-war nation democracy quest. Reports of bribery first surfaced in the early days of the post-war legislative body amid allegations from former speaker Edwin Snowe (Independent, 5th District) that money changed hands leading to his removal. In 2007, Snowe, would later blamed his removal on the hidden hands of the Executive Branch and trumpeted a conspiracy that bribery was a factor in his removal. The Lower House rejected an independent probe into the matter and instead launched an internal probe, conducted by the House Judiciary Committee, a move which did not win the blessing of Liberia’s international partners.
But Senate leader Cletus Wotorson disagrees. In announcing the Senate’s change of mind over Amblard and Gongloe in July 2009, Wotorson dismissed suggestions that Senators were forced to change their positions, suggesting that the decisions were reversed because of additional information provided to it by the nominees which indicates that they are the right people for the jobs.
How the Motion Works
For a nominee to be any Senator voting on the prevailing side may, on the same day, or on either of the next two days of actual session thereafter, move a reconsideration; and if the Senate shall refuse to reconsider, or upon reconsideration shall affirm its first decision, no further motion to reconsider shall be in order unless by unanimous consent. Every motion to reconsider shall be decided by a majority vote of those elected, without debate, and may be laid on the table without affecting the question in reference to which the same is made, which shall be a final disposition of the motion.
When a bill, resolution, memorial, report, amendment, order, or message upon which a vote has been taken, shall have gone out of the possession of the Senate, and been communicated to the House, the motion to reconsider shall be accompanied by a motion to request the House to return the same; which last motion shall be acted upon immediately, and without debate, and if determined in the negative shall be a final disposition of the motion to reconsider.
While presidential nominees have benefitted from the motion to reconsider, critics point to the fact that Senators have failed to use the motion where it matters most. For example, the Plenary of the Senate last year rejected a proposed act, seeking the pre and post trial seizure of assets owned by public officials and other individuals suspected of corruption. The plenary, which is the highest decision making body of the Senate, took the action following recommendations by its Judiciary. The proposed act, which sought to amend chapter 15 of the penal law of Liberian by adding thereto a new subsection 15.54, was submitted to the Liberian Senate a fortnight ago by the Executive. In its recommendations, the Judiciary Committee among other things observed that portion of the proposed act, calling for pre-seizure of assets is in violation of the constitution and the principle of “due process”. The committee also recommends that the proposed act should not be enacted into law because there are sufficient laws on the books to deal with the question of theft, grafts or corruption.
Ironically, the seizure of assets have been a burden for Liberia since the post-war government came to office. Multiple reports by the United Nations Panel of Experts have cited the government for not doing enough to freeze assets of officials from the Charles Taylor era.
In its 2010 Mid-Term report, the POE focused its attention on seeking to evaluate whether the Government of Liberia has moved forward on implementation of the assets freeze and reported that there is currently no additional evidence of any intention to enforce the assets freeze in Liberia. “The Panel has approached the Financial Action Task Force to obtain its support in encouraging a more proactive approach to compliance with the assets freeze in Liberia,” according to the Mid Term report in possession of FrontPageAfrica.
Ironically, several of those now sitting in the Senate are among those listed for seizure of assets.
In reality, many of the actions taken by the Senate have contributed to the delays of requirements for Liberia. For example, the Senate last year rejected nominees of the Independent National Human Rights Commission (INHRC) and apparently did not see them qualified to take over the government-established Independent National Human Rights Commission. The rejection came even as President Sirleaf prevailed on lawmakers to confirm the nominees to serve the INHCR as Commissioners in order that they will start their work. Today, a vetting committee is in the process of selecting new commissioners for the post.
While some have sailed through the cracks of the controversial motion to reconsider, others have not fared so well. In March 2006, Sirleaf's nominee for the position of Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Jonathan Boye Charles Sogbie, was rejected amid allegations that he falsified his academic credentials to substantiate his inclusion in the Unity Party-led Government of Liberia.
In Sogbie’s case, no motion was filed as lawmakers appeared to have been furnished with concrete documentations to prove that Sogbie was in the wrong. "Investigations conducted by my committee on the academic qualifications of Mr Sogbie revealed that his credentials are fake and misleading," said Fomba Kanneh at the time. Kanneh, was the chairman of the senate's committee on youth and sports
"[Sogbie's act] is tantamount to perjury and we are recommending to the plenary session the denial of his nomination," the Liberian senator said.
Sogbie had presented documents which stated he had obtained an associate of arts degree in political science from Nebraska Christian College in the USA. But this was challenged by Zeogar Wilson, Sogbie's former international team-mate, which led to the parliamentary probe. The parliamentarians said the college authorities did not just deny Sogbie's claims of attending their school, but also confirmed it does not offer political science degrees.
Another nominee who failed to break the crack was Samuel Lynch, nominee for the post of Commandant of the Liberian National Coast Guard. Lynch failed to win confirmation on the basis that his citizenship came into question. The Security Committee of the Senate has suspended the confirmation of the nominee for the post of Commandant of the Liberia National Coast Guard. Lynch admitted serving the American Army especially that Country’s Coast Guard for thirteen years but despite his pledged of allegiance to the United States, he told the Senate Security Committee he remains a citizen of Liberia. But Senators Mobutu Nyepan, Blamo Nelson and Sumo Kupee said it was against Liberian laws to confirm anyone who pledged their allegiance to another country.
Amid the controversy over the motion for reconsideration, some observers say while the exercise is indeed a good process for Liberia’s postwar democracy, the process is only as good as the ability and quality of lawmakers available. Also, critics point to the fact that both the Senate and House have made the process undemocratic by their refusal to make voting records public. Most of the bills debated and most of the discussion involving presidential nominees are done in secrecy under the guise of “Executive Committees” and “Special Sessions”. One lawmaker, who also spoke on condition of anonymity declared bluntly that if lawmakers are reluctant to make their votes public than it must be true that they do have something to hide." The Motion to Reconsider process also remains complicated in the sense that it is difficult to prove whether or not lawmakers are actually engaged in soliciting money for confirmation. Those taking the money will never admit to doing so neither will those on the giving end.
Sadly, as lawmakers toy around with the motion to reconsider, political pundits say, very little is done in both houses to speed up important health care and education legislations which are important to improving the lives of struggling Liberians who cannot afford to travel abroad for medical checkup as most lawmakers are fond of doing, denying those languishing at the bottom of the economic barrel access to adequate care and the benefit of a full-blown and transparent democratic process.
Source: FrontPageAfrica
Monrovia -
In April this year, Daryl Ambrose Nmah, Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s nominee to head the Liberia Broadcasting System found himself in what at the time appeared to be an impossible position, needing 20 votes to reverse a tide which saw the Senate Executive Committee rejecting Nmah’s bid for the post previously held by Charles Snetter. While lawmakers at the time shied away from divulging why Nmah was rejected, some Senators pointed to what some alluded to as Nmah’s 'poor human relations' as a reason why he was rejected.
Months earlier, the Senate also twice unanimously rejected Sirleaf’s nominee to head the Ministry of Labor citing among other things that Gongloe was incompetent to serve as Labor Minister, based on his experience and professional background, the senators argued. During their second rejection of Gongloe, fourteen Senators voted against the motion of reconsideration and eight in favor while the rest abstained during session. A third motion to reconsider was filed.
Marc Amblard, the current Inspector General of Police also endured similar fate when Senators took him to task over his admission that he did not undergo police training. Now, a Minister-Designate for the Ministry of Education has joined the ranks of Senate rejects, presidential nominees who have fallen prey to the wraths of the lawmaking body.
Last week, Plenary rejected another presidential nominee, this time, Dr. Kadiker Rex Dahn, Deputy Minister-Designate of Education for Planning and Research amid claims of questionable academic credentials.
What changed overnight? How did Gongloe go from “incompetent” to “Competent”? How did Nmah go from having “poor human relations” to being able to survive a double doze of rejections from the same body? And how did Amblard go from not having police training to becoming Inspector General in the post-war government. Is there any possibility that the latest rejection casualty, Dahn will survive or fall? The answer critics say lies in the now infamous “Motion for Reconsideration”.
Strangely though, the reasons giving for the rejection of some nominees border around payback for previous crimes to what some believe is a gross scheme amid allegations that some Senators have been misusing the “Motion for Reconsideration” as a bargaining tool or strangulation effort to muscle money out of nominees for key government positions.
Several presidential nominees who have gone through the process but would only speak to FrontPageAfrica on condition of anonymity have confirmed that they had to use massive payments to win confirmation. One candidate, Gabriel Williams, a former Deputy Minister of Information Culture Affairs and Tourism was given the run-around for almost a year because he did not cough up enough money to win confirmation. Lawmakers finally caved in and confirmed Williams.
In the case of Gongloe for example, some Senators at the time, recounted how some of their colleagues including Senators Roland Kaine and Richard Devine of Margibi and Bomi Counties respectively, were arrested and prosecuted by Cllr. Gongloe while serving as Solicitor-General of Liberia.
In Nmah’s case, a motion for reconsideration was filed before the Senate by Sinoe County Senior Senator Mabutu Nyenpan. According to the Senate Standing Rules, the motion filed on behalf of Mr. Nmah will have to obtain 20 votes if members of the Liberian Senate are to reconsider their decision regarding his rejection. Nmah prevailed in the end and is now serving in the position.
Even the latest casualty, Dahn’s future appears to be looking good. Grand Gedeh Senator Isaac Nyenabo filed a motion for reconsideration, which will attempt to overturn an 16-1 vote which sealed Dahn’s rejection. If Dahn survives, he will join Nmah and a host of others who have turned whopping rejection margin into safe Senate passages weeks after being rejected.
Critics say the stains of rejections and motion to reconsider have the potential to lessen public trust in the national legislature which has been clouded with issues of bribery.
Jim Dube, a Partner Emeritus in the Canadian.-based, Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP said in a letter to FrontPageAfrica at the time of the Gongloe rejection controversy that he was puzzled at the double rejection of Gongloe: Said Dube: “For Gongloe to be refused Senate Confirmation as Liberia's new Labor Minister by some in the Senate because Cllr. Gongloe was doing the very thing he was obliged to do as Liberia's Solicitor General has attracted attention here in North America as it is an indication that Liberia may be lessening its commitment to the rule of law by politically punishing one of its best lawyers for doing his job as the country's most senior prosecutor for the past three years.”
Critics contend that the decision by lawmakers to consistently reject nominees to key government posts only to resort to reconsideration motions does not augur well for the post-war nation democracy quest. Reports of bribery first surfaced in the early days of the post-war legislative body amid allegations from former speaker Edwin Snowe (Independent, 5th District) that money changed hands leading to his removal. In 2007, Snowe, would later blamed his removal on the hidden hands of the Executive Branch and trumpeted a conspiracy that bribery was a factor in his removal. The Lower House rejected an independent probe into the matter and instead launched an internal probe, conducted by the House Judiciary Committee, a move which did not win the blessing of Liberia’s international partners.
But Senate leader Cletus Wotorson disagrees. In announcing the Senate’s change of mind over Amblard and Gongloe in July 2009, Wotorson dismissed suggestions that Senators were forced to change their positions, suggesting that the decisions were reversed because of additional information provided to it by the nominees which indicates that they are the right people for the jobs.
How the Motion Works
For a nominee to be any Senator voting on the prevailing side may, on the same day, or on either of the next two days of actual session thereafter, move a reconsideration; and if the Senate shall refuse to reconsider, or upon reconsideration shall affirm its first decision, no further motion to reconsider shall be in order unless by unanimous consent. Every motion to reconsider shall be decided by a majority vote of those elected, without debate, and may be laid on the table without affecting the question in reference to which the same is made, which shall be a final disposition of the motion.
When a bill, resolution, memorial, report, amendment, order, or message upon which a vote has been taken, shall have gone out of the possession of the Senate, and been communicated to the House, the motion to reconsider shall be accompanied by a motion to request the House to return the same; which last motion shall be acted upon immediately, and without debate, and if determined in the negative shall be a final disposition of the motion to reconsider.
While presidential nominees have benefitted from the motion to reconsider, critics point to the fact that Senators have failed to use the motion where it matters most. For example, the Plenary of the Senate last year rejected a proposed act, seeking the pre and post trial seizure of assets owned by public officials and other individuals suspected of corruption. The plenary, which is the highest decision making body of the Senate, took the action following recommendations by its Judiciary. The proposed act, which sought to amend chapter 15 of the penal law of Liberian by adding thereto a new subsection 15.54, was submitted to the Liberian Senate a fortnight ago by the Executive. In its recommendations, the Judiciary Committee among other things observed that portion of the proposed act, calling for pre-seizure of assets is in violation of the constitution and the principle of “due process”. The committee also recommends that the proposed act should not be enacted into law because there are sufficient laws on the books to deal with the question of theft, grafts or corruption.
Ironically, the seizure of assets have been a burden for Liberia since the post-war government came to office. Multiple reports by the United Nations Panel of Experts have cited the government for not doing enough to freeze assets of officials from the Charles Taylor era.
In its 2010 Mid-Term report, the POE focused its attention on seeking to evaluate whether the Government of Liberia has moved forward on implementation of the assets freeze and reported that there is currently no additional evidence of any intention to enforce the assets freeze in Liberia. “The Panel has approached the Financial Action Task Force to obtain its support in encouraging a more proactive approach to compliance with the assets freeze in Liberia,” according to the Mid Term report in possession of FrontPageAfrica.
Ironically, several of those now sitting in the Senate are among those listed for seizure of assets.
In reality, many of the actions taken by the Senate have contributed to the delays of requirements for Liberia. For example, the Senate last year rejected nominees of the Independent National Human Rights Commission (INHRC) and apparently did not see them qualified to take over the government-established Independent National Human Rights Commission. The rejection came even as President Sirleaf prevailed on lawmakers to confirm the nominees to serve the INHCR as Commissioners in order that they will start their work. Today, a vetting committee is in the process of selecting new commissioners for the post.
While some have sailed through the cracks of the controversial motion to reconsider, others have not fared so well. In March 2006, Sirleaf's nominee for the position of Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports, Jonathan Boye Charles Sogbie, was rejected amid allegations that he falsified his academic credentials to substantiate his inclusion in the Unity Party-led Government of Liberia.
In Sogbie’s case, no motion was filed as lawmakers appeared to have been furnished with concrete documentations to prove that Sogbie was in the wrong. "Investigations conducted by my committee on the academic qualifications of Mr Sogbie revealed that his credentials are fake and misleading," said Fomba Kanneh at the time. Kanneh, was the chairman of the senate's committee on youth and sports
"[Sogbie's act] is tantamount to perjury and we are recommending to the plenary session the denial of his nomination," the Liberian senator said.
Sogbie had presented documents which stated he had obtained an associate of arts degree in political science from Nebraska Christian College in the USA. But this was challenged by Zeogar Wilson, Sogbie's former international team-mate, which led to the parliamentary probe. The parliamentarians said the college authorities did not just deny Sogbie's claims of attending their school, but also confirmed it does not offer political science degrees.
Another nominee who failed to break the crack was Samuel Lynch, nominee for the post of Commandant of the Liberian National Coast Guard. Lynch failed to win confirmation on the basis that his citizenship came into question. The Security Committee of the Senate has suspended the confirmation of the nominee for the post of Commandant of the Liberia National Coast Guard. Lynch admitted serving the American Army especially that Country’s Coast Guard for thirteen years but despite his pledged of allegiance to the United States, he told the Senate Security Committee he remains a citizen of Liberia. But Senators Mobutu Nyepan, Blamo Nelson and Sumo Kupee said it was against Liberian laws to confirm anyone who pledged their allegiance to another country.
Amid the controversy over the motion for reconsideration, some observers say while the exercise is indeed a good process for Liberia’s postwar democracy, the process is only as good as the ability and quality of lawmakers available. Also, critics point to the fact that both the Senate and House have made the process undemocratic by their refusal to make voting records public. Most of the bills debated and most of the discussion involving presidential nominees are done in secrecy under the guise of “Executive Committees” and “Special Sessions”. One lawmaker, who also spoke on condition of anonymity declared bluntly that if lawmakers are reluctant to make their votes public than it must be true that they do have something to hide." The Motion to Reconsider process also remains complicated in the sense that it is difficult to prove whether or not lawmakers are actually engaged in soliciting money for confirmation. Those taking the money will never admit to doing so neither will those on the giving end.
Sadly, as lawmakers toy around with the motion to reconsider, political pundits say, very little is done in both houses to speed up important health care and education legislations which are important to improving the lives of struggling Liberians who cannot afford to travel abroad for medical checkup as most lawmakers are fond of doing, denying those languishing at the bottom of the economic barrel access to adequate care and the benefit of a full-blown and transparent democratic process.
Liberia: Encouraging Sign for Rule of Law
2 August 2010
Source: allafrica.com
EDITORIAL
WE REPORTED IN a front lead of this paper last week that the Criminal Court A at the Temple of Justice has served an 8-count criminal indictment on House Deputy Speaker Mulbah Tokpah. The house deputy is currently out on bail pending preliminary court hearings scheduled by the court for early this month. Our report said he would have been behind bars pending the August court hearings had his legal counsels not picked up early winds of efforts by state prosecutors to obtain a writ of arrest and acted in time to preempt those efforts by presenting him to the court and forthwith tendering a bond for his release on bail. When he appears in court, the legislative second in command is expected to answer for his role in the near-death assault on Police Patrolman Lexington Beah during the last weekend of June 2010.
THE STATE PROSECUTION is holding the House Deputy Speaker on an 8-count indictment that includes 'criminal conspiracy', 'attempt to commit murder', and 'theft of property'. When he takes the witness' stand in the next one or two weeks, Deputy House Speaker Mulbah Tokpah will be the first sitting high legislative official to face criminal charges. When that happens also, we have no doubt it is bound to raise questions amongst political observers about the extent of legislative immunity and about the urgency, the wisdom, and political ramification of prosecuting a sitting deputy speaker who is from the opposition. But it will also disprove the myth that honorability is an entitlement for public officials that they do not have to anything to prove by what they do or refrain from doing. More importantly, it will raise the question of conditions beyond trial: what becomes of the status of the indictee upon conviction; what if not found guilty? How much does politics contribute to what seems a legal imperative for the Sirleaf Administration given that the deputy speaker comes from the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), the voted major rival to the ruling Unity Party?
ALL THESE WHAT'S make the stomach churn and most Liberians would prefer to avoid such a situation that raises questions fundamental to legal and political ifs. They would prefer the state to drop the case against the deputy speaker, seek a compromise, and resolve to move forward with each promising to work for the good of country using the law as the bedrock. They will, in the vain name of peace, prefer the matter swept under the carpet as countless other such vile questions were swept under the carpet for decades and eventually formed the foundation of Liberia's culture of impunity and the culture of outlaw bravado, which some public officials still foolhardily find attractive today. But we think it because of these questions fundamental to the legal and political uncertainties that the state must proceed with the prosecution of the deputy speaker as a matter of national priority. We think so not because it is Mr. Mulbah Tokpah, but because it is the call of the times of extreme need for the rule of law to take over from the rule of political machoism and the sinister culture of outlaw bravado.
COMPROMISING AND 'WASHING dirty linen behind the house' is certainly not the best option opened to the Sirleaf Administration in the face of a legal situation where the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Liberia is charged with felony. We think the state prosecution led by Solicitor General Cllr. Watkins Wright has started a process fundamental to testing the rule of law in this country and from what we see so far, they are on the right path. We bid them continue to the end, not stopping once to be tempted by political expediency and public sentiments, which are all too often willing to compromise the law to achieve quickset cover-over solutions. We hail Cllr. Francis Garlawolo, the legal counsel of the deputy speaker, for mustering the courage to represent the legislator rather than working behind the scene, as is common practice, to avoid prosecution in order to 'protect the speaker's prestige and honorableness' from being smudged by legal records. He has picked the gauntlet alright and all that is required now is to work to the end, not stopping to claim disadvantage or any sort of subterfuge for backing out of this noble effort to set the law on its marks.
THIS NATION HAS come too far experimenting with compromises that only served to exacerbate the difficulties of political and legal reforms. It is time to test the laws and once and for all determine how the nation must proceed in line with the rule of self-governance its people have set for themselves as sovereigns. It is time officials of government are held legally responsible for the paths they chose voluntarily to pursue outside their official realms and bounds. It is time those who are wronged by those who are all too willing to use state power to obtain instant personal gratification get redress through legal recourse rather than otherwise. It is most time to prove that the law is a two-edged sword, which cuts on both edges, that just as the law empowers and sets ordinary men and women above others, it also cuts the platform from beneath them when these men and women fail to balance privilege with responsibility.
WITH THE INDICTMENT already served on the deputy speaker, we believe there is no turning back from his being the first sitting legislator to face criminal charges, possibly revealing the full meaning of Article 42 of the Constitution of Liberia regarding parliamentary immunity, the public conduct of lawmakers, and Liberia's newfound commitment to the rule of law. The public is waiting with bated breath to see how this turns out and they cannot afford to see drawn-out litigation that runs into oblivion, as is common practice.
Source: allafrica.com
EDITORIAL
WE REPORTED IN a front lead of this paper last week that the Criminal Court A at the Temple of Justice has served an 8-count criminal indictment on House Deputy Speaker Mulbah Tokpah. The house deputy is currently out on bail pending preliminary court hearings scheduled by the court for early this month. Our report said he would have been behind bars pending the August court hearings had his legal counsels not picked up early winds of efforts by state prosecutors to obtain a writ of arrest and acted in time to preempt those efforts by presenting him to the court and forthwith tendering a bond for his release on bail. When he appears in court, the legislative second in command is expected to answer for his role in the near-death assault on Police Patrolman Lexington Beah during the last weekend of June 2010.
THE STATE PROSECUTION is holding the House Deputy Speaker on an 8-count indictment that includes 'criminal conspiracy', 'attempt to commit murder', and 'theft of property'. When he takes the witness' stand in the next one or two weeks, Deputy House Speaker Mulbah Tokpah will be the first sitting high legislative official to face criminal charges. When that happens also, we have no doubt it is bound to raise questions amongst political observers about the extent of legislative immunity and about the urgency, the wisdom, and political ramification of prosecuting a sitting deputy speaker who is from the opposition. But it will also disprove the myth that honorability is an entitlement for public officials that they do not have to anything to prove by what they do or refrain from doing. More importantly, it will raise the question of conditions beyond trial: what becomes of the status of the indictee upon conviction; what if not found guilty? How much does politics contribute to what seems a legal imperative for the Sirleaf Administration given that the deputy speaker comes from the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), the voted major rival to the ruling Unity Party?
ALL THESE WHAT'S make the stomach churn and most Liberians would prefer to avoid such a situation that raises questions fundamental to legal and political ifs. They would prefer the state to drop the case against the deputy speaker, seek a compromise, and resolve to move forward with each promising to work for the good of country using the law as the bedrock. They will, in the vain name of peace, prefer the matter swept under the carpet as countless other such vile questions were swept under the carpet for decades and eventually formed the foundation of Liberia's culture of impunity and the culture of outlaw bravado, which some public officials still foolhardily find attractive today. But we think it because of these questions fundamental to the legal and political uncertainties that the state must proceed with the prosecution of the deputy speaker as a matter of national priority. We think so not because it is Mr. Mulbah Tokpah, but because it is the call of the times of extreme need for the rule of law to take over from the rule of political machoism and the sinister culture of outlaw bravado.
COMPROMISING AND 'WASHING dirty linen behind the house' is certainly not the best option opened to the Sirleaf Administration in the face of a legal situation where the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of the Republic of Liberia is charged with felony. We think the state prosecution led by Solicitor General Cllr. Watkins Wright has started a process fundamental to testing the rule of law in this country and from what we see so far, they are on the right path. We bid them continue to the end, not stopping once to be tempted by political expediency and public sentiments, which are all too often willing to compromise the law to achieve quickset cover-over solutions. We hail Cllr. Francis Garlawolo, the legal counsel of the deputy speaker, for mustering the courage to represent the legislator rather than working behind the scene, as is common practice, to avoid prosecution in order to 'protect the speaker's prestige and honorableness' from being smudged by legal records. He has picked the gauntlet alright and all that is required now is to work to the end, not stopping to claim disadvantage or any sort of subterfuge for backing out of this noble effort to set the law on its marks.
THIS NATION HAS come too far experimenting with compromises that only served to exacerbate the difficulties of political and legal reforms. It is time to test the laws and once and for all determine how the nation must proceed in line with the rule of self-governance its people have set for themselves as sovereigns. It is time officials of government are held legally responsible for the paths they chose voluntarily to pursue outside their official realms and bounds. It is time those who are wronged by those who are all too willing to use state power to obtain instant personal gratification get redress through legal recourse rather than otherwise. It is most time to prove that the law is a two-edged sword, which cuts on both edges, that just as the law empowers and sets ordinary men and women above others, it also cuts the platform from beneath them when these men and women fail to balance privilege with responsibility.
WITH THE INDICTMENT already served on the deputy speaker, we believe there is no turning back from his being the first sitting legislator to face criminal charges, possibly revealing the full meaning of Article 42 of the Constitution of Liberia regarding parliamentary immunity, the public conduct of lawmakers, and Liberia's newfound commitment to the rule of law. The public is waiting with bated breath to see how this turns out and they cannot afford to see drawn-out litigation that runs into oblivion, as is common practice.
Liberia: Lawmakers Violated the Constitution - Sen. Innis Observes
The Informer (Monrovia)
Source: allafrica.com
2 August 2010
Grand Bassa County Junior Senator Nathaniel Innis has opined that members of the National Legislature have grossly violated the Liberian Constitution which is the organic law of the land by signing a joint resolution in the face of the Supreme Court of Liberia's legal directive that the lawmakers should return to status quo ante regarding the Threshold Bill.
The High Court through the Justice In Chambers Cllr. Kabineh Janneh ordered that deliberations relating to the Threshold Bill be tabled and directed that the legislators return to status quo ante.
But the lawmakers went ahead and signed a joint resolution and subsequently added additional nine seats to the already sixty-four seats in the Lower house.
However, Senator Innis who is also a lawyer, indicated that the legislature did not only infringed upon the fundamental and Constitutional rights of the Liberian people by disrespecting the Supreme Court's decision regarding the Threshold Bill but are only interested in their personal gains at the detriment of the electorates.
According to the Senator, while majority of the lawmakers are opting to be re-elected come 2011 elections, they have failed to set the Threshold Bill at specific figure.
He further said that although Grand Bassa and other counties like Bong, Lofa, Margibi are interested in additional seats, but the legislature should not have disrespected the Supreme Court which has an adjudicatory role as a constitutional court.
Source: allafrica.com
2 August 2010
Grand Bassa County Junior Senator Nathaniel Innis has opined that members of the National Legislature have grossly violated the Liberian Constitution which is the organic law of the land by signing a joint resolution in the face of the Supreme Court of Liberia's legal directive that the lawmakers should return to status quo ante regarding the Threshold Bill.
The High Court through the Justice In Chambers Cllr. Kabineh Janneh ordered that deliberations relating to the Threshold Bill be tabled and directed that the legislators return to status quo ante.
But the lawmakers went ahead and signed a joint resolution and subsequently added additional nine seats to the already sixty-four seats in the Lower house.
However, Senator Innis who is also a lawyer, indicated that the legislature did not only infringed upon the fundamental and Constitutional rights of the Liberian people by disrespecting the Supreme Court's decision regarding the Threshold Bill but are only interested in their personal gains at the detriment of the electorates.
According to the Senator, while majority of the lawmakers are opting to be re-elected come 2011 elections, they have failed to set the Threshold Bill at specific figure.
He further said that although Grand Bassa and other counties like Bong, Lofa, Margibi are interested in additional seats, but the legislature should not have disrespected the Supreme Court which has an adjudicatory role as a constitutional court.
Liberia: Weah Accepts Petition to Run For President
2 August 2010
Source: allafrica.com
The standard-bearer emeritus of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), George Weah, has accepted a petition to run for president in the 2011 presidential elections.
Weah Accepts Petition to Run For President
"I will stand before any force; I will stand in the interest of my people and ensures Ellen's administration defeat in 2011," Weah reportedly told a teeming crowd which is said to represent millions of CDC partisans across the country.
The Congress' founder and chief financier said it was not in his spirit to shy from responsibility and that therefore he was prepared to accept the call of his people to provide alternative leadership for Liberia beyond October 2011.
He said he felt confidence that this time around the CDC would take the gavel of state with ease because the issues that hindered the progress of the party back in 2005 have been significantly resolved.
There was no question therefore, he assured his supporters, that the burden of proof of ability to run the affairs of Liberia were now squarely on the shoulders of the Sirleaf administration.
According to him, now that the question of who knows more book was resolved, the issues for elections 2011 have now shifted from academics to debates about state corruption, lack of development initiatives, and the failed promises the Sirleaf administration made to the Liberian electorates back in 2005.
It is not clear whether the CDC standard-bearer would expect voters to translate the failure of the Sirleaf administration to demonstrate proof of leadership into votes for CDC, but Weah appeared confident that the UP would be at the receiving end of the people's doubt and frustration about the slow pace of recovery.
With the people's mandate to run for president in his sleeves, Weah told the petitioners that he was prepared to collaborate with other parties to put up a tough fight.
According to him, the collaboration was not basically to augment the strength of CDC, but that it was a necessary process aimed at reaching out to other Liberians in order to improve democracy in the country.
He refuted any thought of doing business with UP because in his words, "it lacked the principles of integrity", vowing that he would "never mortgage the CDC", neither would he betray the trust of his people.
The CDC strongman was responding to a petition reportedly presented to him in Logan Town on Bushrod Island over the weekend.
"We, the sixteen political sub-divisions of the Republic of Liberia, emanating from diverse ethnic, religious, and multicultural backgrounds, have today gathered here with a unanimous accord to formally request Ambassador George M. Weah to contest the 2011 general and presidential elections, as Presidential aspirant."
These were the exact words of an electronic statement titled, "Petition Statement Petitioning Ambassador George M. Weah to contest the coming 2011 elections on the ticket of the Congress for Democratic Change as, President..." now in the possession of this paper.
There were no names attached to the "petition" but it described the petitioners as "leaders and regulars of impoverished grassroots communities stretching across our urban and rural scenery" that were the victims of the failed policies of the Sirleaf Administration.
Amongst several reasons, the petitioners said they were petitioning Mr. Weah to run for president because they trusted in his ability to restore their human dignity, rebuild the nation's damaged infrastructures, construct more access roads and highways and decongest the capital city, Monrovia by creating jobs and other incentives for the poor to return to their places of original abode.
"Mr. Weah, we believe you can lead us because in you we see passion for national transformation, and sensitivity to feed the hungry. Your message of peace and stability after the controversial 2005 elections is a testament of your commitment to put Liberia first, above any selfish interest," they the petitioners said.
Meanwhile, the petitioners who said they were now satisfied with Weah's academic achievement have set for him 24 'crucial' principles to use as bedrock for his administration's economic and social policies and challenges to prioritize in meeting the immediate needs of the people for 'better Liberia'.
The petitioners said one crucial principle they would like for Mr. Weah to make part of his administration's governing policy was "a lean and cost effective governmental machinery and a reduction in the complex of legal and regulatory processes that shackle and blunt entrepreneurial initiatives".
They said they wanted to see also the blending of cost-effective government machinery with the overhauling of the financial sector, the launch of an effective clean-up campaign against intrinsic corruption paralyzing system, and the strengthening of the General Auditing Commission (GAC).
With what they called a "sharpened attack on poverty" they say, they would like to see a government policy that promotes national unity and stability in order to strengthen commitment to international and regional obligations.
They say as the Weah Administration comes to power, it should beware of the challenges low growth rate, excessive taxation, and high costs of living pose to national peace and progress.
Also to watch out for, the petitioners said, were low agricultural production, the lack of manufacturing industries in the country, the high levels of unemployment and underemployment, and the fragility of the society, amongst others.
"We, the people of Liberia, hereby petition you to contest the 2011 presidential elections as a Conquering candidate, thereby destining you to be the 'Conqueror of 2011'", the nameless, unsigned petition said.
Source: allafrica.com
The standard-bearer emeritus of the opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), George Weah, has accepted a petition to run for president in the 2011 presidential elections.
Weah Accepts Petition to Run For President
"I will stand before any force; I will stand in the interest of my people and ensures Ellen's administration defeat in 2011," Weah reportedly told a teeming crowd which is said to represent millions of CDC partisans across the country.
The Congress' founder and chief financier said it was not in his spirit to shy from responsibility and that therefore he was prepared to accept the call of his people to provide alternative leadership for Liberia beyond October 2011.
He said he felt confidence that this time around the CDC would take the gavel of state with ease because the issues that hindered the progress of the party back in 2005 have been significantly resolved.
There was no question therefore, he assured his supporters, that the burden of proof of ability to run the affairs of Liberia were now squarely on the shoulders of the Sirleaf administration.
According to him, now that the question of who knows more book was resolved, the issues for elections 2011 have now shifted from academics to debates about state corruption, lack of development initiatives, and the failed promises the Sirleaf administration made to the Liberian electorates back in 2005.
It is not clear whether the CDC standard-bearer would expect voters to translate the failure of the Sirleaf administration to demonstrate proof of leadership into votes for CDC, but Weah appeared confident that the UP would be at the receiving end of the people's doubt and frustration about the slow pace of recovery.
With the people's mandate to run for president in his sleeves, Weah told the petitioners that he was prepared to collaborate with other parties to put up a tough fight.
According to him, the collaboration was not basically to augment the strength of CDC, but that it was a necessary process aimed at reaching out to other Liberians in order to improve democracy in the country.
He refuted any thought of doing business with UP because in his words, "it lacked the principles of integrity", vowing that he would "never mortgage the CDC", neither would he betray the trust of his people.
The CDC strongman was responding to a petition reportedly presented to him in Logan Town on Bushrod Island over the weekend.
"We, the sixteen political sub-divisions of the Republic of Liberia, emanating from diverse ethnic, religious, and multicultural backgrounds, have today gathered here with a unanimous accord to formally request Ambassador George M. Weah to contest the 2011 general and presidential elections, as Presidential aspirant."
These were the exact words of an electronic statement titled, "Petition Statement Petitioning Ambassador George M. Weah to contest the coming 2011 elections on the ticket of the Congress for Democratic Change as, President..." now in the possession of this paper.
There were no names attached to the "petition" but it described the petitioners as "leaders and regulars of impoverished grassroots communities stretching across our urban and rural scenery" that were the victims of the failed policies of the Sirleaf Administration.
Amongst several reasons, the petitioners said they were petitioning Mr. Weah to run for president because they trusted in his ability to restore their human dignity, rebuild the nation's damaged infrastructures, construct more access roads and highways and decongest the capital city, Monrovia by creating jobs and other incentives for the poor to return to their places of original abode.
"Mr. Weah, we believe you can lead us because in you we see passion for national transformation, and sensitivity to feed the hungry. Your message of peace and stability after the controversial 2005 elections is a testament of your commitment to put Liberia first, above any selfish interest," they the petitioners said.
Meanwhile, the petitioners who said they were now satisfied with Weah's academic achievement have set for him 24 'crucial' principles to use as bedrock for his administration's economic and social policies and challenges to prioritize in meeting the immediate needs of the people for 'better Liberia'.
The petitioners said one crucial principle they would like for Mr. Weah to make part of his administration's governing policy was "a lean and cost effective governmental machinery and a reduction in the complex of legal and regulatory processes that shackle and blunt entrepreneurial initiatives".
They said they wanted to see also the blending of cost-effective government machinery with the overhauling of the financial sector, the launch of an effective clean-up campaign against intrinsic corruption paralyzing system, and the strengthening of the General Auditing Commission (GAC).
With what they called a "sharpened attack on poverty" they say, they would like to see a government policy that promotes national unity and stability in order to strengthen commitment to international and regional obligations.
They say as the Weah Administration comes to power, it should beware of the challenges low growth rate, excessive taxation, and high costs of living pose to national peace and progress.
Also to watch out for, the petitioners said, were low agricultural production, the lack of manufacturing industries in the country, the high levels of unemployment and underemployment, and the fragility of the society, amongst others.
"We, the people of Liberia, hereby petition you to contest the 2011 presidential elections as a Conquering candidate, thereby destining you to be the 'Conqueror of 2011'", the nameless, unsigned petition said.
Liberia: Govt Launches Decentralized Birth Registration/Certification System for Children
The Informer (Monrovia)
2 August 2010
Source: allafrica.com
"In my village, people count a child's age by the number of farms (annual harvests) their parents make. I am happy that my son has a birth certificate and is officially registered in the country's record," said Love Gibson, the mother of two-year old Jacob Jallah. Jacob was the first child to be registered and certified by the new decentralized birth registration and certification system of Liberia that was launched today.
There are more than 50 million children in the world whose births have not been registered. Sixty percent of these children live in Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia. In Liberia, only 4% of under-five children out of 750,000 are registered and possess birth certificates, the second lowest in the world. This means that more than 20% of the population of Liberia is officially 'non-existent,' without names or record of birth.
Registering every child in Liberia
The new birth registration and certification system aims to register and provide birth certificates to all children in Liberia, approximately 1.6 million of them, by the end of 2011. "This is an important programme of the government to have a credible recording system that will aid in quality planning and budgeting for children and overall national development," said Liberia's Vice President Joseph N. Boakai, as he launched the birth registration and certification system in front of hundreds of mothers and children, and officials from the government, diplomatic missions, UN, civil society organizations and the media.
Lead by the multi sectoral National Universal Birth Registration Task Force, and the Office/Bureau of Vital Statistics, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the registration and certification process will be carried out in two phases, the first phase (till the end of 2010) targeting under-five children in six counties, and the second phase in 2011 will register all children in all the 15 counties.
Families in villages or towns can register their children directly with the Assistant Registrar at the office of the General Town Chief or at the local health facility. The district registrars compile and send these records electronically to the national database via smart phones. The registration forms are also archived at the county
office. Based on these forms and the electronic records retrieved from the national database, the county offices print the birth certificates. The certificates are collected by the district registrar and delivered to the child's family. The whole process will take a maximum of two weeks.
Speaking on behalf of the UN system in Liberia, the UNICEF Representative, Ms. Isabel Crowley said, "Children have to count and be counted for the development of this beautiful country. The United Nations reaffirms it continued support to the government and civil society in making birth registration a successful and sustainable system."
Working better together
The birth registration and certification system has become a reality due to the combined efforts of the government, civil societies, the private sector and the UN. While the government's Vital Statistics Bureau and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is coordinating the whole process in the country, Crisis Management Initiative (NGO) is supporting web based technologies through smart phones in partnership with private companies like Nokia and CellCom, Plan Liberia (NGO) is leading the awareness and social mobilization, UNHCR is supporting the recording and documentation process, and UNICEF is investing in supply of birth certificates, data base development and training of officials and volunteers involved in the registration and certification process.
Spreading awareness through community partnerships
Partnership and involvement of community officials and leaders in communities is crucial for the success of the registration and certification process. Consultations and trainings are presently undergoing across the country with more than 1500 paramount chiefs, town chiefs and county /district officials. In the coming months, community radios, schools, youth and women groups, sports groups and traditional communicators will all be involved in spreading awareness and encouraging families to register their children.
Back at the John F. Kennedy Hospital, Love Gibson is proudly displaying Jacob's birth certificate. "I am going to put this certificate in a frame and hang it on my wall. This certificate will make a big difference in Jacob's life. I will encourage other mothers out there to make sure their children also get a birth certificate," she said.
2 August 2010
Source: allafrica.com
"In my village, people count a child's age by the number of farms (annual harvests) their parents make. I am happy that my son has a birth certificate and is officially registered in the country's record," said Love Gibson, the mother of two-year old Jacob Jallah. Jacob was the first child to be registered and certified by the new decentralized birth registration and certification system of Liberia that was launched today.
There are more than 50 million children in the world whose births have not been registered. Sixty percent of these children live in Sub Saharan Africa and South Asia. In Liberia, only 4% of under-five children out of 750,000 are registered and possess birth certificates, the second lowest in the world. This means that more than 20% of the population of Liberia is officially 'non-existent,' without names or record of birth.
Registering every child in Liberia
The new birth registration and certification system aims to register and provide birth certificates to all children in Liberia, approximately 1.6 million of them, by the end of 2011. "This is an important programme of the government to have a credible recording system that will aid in quality planning and budgeting for children and overall national development," said Liberia's Vice President Joseph N. Boakai, as he launched the birth registration and certification system in front of hundreds of mothers and children, and officials from the government, diplomatic missions, UN, civil society organizations and the media.
Lead by the multi sectoral National Universal Birth Registration Task Force, and the Office/Bureau of Vital Statistics, Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, the registration and certification process will be carried out in two phases, the first phase (till the end of 2010) targeting under-five children in six counties, and the second phase in 2011 will register all children in all the 15 counties.
Families in villages or towns can register their children directly with the Assistant Registrar at the office of the General Town Chief or at the local health facility. The district registrars compile and send these records electronically to the national database via smart phones. The registration forms are also archived at the county
office. Based on these forms and the electronic records retrieved from the national database, the county offices print the birth certificates. The certificates are collected by the district registrar and delivered to the child's family. The whole process will take a maximum of two weeks.
Speaking on behalf of the UN system in Liberia, the UNICEF Representative, Ms. Isabel Crowley said, "Children have to count and be counted for the development of this beautiful country. The United Nations reaffirms it continued support to the government and civil society in making birth registration a successful and sustainable system."
Working better together
The birth registration and certification system has become a reality due to the combined efforts of the government, civil societies, the private sector and the UN. While the government's Vital Statistics Bureau and the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare is coordinating the whole process in the country, Crisis Management Initiative (NGO) is supporting web based technologies through smart phones in partnership with private companies like Nokia and CellCom, Plan Liberia (NGO) is leading the awareness and social mobilization, UNHCR is supporting the recording and documentation process, and UNICEF is investing in supply of birth certificates, data base development and training of officials and volunteers involved in the registration and certification process.
Spreading awareness through community partnerships
Partnership and involvement of community officials and leaders in communities is crucial for the success of the registration and certification process. Consultations and trainings are presently undergoing across the country with more than 1500 paramount chiefs, town chiefs and county /district officials. In the coming months, community radios, schools, youth and women groups, sports groups and traditional communicators will all be involved in spreading awareness and encouraging families to register their children.
Back at the John F. Kennedy Hospital, Love Gibson is proudly displaying Jacob's birth certificate. "I am going to put this certificate in a frame and hang it on my wall. This certificate will make a big difference in Jacob's life. I will encourage other mothers out there to make sure their children also get a birth certificate," she said.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
UBCAA Reacts To News Of Alleged Beating Of A Liberian Police Officer By Bong County Rep. Tokpa Mulbah
Source: Liberian Forum
The National Administration of the United Bong County Association in the Americas (UBCAA) expresses with grave concerns recent reports implicating Bong county Representative and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Liberia Hon Tokpa Mulbah for his alleged flogging of a member of the Liberian National Police.
While UBCAA is not here to indict the Deputy Speaker, as it has been reported that investigation into the matter is underway, it believes the good name of Bong County and its people are at stake as such news has the propensity to destroy and tarnish the good reputation of every Bong County citizens since Hon. Tokpa Mulbah represents County.
In the "new" Liberia, no one should be above the law no matter his/her status in government or in the Liberian society. Accordingly, UBCAA hopes that the news of Hon. Tokpa Mulbah's involvement in this ugly public spectacle is not true, as it undermines the very democratic principles upon which he was elected; representing and providing services to the people of Bong County in particular and Liberia in general as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative. UBCAA believes anything less than the complete adherence to the Laws of Liberia by every citizen is tantamount to a return to the old order when those in political positions considered themselves supreme above all else. Such acts must be discouraged and perpetrators brought to justice to face the full weight of the Laws of Liberia without favor.
As Liberia strives to move closer to total peace and stability, any act inimical to achieving our goal of becoming a peaceful nation will be resisted. Therefore, the UBCAA wants to emphatically state that it supports a thorough investigation in this matter involving Rep. Tokpa Mulbah and the police officer, as the result would not only set the stage for the promotion of justice, but serves as deterrence for all.
National President
UBCAA
The National Administration of the United Bong County Association in the Americas (UBCAA) expresses with grave concerns recent reports implicating Bong county Representative and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives of Liberia Hon Tokpa Mulbah for his alleged flogging of a member of the Liberian National Police.
While UBCAA is not here to indict the Deputy Speaker, as it has been reported that investigation into the matter is underway, it believes the good name of Bong County and its people are at stake as such news has the propensity to destroy and tarnish the good reputation of every Bong County citizens since Hon. Tokpa Mulbah represents County.
In the "new" Liberia, no one should be above the law no matter his/her status in government or in the Liberian society. Accordingly, UBCAA hopes that the news of Hon. Tokpa Mulbah's involvement in this ugly public spectacle is not true, as it undermines the very democratic principles upon which he was elected; representing and providing services to the people of Bong County in particular and Liberia in general as Deputy Speaker of the House of Representative. UBCAA believes anything less than the complete adherence to the Laws of Liberia by every citizen is tantamount to a return to the old order when those in political positions considered themselves supreme above all else. Such acts must be discouraged and perpetrators brought to justice to face the full weight of the Laws of Liberia without favor.
As Liberia strives to move closer to total peace and stability, any act inimical to achieving our goal of becoming a peaceful nation will be resisted. Therefore, the UBCAA wants to emphatically state that it supports a thorough investigation in this matter involving Rep. Tokpa Mulbah and the police officer, as the result would not only set the stage for the promotion of justice, but serves as deterrence for all.
National President
UBCAA
The Importance of Dual Citizenship to Liberia's Economic Development
Written by Edmund Zar- Zar Bargblor
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Source: Liberian Forum
This article is a contribution to the present debate among Liberians with reference to dual citizenship. The focus of the discussion of this presentation is about economic benefits, relevant to the attainment of US citizenship by Liberians. Subsequently, I will endeavor to highlight some of the essential attributes of dual citizenship and why its implementation in post war Liberia is a necessity.
Dual citizenship in some intellectual circles is perceived as the expression of two major tendencies that are observed in the world today. There is on the one hand globalization, transcendence of all borders, emergence of common identities, multiple new identities that didn't exist before. Another attribute points to the return of nationalism, very often associated with the collapse of empires and old state entities, like the Soviet Union. In dual citizenship, these two tendencies interrelate in a very interesting way. However, for simplicity of definition, dual citizenship or dual nationality is simply an individual being a citizen of two countries or a legal status by which a person is a citizen of two countries. For example, if you as a Liberian relocate to the United States and become a naturalized US citizen, you have dual citizenship. Dual citizens can carry two passports and essentially live and travel freely within their native and naturalized countries.
Bella Consultants (a Consultancy designed for processing dual citizenship applications), emphasized: "dual citizenship is becoming more common in today's increasingly interconnected economy. Countries such as India, the Philippines and Mexico are now seeking the advantages of dual citizenship by liberalizing their citizenship laws. These countries have realized that dual citizenship has the advantages of broadening a country's economic base, fostering trade and investment between the dual citizen's two respective countries".
There exists a prevailing perception among Liberians, that when a Liberian becomes a naturalized US citizen, the individual loses his Liberian citizenship. This point of view is indeed incorrect. According to Bella Consultants, naturalized US citizens are not legally obligated to give up their citizenship of their country. The United States has never ordered any newly naturalized citizens to present themselves to their native country's embassy in order to formally renounce their original citizenship. Legally, there is nothing in the Constitution and there are none from the United States Supreme Court preventing the United States (via the State Department) from requiring all naturalized citizens to officially renounce their citizenship to their native country as a condition for naturalization.
The opponents of dual citizenship debate always draw one's attention to the oath of allegiance that one is required to declare.
The opening lines of the Oath of Allegiance are meant to give the United States sovereignty over the newly naturalized citizen. The important thing to remember about the oath of allegiance is not the renunciation of your original citizenship, which the US does not enforce, but to remember the allegiance and fidelity you swear to the United States of America. The oath is a promise one made to be faithful and true to the laws of America. The Oath is also a demonstration to everyone of one's loyalty and commitment to defend and protect the United States of America at all times. In essence, an individual Liberian who obtained United States Citizenship is still a Liberian, especially on Liberian soil. It is hypocritical to advocate for the adjustment of Liberians' status on TPS to that of US Permanent Residency or naturalized US citizenship and at the same time condemning others seeking the presidency of the Republic of Liberia for obtaining and having dual citizenship. If dual citizenship is such a bad idea, why are Liberians endeavoring through US Congressional hearings on Liberia, to adjust the status of Liberians presently on Temporary Protective Status (TPS)? Mark Fritz of Los Angeles Times wrote: "Scott Wasmuth, the director of a nonprofit refugee relocation agency in New Jersey, deals with a particular type of immigrant said that there are people from Liberia who have managed to survive seven years of merciless combat by avaricious warlords. Or families from Bosnia purged from their homelands by their fellow citizens. They are different from most immigrants in that their lives were so threatened, their living conditions so deadly, they were granted political asylum. To these immigrants, Wasmuth said, U.S. citizenship is more than a passport, economic benefit or immigration status one notch above green card. Citizenship should be about ideals."In the last seven years according to Mark Fritz, Colombia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and most recently, Mexico -- the suppliers of some of the fastest-growing immigrant groups in America -- have allowed their nationals to become citizens elsewhere without losing their original nationality. New leaderships in South Korea and India have expressed support for the same idea.
Mark Fritz explained that Upscale Australians in the United States have been pressuring their government to allow dual citizenship so they can become Americans without losing their native status. Economic is the main motivation here, avoiding the stiff estate taxes that the U.S. government imposes on foreigners operating in the United States.
There is a large degree of evidence of naturalized US citizens operating in official capacities in their former country of origins. Mark Fritz reports on some examples of tacit US support for dual citizenship:
Previous years, when Secretary of State Madeleine Albright announced an end to a decade-old ban on U.S. travel to Lebanon, she referred to the hardship the ban was causing to thousands of Americans with dual Lebanese citizenship. A man with U.S. and Lebanese citizenship runs Beirut's Marriott Hotel and Casino.
Also, the U.S. State Department and Slovakia rescinded an old treaty, thereby enabling "the citizens of both countries to hold dual citizenship," the Slovak Embassy in Washington said.
Washington protested when Israel threatened to revoke the residency rights of Palestinian Americans in Jerusalem unless they surrendered their American passports. In that case, the U.S. was in effect acting to protect dual allegiances.
The State Department said that as far as it can tell, Hussein Mohammed Aidid, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, is still a naturalized American citizen as well as Somalia's most powerful warlord.
All Africa.Com. an internet on line news medium reported on July 21, 2010:
“Abuja — Many years after the Liberian civil war, over 250,000 children born by Nigerian soldiers who were part of the Economic Community Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) peace keeping force in Liberia are still roaming the streets of Liberia, wallowing in poverty and searching for their fathers.” If the population of Liberia is about 3,000,000 people, this number of children is over 8 percent of the nation over all population. These children if come of age will demand for the citizenship of both Liberia and Nigeria. In essence, they are Nigerians and also Liberians. The International institute in the State of
Rhode Island reported years ago, that there are about 15,000 Liberians within Rhode Island and its environs. Let‘s assume that half of this number, each decided to have a child, collectively they will have 7,500 children. There are hundreds of Liberians in New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Washington, DC Metropolitan areas, and other parts of the United States. And these numbers don’t include those born in Europe and other parts of the world.
The question that needs to be answered by the detractors of dual citizenship: will it be fair to deny any of the children born of Liberian parentage from enjoying Liberian citizenship, because, they have dual citizenship?
As society becomes more global and integrated, the value of Dual Citizenship and a second passport is increasingly becoming a necessity. The comforts of being an American Citizen, at the same time maintaining one's original nationality, provides an individual with an abundance of benefits and set of liberties. Economically, Liberia stands to benefit. Dual citizenship provides access to financial investment rights (property, securities, retirement, social security benefits, etc.). American citizenship provides access to adequate medical benefits, including potentially free healthcare, especially for those reaching the age of retirement. Accesses to educational benefits, including potentially free higher education are all possibilities within the reach of Liberians who enjoyed dual citizenships. And most importantly, provides opportunity for children of Liberian parentage to travel freely and reconnect with their cultural background and strengthen the fabric of their African heritage. Never before in the history of Liberia, has the need for international assistance become so urgent and essential. The need to change is apparent; the need to seek and identify individuals whose expertise and experiences transcend the day-to-day norms of the Liberian society is a responsibility, which all Liberians cannot afford to ignore. Is one thing to talk about 163 years of independence, is another to know that Liberians' years of national sovereignty have yet to match the scope of their national development. Currently, developments of road net works, water system, health care facilities, education system, telecommunication facilities, etc. are in a deplorable state of affairs. The endorsing or advocating the development of multiple national attachments should be viewed in terms of national development and economic strategy. Dual citizenship would help Liberian businessmen/women to transact and move freely, especially in and out of the United States. Even the Republic of Ghana has realized the economic benefits of dual citizenship and continues to encourage its citizens since December 1, 2002, to obtain dual citizenship.
The ideals of Free Enterprise and Democracy are complementary. The development and sustaining a strong middle class is essential to attainting stability in Liberia. Dual citizenship has the propensity to bring this about. The future seems to provide a great promise; Dual citizenship will help to democratize the politics of Liberia. As illustrated above, there are hundred upon hundred of children born to Liberian nationals presently residing in the Diaspora. These children with their dual nationalities and exposures could help Liberia to navigate her destiny through the twenty-first century. Democracy indeed, is built on informed citizen participation, especially those who have lived and practiced it in developed countries. The ideal of democracy is meaningful participation of an engaged and informed citizenry. Dual Citizenship is undoubtedly, one of the ways to foster Liberia's future economic development. Leopold Senghor of Senegal was correct when he said: "To build a nation, to create a new civilization which can lay claim to existence because it is humane, we shall try to employ not only enlightened reason but also dynamic imagination."
_________________________
Edmund Zar-Zar Bargblor is an Educator within the Providence School Department, Providence, Rhode Island. He is a graduate of Cuttington University College, Liberia, Howard University, Washington, D.C, and Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. Mr. Bargblor is a former Vice President of the Liberian Community Association of Rhode Island and President of the African Catholic Community of Rhode Island. He can be contacted at Ezbargblor@aol.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Source: Liberian Forum
This article is a contribution to the present debate among Liberians with reference to dual citizenship. The focus of the discussion of this presentation is about economic benefits, relevant to the attainment of US citizenship by Liberians. Subsequently, I will endeavor to highlight some of the essential attributes of dual citizenship and why its implementation in post war Liberia is a necessity. Dual citizenship in some intellectual circles is perceived as the expression of two major tendencies that are observed in the world today. There is on the one hand globalization, transcendence of all borders, emergence of common identities, multiple new identities that didn't exist before. Another attribute points to the return of nationalism, very often associated with the collapse of empires and old state entities, like the Soviet Union. In dual citizenship, these two tendencies interrelate in a very interesting way. However, for simplicity of definition, dual citizenship or dual nationality is simply an individual being a citizen of two countries or a legal status by which a person is a citizen of two countries. For example, if you as a Liberian relocate to the United States and become a naturalized US citizen, you have dual citizenship. Dual citizens can carry two passports and essentially live and travel freely within their native and naturalized countries.
Bella Consultants (a Consultancy designed for processing dual citizenship applications), emphasized: "dual citizenship is becoming more common in today's increasingly interconnected economy. Countries such as India, the Philippines and Mexico are now seeking the advantages of dual citizenship by liberalizing their citizenship laws. These countries have realized that dual citizenship has the advantages of broadening a country's economic base, fostering trade and investment between the dual citizen's two respective countries".
There exists a prevailing perception among Liberians, that when a Liberian becomes a naturalized US citizen, the individual loses his Liberian citizenship. This point of view is indeed incorrect. According to Bella Consultants, naturalized US citizens are not legally obligated to give up their citizenship of their country. The United States has never ordered any newly naturalized citizens to present themselves to their native country's embassy in order to formally renounce their original citizenship. Legally, there is nothing in the Constitution and there are none from the United States Supreme Court preventing the United States (via the State Department) from requiring all naturalized citizens to officially renounce their citizenship to their native country as a condition for naturalization.
The opponents of dual citizenship debate always draw one's attention to the oath of allegiance that one is required to declare.
The opening lines of the Oath of Allegiance are meant to give the United States sovereignty over the newly naturalized citizen. The important thing to remember about the oath of allegiance is not the renunciation of your original citizenship, which the US does not enforce, but to remember the allegiance and fidelity you swear to the United States of America. The oath is a promise one made to be faithful and true to the laws of America. The Oath is also a demonstration to everyone of one's loyalty and commitment to defend and protect the United States of America at all times. In essence, an individual Liberian who obtained United States Citizenship is still a Liberian, especially on Liberian soil. It is hypocritical to advocate for the adjustment of Liberians' status on TPS to that of US Permanent Residency or naturalized US citizenship and at the same time condemning others seeking the presidency of the Republic of Liberia for obtaining and having dual citizenship. If dual citizenship is such a bad idea, why are Liberians endeavoring through US Congressional hearings on Liberia, to adjust the status of Liberians presently on Temporary Protective Status (TPS)? Mark Fritz of Los Angeles Times wrote: "Scott Wasmuth, the director of a nonprofit refugee relocation agency in New Jersey, deals with a particular type of immigrant said that there are people from Liberia who have managed to survive seven years of merciless combat by avaricious warlords. Or families from Bosnia purged from their homelands by their fellow citizens. They are different from most immigrants in that their lives were so threatened, their living conditions so deadly, they were granted political asylum. To these immigrants, Wasmuth said, U.S. citizenship is more than a passport, economic benefit or immigration status one notch above green card. Citizenship should be about ideals."In the last seven years according to Mark Fritz, Colombia, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic and most recently, Mexico -- the suppliers of some of the fastest-growing immigrant groups in America -- have allowed their nationals to become citizens elsewhere without losing their original nationality. New leaderships in South Korea and India have expressed support for the same idea.
Mark Fritz explained that Upscale Australians in the United States have been pressuring their government to allow dual citizenship so they can become Americans without losing their native status. Economic is the main motivation here, avoiding the stiff estate taxes that the U.S. government imposes on foreigners operating in the United States.
There is a large degree of evidence of naturalized US citizens operating in official capacities in their former country of origins. Mark Fritz reports on some examples of tacit US support for dual citizenship:
Previous years, when Secretary of State Madeleine Albright announced an end to a decade-old ban on U.S. travel to Lebanon, she referred to the hardship the ban was causing to thousands of Americans with dual Lebanese citizenship. A man with U.S. and Lebanese citizenship runs Beirut's Marriott Hotel and Casino.
Also, the U.S. State Department and Slovakia rescinded an old treaty, thereby enabling "the citizens of both countries to hold dual citizenship," the Slovak Embassy in Washington said.
Washington protested when Israel threatened to revoke the residency rights of Palestinian Americans in Jerusalem unless they surrendered their American passports. In that case, the U.S. was in effect acting to protect dual allegiances.
The State Department said that as far as it can tell, Hussein Mohammed Aidid, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, is still a naturalized American citizen as well as Somalia's most powerful warlord.
All Africa.Com. an internet on line news medium reported on July 21, 2010:
“Abuja — Many years after the Liberian civil war, over 250,000 children born by Nigerian soldiers who were part of the Economic Community Monitoring Group (ECOMOG) peace keeping force in Liberia are still roaming the streets of Liberia, wallowing in poverty and searching for their fathers.” If the population of Liberia is about 3,000,000 people, this number of children is over 8 percent of the nation over all population. These children if come of age will demand for the citizenship of both Liberia and Nigeria. In essence, they are Nigerians and also Liberians. The International institute in the State of
Rhode Island reported years ago, that there are about 15,000 Liberians within Rhode Island and its environs. Let‘s assume that half of this number, each decided to have a child, collectively they will have 7,500 children. There are hundreds of Liberians in New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, Washington, DC Metropolitan areas, and other parts of the United States. And these numbers don’t include those born in Europe and other parts of the world.
The question that needs to be answered by the detractors of dual citizenship: will it be fair to deny any of the children born of Liberian parentage from enjoying Liberian citizenship, because, they have dual citizenship?
As society becomes more global and integrated, the value of Dual Citizenship and a second passport is increasingly becoming a necessity. The comforts of being an American Citizen, at the same time maintaining one's original nationality, provides an individual with an abundance of benefits and set of liberties. Economically, Liberia stands to benefit. Dual citizenship provides access to financial investment rights (property, securities, retirement, social security benefits, etc.). American citizenship provides access to adequate medical benefits, including potentially free healthcare, especially for those reaching the age of retirement. Accesses to educational benefits, including potentially free higher education are all possibilities within the reach of Liberians who enjoyed dual citizenships. And most importantly, provides opportunity for children of Liberian parentage to travel freely and reconnect with their cultural background and strengthen the fabric of their African heritage. Never before in the history of Liberia, has the need for international assistance become so urgent and essential. The need to change is apparent; the need to seek and identify individuals whose expertise and experiences transcend the day-to-day norms of the Liberian society is a responsibility, which all Liberians cannot afford to ignore. Is one thing to talk about 163 years of independence, is another to know that Liberians' years of national sovereignty have yet to match the scope of their national development. Currently, developments of road net works, water system, health care facilities, education system, telecommunication facilities, etc. are in a deplorable state of affairs. The endorsing or advocating the development of multiple national attachments should be viewed in terms of national development and economic strategy. Dual citizenship would help Liberian businessmen/women to transact and move freely, especially in and out of the United States. Even the Republic of Ghana has realized the economic benefits of dual citizenship and continues to encourage its citizens since December 1, 2002, to obtain dual citizenship.
The ideals of Free Enterprise and Democracy are complementary. The development and sustaining a strong middle class is essential to attainting stability in Liberia. Dual citizenship has the propensity to bring this about. The future seems to provide a great promise; Dual citizenship will help to democratize the politics of Liberia. As illustrated above, there are hundred upon hundred of children born to Liberian nationals presently residing in the Diaspora. These children with their dual nationalities and exposures could help Liberia to navigate her destiny through the twenty-first century. Democracy indeed, is built on informed citizen participation, especially those who have lived and practiced it in developed countries. The ideal of democracy is meaningful participation of an engaged and informed citizenry. Dual Citizenship is undoubtedly, one of the ways to foster Liberia's future economic development. Leopold Senghor of Senegal was correct when he said: "To build a nation, to create a new civilization which can lay claim to existence because it is humane, we shall try to employ not only enlightened reason but also dynamic imagination."
_________________________
Edmund Zar-Zar Bargblor is an Educator within the Providence School Department, Providence, Rhode Island. He is a graduate of Cuttington University College, Liberia, Howard University, Washington, D.C, and Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. Mr. Bargblor is a former Vice President of the Liberian Community Association of Rhode Island and President of the African Catholic Community of Rhode Island. He can be contacted at Ezbargblor@aol.comThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .
Min. Ngafuan stresses capacity need
Written by Charles Gbollie
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
Finance Minister Augustine Ngafuan says government needs better capacity to meet the expectations of its partners in the country.
Minister Ngafuan did not elaborate, but said the government’s Pay System was very low and needed improvement.
He believes the provision of more assistance to the country would enable it better condition of the people.
Minister Ngafuan spoke at the opening of a one day Aid Management workshop under the auspices of the Aid Management Unit of the Finance Ministry.
The Director of the unit William Towah said the event was to Review current effective aid management interventions through knowledge sharing.
He said the workshop was intended to enhance effective aid management and transparency in compliance with the Public Financial Management Law.
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
Finance Minister Augustine Ngafuan says government needs better capacity to meet the expectations of its partners in the country.
Minister Ngafuan did not elaborate, but said the government’s Pay System was very low and needed improvement.
He believes the provision of more assistance to the country would enable it better condition of the people.
Minister Ngafuan spoke at the opening of a one day Aid Management workshop under the auspices of the Aid Management Unit of the Finance Ministry.
The Director of the unit William Towah said the event was to Review current effective aid management interventions through knowledge sharing.
He said the workshop was intended to enhance effective aid management and transparency in compliance with the Public Financial Management Law.
Deputy Speaker’s indictment withdrawn?
Written by Bruce Boweh
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
Government has reportedly withdrawn its indictment against Deputy Speaker Togbah Mulbah.
According to state sources, the action was sparked by procedural errors.
It is not clear who is to be blamed for the alleged error.
Our sources said the indictment was drawn up but prosecution did not pray for a writ for service of the legal instrument.
When an indictment is drawn up against an accused, the sources said, the writ of arrest is served with the knowledge of the prosecution.
Sources close to the prosecution said state lawyers were surprised that the accused even filed a bond when they had not asked the court to serve the indictment on him.
This is a clear indication that the secrecy that attends the service of indictments was violated.
Up to now it is not clear who leaked news of the indictment to the deputy speaker and his lawyer.
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
Government has reportedly withdrawn its indictment against Deputy Speaker Togbah Mulbah.
According to state sources, the action was sparked by procedural errors.
It is not clear who is to be blamed for the alleged error.
Our sources said the indictment was drawn up but prosecution did not pray for a writ for service of the legal instrument.
When an indictment is drawn up against an accused, the sources said, the writ of arrest is served with the knowledge of the prosecution.
Sources close to the prosecution said state lawyers were surprised that the accused even filed a bond when they had not asked the court to serve the indictment on him.
This is a clear indication that the secrecy that attends the service of indictments was violated.
Up to now it is not clear who leaked news of the indictment to the deputy speaker and his lawyer.
Pro Temp Wotorson allays fears over Freedom of Information bill
Written by Julius Kanubah
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Source: Star RadioLiberia
Senate Pro Temp Cletus Wotorson says there is no need for government officials to fear the proposed Freedom of Information Act.
Pro Temp Wotorson said government officials must not get afraid of the FOI bill because certain classified information will not be revealed.
According to him, the Freedom of information bill will come with a level of responsibility if enacted.
The Senate Pro Temp made the statement when the bill was forwarded to the Senate by the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives a week ago passed the draft Freedom of Information Act after two years of scrutiny.
The FOI bill is intended to ensure unhindered access to public documents with the exclusion of issues relating to national security threat and certain trade deals.
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Source: Star RadioLiberia
Senate Pro Temp Cletus Wotorson says there is no need for government officials to fear the proposed Freedom of Information Act.
Pro Temp Wotorson said government officials must not get afraid of the FOI bill because certain classified information will not be revealed.
According to him, the Freedom of information bill will come with a level of responsibility if enacted.
The Senate Pro Temp made the statement when the bill was forwarded to the Senate by the House of Representatives.
The House of Representatives a week ago passed the draft Freedom of Information Act after two years of scrutiny.
The FOI bill is intended to ensure unhindered access to public documents with the exclusion of issues relating to national security threat and certain trade deals.
National Orator under fire for divisive comment
Written by D. Emmanuel Wheinyue
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
A Media Executive has frowned on a statement of the National Independence Day orator in which he said only people of Negro decent can be citizens of the Country.
According to Mr. Robert Kpadeh, Father Robert Tikpor’s statement smells with division.
Mr. Kpaded, who publishes the Parrot Newspaper, said the statement of the Catholic Priest also undermines the fight against racial discrimination.
He said the orator’s comments are unhealthy and unpleasant for Liberia’s relationship with the outside world.
Mr. Kpadeh has meanwhile called on Liberians not to use what he called errors of the past to thread the feature.
Saturday, 31 July 2010
Source: Star Radio Liberia
A Media Executive has frowned on a statement of the National Independence Day orator in which he said only people of Negro decent can be citizens of the Country.
According to Mr. Robert Kpadeh, Father Robert Tikpor’s statement smells with division.
Mr. Kpaded, who publishes the Parrot Newspaper, said the statement of the Catholic Priest also undermines the fight against racial discrimination.
He said the orator’s comments are unhealthy and unpleasant for Liberia’s relationship with the outside world.
Mr. Kpadeh has meanwhile called on Liberians not to use what he called errors of the past to thread the feature.
MCC On the ground in Liberia
July 2010 by Cassandra Butts, MCC Senior Advisor
Source: http://www.mcc.gov/pages/povertyreductionblog/entry/on-the-ground-in-liberia
MCC Senior Advisor Cassandra Butts joins Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX), Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Rep. David Dreier (R-CA), and Rep. David Price (D-NC), and Liberian school girls currently receiving education scholarships, at the signing ceremony of MCC’s $15 Threshold Program with Liberia.
Last week I was fortunate to represent MCC at a signing ceremony kicking off MCC’s $15 million Threshold Program with the Government of Liberia. Liberia’s President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and a bipartisan U.S. congressional delegation led by Rep. David Price and Rep. David Dreier, representing the U.S. House Democracy Partnership, also attended the signing ceremony, which took place in Monrovia. We were also pleased to have Rep. Donald Payne participate in the ceremony as a long-time supporter of African development and MCC.
The visit marked my first time back to Liberia since a 1999 trip as a member of a congressional staff delegation reviewing the status of refugees in what was then a conflict-riven region. What I saw on my recent trip provided considerable hope that Liberia, under the leadership of President Johnson Sirleaf, is well positioned to translate MCC’s Threshold Program investment in land access and policy, girls’ primary education, and trade policy into successfully- implemented programs that will meaningfully contribute to Liberia’s future development.
MCC Senior Advisor Cassandra Butts visits with Liberian school girls in the King Gray community about educational opportunities for both school age youth and older youth who missed traditional schooling because of the country’s conflict.
While all three components of Liberia’s Threshold Program were identified by Liberians as a part of their national development strategy and are designed to improve Liberia’s performance in the policy areas measured by MCC eligibility criteria, the girls’ primary education program has a particular resonance for me as MCC’s point person for the integration of gender equality in the programs we fund. This is a priority that I share with President Johnson Sirleaf as we, and many others, recognize, without question, that educating girls is crucial to a country’s long-term economic development.
There is no question that the road ahead will be challenging for Liberia, but the country continues to make significant strides in demonstrating a commitment to policy reform and responsible leadership under President Johnson Sirleaf that made our Threshold Program partnership possible in the first place. We look forward to working with the Government of Liberia and USAID, the U.S. Government agency that will administer the Threshold Program, to ensure the delivery of results that will improve the policy environment in the targeted sectors and contribute to the long-term growth and prosperity of the people of Liberia.
Source: http://www.mcc.gov/pages/povertyreductionblog/entry/on-the-ground-in-liberia
MCC Senior Advisor Cassandra Butts joins Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX), Rep. Allyson Schwartz (D-PA), Rep. David Dreier (R-CA), and Rep. David Price (D-NC), and Liberian school girls currently receiving education scholarships, at the signing ceremony of MCC’s $15 Threshold Program with Liberia.
The visit marked my first time back to Liberia since a 1999 trip as a member of a congressional staff delegation reviewing the status of refugees in what was then a conflict-riven region. What I saw on my recent trip provided considerable hope that Liberia, under the leadership of President Johnson Sirleaf, is well positioned to translate MCC’s Threshold Program investment in land access and policy, girls’ primary education, and trade policy into successfully- implemented programs that will meaningfully contribute to Liberia’s future development.
MCC Senior Advisor Cassandra Butts visits with Liberian school girls in the King Gray community about educational opportunities for both school age youth and older youth who missed traditional schooling because of the country’s conflict.
While all three components of Liberia’s Threshold Program were identified by Liberians as a part of their national development strategy and are designed to improve Liberia’s performance in the policy areas measured by MCC eligibility criteria, the girls’ primary education program has a particular resonance for me as MCC’s point person for the integration of gender equality in the programs we fund. This is a priority that I share with President Johnson Sirleaf as we, and many others, recognize, without question, that educating girls is crucial to a country’s long-term economic development.
There is no question that the road ahead will be challenging for Liberia, but the country continues to make significant strides in demonstrating a commitment to policy reform and responsible leadership under President Johnson Sirleaf that made our Threshold Program partnership possible in the first place. We look forward to working with the Government of Liberia and USAID, the U.S. Government agency that will administer the Threshold Program, to ensure the delivery of results that will improve the policy environment in the targeted sectors and contribute to the long-term growth and prosperity of the people of Liberia.
Friday, July 30, 2010
Fixed But Flooded: Monrovia’s Streets Still Impassable On Rainy Days
Source: FrontPage Africa
07/30/2010 - Nat Nyuan Bayjay,
SOAKY ROADS: While critics continue to blame the Chinese firm for poor drainage system resulting into such situations, both the Ministry of Public Works and their Chinese partner continually cite the issue of the rehab works being just the first phase with full rehab works expected to resume as soon as the rainy reason ends. Commuters and probably pedestrians’ previous thoughts of having their worries of Monrovia’s streets that were in terrible and bad shapes being remedied seem far from over.
Despite the first phase of the rehabilitation works done on the principal streets of the capital by the Chinese Construction Company (CICO) after winning the bid to do so, every downfall of rain renders most of the city’s streets either heavily flooded or impassable, remaining so until after several minutes even after the rain stops.
The situation is increasingly becoming worrisome for the public for the busy and commercial streets in Central Monrovia that underwent CICO’s first phase of rehabilitation. The floods are mainly concentrated at the intersections of major streets, making most vehicles that are low and not built-up to most often dodge the affected areas which they do with little success due to the situations being the same almost in every location in the city center.
Among the regularly affected areas are the intersection of Broad and Lynch Streets which extends further to the DHL Office and the National Headquarters of the ruling Unity Party, the intersection of Randall and Broad Streets which results into the formation of deposited body of water at the corner of the two commercial streets as the water tries to force its way down Randall and Carey Streets, and the Carey Street portion where the famous Atai shop is located, among others.
While critics continue to blame the Chinese firm for poor drainage system resulting into such situations, both the Ministry of Public Works and their Chinese partner continually cite the issue of the rehab works being just the first phase with full rehab works expected to resume as soon as the rainy reason ends.
But critics have refused the excuse of the poor drainage being the result of the first phase as they say that the first phase of the rehab work in no way should mean the streets being flooded.
“Yes, thank you, man for taking the picture. Put it in the media so that they can know that they have not done a good job here and they should not continue to tell us that because there is a second phase of the work remaining that we should always be walking in water in the city whenever it rains”, said an angry pedestrian to the FrontPageAfrica’s reporter as he tip-toed in maneuvering his way of the flooded corner of Randall and Broad Streets while passing vehicles struggled to make their left and right-turns.
Rehabilitation of the pothole-ridden city streets of Monrovia is part of the World Bank's 10-year infrastructure projects for the post-conflict economy as the country faces the enormous challenges of reconstructing and constructing roads.
CICO is undertaking the rehabilitation of the streets of Monrovia under an agreement signed between the Government of Liberia and the Bank, as part of the country’s Infrastructure Fund being managed by the Bank.
While President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s inspection tour in April of this year of then ongoing rehabilitation work of the streets made her to express satisfaction over the pace of the work, it remains challenging on the Chinese construction firm’s part which also won the contract to re-construct the collapsed Via Town Bridge to curb Monrovia’s flood-prone city-center streets.
President Sirleaf during the tour commended the Public Works Ministry and Chinese engineers for working together to ensure the successful completion of the rehabilitation works.
The Chinese firm has also been rocked with workers’ complaints of low wages which prompted Public Works Minister, Samuel Kofi Woods, to give them assurance that his ministry was going to work with the relevant government agencies including the Ministry of Labor and the National Police to address some of their concerns.
Rehab works on Monrovia’s streets have over the months been greeted with mixed public views of both condemnations and delays on one hand and commendations on the other hand.
The project came to a standstill earlier this year in which government cited the slow pace of cash flow to the contractors, CICO, and its competing Chinese firm, the China Henan International Company (CHICCO) while the delay was further heightened by the country’s downpour of heavy rain.
The intensive rehab works have seen the removal and replacement of old ‘kotas’ and repairing and construction of drainages but much still desires to be done as Monrovia’s 1.3 million inhabitants, like the rest of the country’s population, still have about four or more months of rainfall and probably beyond, given the change in the country’s climatic conditions.
Report: Legislator Digs In County Funds; Firm Fails To Implement Project
07/30/2010 - Moses Varfee Kowo
Source: FrontPage Africa
Monrovia -
New reports available to FrontPageAfrica show that some members of the Legislature are deeply involved with the administration of County Development Fund and in some instances organize their own corporate institutions with the hope of taking over a project in the county for implementation.
Reports say a Representative of Margibi County, Ballah Zayzay, has been found to have established his own Company, the Ballah Zayzay Construction Company, to implement a project on behalf of the County but failed to go ahead with the implementation of these projects in his home County.
Ballah Zayzay, Representative of Margibi County
There are reports that Representative Zayzay, a member of the County Legislative Caucus, failed to implement the project given to his company and also did not follow the Public Procurement and Concession Commission mandate.
Zayzay of district # 4 is said to have received more than US$50,000 to implement a project in Zauwein Town, Margibi County but failed to do so and the project was still standing incomplete as of May this year.
Also, according to an official of Margibi County, the Margibi County Lawmaker also appear to be caught in the audit report of the General Auditing Commission of Liberia and that entity might be recommending strong punishment for Representative Zayzay if he fails to provide expenditure and other supporting documentation in support of current audit examination.
According to the senior official of Margibi County, the audit might be asking the Ministry of Justice to take stronger actions against the Representative Ballah Zayzay for conflict of interest by using his position as a lawmaker to secure a contract from the county development fund in which he is part of those who are carrying out over sight of the project.
The lawmaker is said to have violated section 31(c) of the act creating the country public procurement commission enacted by the Legislature in 2005.
There are also reports that the Superintendent is being held responsible for violating sections of the PPCC act and the 2007/2008 budget law and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in awarding Liberia land contract to a company. Though the superintendent had said he will desist from awarding contracts to members of the Legislature.
Since the County Development Fund came into effect more than four years ago, the government of Liberia has spent close to US$15,000,000 to support locally driven projects in various counties in the country; but the government has largely not been able to attain the necessary force to ensure that those projects are implemented in these counties with persistent haul and poll between the county authorities and their lawmakers.
The Montserrado County Legislative caucus is currently calling on the General Auditing Commission to audit the former Superintendent of the County for allegedly using the County Development Fund.
No one County has got a successful implementation of the County Development Projects.
More than year ago the Superintendent of Bong Count y Rennie Jackson went back to his post after he agreed to restitute about US$10,000 following reports that the funds had been misappropriated.
Source: FrontPage Africa
Monrovia -
 |
| Ballah Zayzay, Representative of Margibi |
New reports available to FrontPageAfrica show that some members of the Legislature are deeply involved with the administration of County Development Fund and in some instances organize their own corporate institutions with the hope of taking over a project in the county for implementation.
Reports say a Representative of Margibi County, Ballah Zayzay, has been found to have established his own Company, the Ballah Zayzay Construction Company, to implement a project on behalf of the County but failed to go ahead with the implementation of these projects in his home County.
Ballah Zayzay, Representative of Margibi County
There are reports that Representative Zayzay, a member of the County Legislative Caucus, failed to implement the project given to his company and also did not follow the Public Procurement and Concession Commission mandate.
Zayzay of district # 4 is said to have received more than US$50,000 to implement a project in Zauwein Town, Margibi County but failed to do so and the project was still standing incomplete as of May this year.
Also, according to an official of Margibi County, the Margibi County Lawmaker also appear to be caught in the audit report of the General Auditing Commission of Liberia and that entity might be recommending strong punishment for Representative Zayzay if he fails to provide expenditure and other supporting documentation in support of current audit examination.
According to the senior official of Margibi County, the audit might be asking the Ministry of Justice to take stronger actions against the Representative Ballah Zayzay for conflict of interest by using his position as a lawmaker to secure a contract from the county development fund in which he is part of those who are carrying out over sight of the project.
The lawmaker is said to have violated section 31(c) of the act creating the country public procurement commission enacted by the Legislature in 2005.
There are also reports that the Superintendent is being held responsible for violating sections of the PPCC act and the 2007/2008 budget law and the Ministry of Internal Affairs in awarding Liberia land contract to a company. Though the superintendent had said he will desist from awarding contracts to members of the Legislature.
Since the County Development Fund came into effect more than four years ago, the government of Liberia has spent close to US$15,000,000 to support locally driven projects in various counties in the country; but the government has largely not been able to attain the necessary force to ensure that those projects are implemented in these counties with persistent haul and poll between the county authorities and their lawmakers.
The Montserrado County Legislative caucus is currently calling on the General Auditing Commission to audit the former Superintendent of the County for allegedly using the County Development Fund.
No one County has got a successful implementation of the County Development Projects.
More than year ago the Superintendent of Bong Count y Rennie Jackson went back to his post after he agreed to restitute about US$10,000 following reports that the funds had been misappropriated.
PLAYING GAMES WITH LIBERIA’S FUTURE? Tyler, Wotorson Must Step Aside
07/30/2010 - FPA EDITORIAL
Source: FrontPage Africa
ALEX TYLER AND CLETUS WOTORSON have two things in common these days: They both head bodies in the National legislature in post-war Liberia and both happen to be presiding over what is probably the most controversial piece of legislation in post-war Liberia, Threshold Bill viewed by many as a key component to the holding of the much-anticipated elections in 2011.
AFTER MONTHS wrangling over the legislation, House Speaker Alex Tyler recently called on the National Elections Commission to go ahead in making preparations for the holding of Legislative and Presidential elections later next year as members of both the Senate and the House moved to adopt a joint resolution to pass the controversial Threshold Bill with no county losing a seat while deciding that an additional nine seats will be awarded to five counties(Montserrado, Bong, Nimba, Lofa and Bassa).
THE SETTLEMENT yet to be set in stone leaves many unanswered questions and appears far from solving the Threshold dilemma.
TYLER’S VERDICT is already turning heads and is not sitting well with many of his peers in the House of Representatives. At least twenty senators signed the resolution and twenty-two Representatives voted to adopt the resolution which may lead to another try of signature from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who had previously vetoed the bill.
BESIDES the possibility of Sirleaf not signing the bill in its current state, some members of the House of Representatives have threatened to go to court on the Threshold Subject claiming that Speaker and some members of the Legislature were attempting to provide seats for constituencies where there should be no seats at the expense of the constitution of the Republic of Liberia.
TWO OF THOSE Representatives, Eugene Fallah Kparkar of Lofa County and Gabriel Smith of Grand Bassa County and Chairman of the House Elections Committee said they will move to the Supreme Court to seek redress on what they say is a deliberate attempt by their colleagues to circumvent the law.
IRONICALLY, the Senate resolution is suggesting that members of the Legislature among other things: “that the 64 electoral districts set-up and used by the National Elections Commission (NEC) for the conduct of 2005 presidential and Legislative elections shall remain constant. But for the purpose of the 2011 presidential and Legislative elections, each county shall retain the existing number of seats it has in the House of Representatives, except the counties of Bassa, Bong, Margibi, Montserrado and Nimba. Accordingly, nine (9) additional constituencies are hereby prescribed and established. The National Elections Commission shall reapportion such constituencies herein prescribed to the Counties specifically named in the resolution based on the fraction of a percentage contribution of the current seats each of the county herein named above to their total number of seats in the Legislature.”
SO WHERE do we go from here? It appears the bill is still in neutral gear with both Wotorson and Tyler apparently unable to break the ice and show leadership on the issue.
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS has been pledged by the United States of America to ensure that the 2011 elections is held in a peaceful and non-violent atmosphere. United States of America Secretary of State Hilary R. Clinton during a recent visit to Liberia as part of a five African nation tour announced the US$17.5 million support from the United States of America to Liberia to strengthen the democracy of the post war country. Ironically, the most tension so far has come from elected lawmakers who should be responsible and show leadership by bringing this controversial legislation to a swift conclusion. So far, both Wotorson and Tyler have been toying with their peers.
JAMES FROMOYAN, Chairman of the National Elections Commission has persistently described the delay in the passage of the electoral threshold bill currently stalled at the National Legislature as one of the major hurdles to elections in 2011. “The fact that the National Legislature has not yet acted on this critical threshold bill is a major setback for the NEC work and we are of the conviction that the lawmakers will see wisdom in passing this bill without further delay”, the NEC Chairman appealed recently.
THE ELECTIONS Commission boss could not have been more right as he said, “We are already behind time, so it is important for them to pass this bill for us to begin doing the delineation of constituencies”.
THE BALL has been in the court of the Senate and House for sometime now. Passage of this bill is long overdue. Mr. Wotorson and Mr. Tyler must muster the courage to convince their peers about the urgency of the bill and end the playing game over an important piece of legislation now swirling in debates and uncertainty. If both leaders failed to deliver as they have done so far, they owe it to their constituents and the people of Liberia to step aside and give way to someone who can deliver. The looming 2011 elections will be much different from 2005 and those with seats on the line better watch out. Liberians will not be repeating the mistakes of 2005. It is about time that lawmakers recognize, take notice and pay heed to the cries of their people.
Source: FrontPage Africa
ALEX TYLER AND CLETUS WOTORSON have two things in common these days: They both head bodies in the National legislature in post-war Liberia and both happen to be presiding over what is probably the most controversial piece of legislation in post-war Liberia, Threshold Bill viewed by many as a key component to the holding of the much-anticipated elections in 2011.
AFTER MONTHS wrangling over the legislation, House Speaker Alex Tyler recently called on the National Elections Commission to go ahead in making preparations for the holding of Legislative and Presidential elections later next year as members of both the Senate and the House moved to adopt a joint resolution to pass the controversial Threshold Bill with no county losing a seat while deciding that an additional nine seats will be awarded to five counties(Montserrado, Bong, Nimba, Lofa and Bassa).
THE SETTLEMENT yet to be set in stone leaves many unanswered questions and appears far from solving the Threshold dilemma.
TYLER’S VERDICT is already turning heads and is not sitting well with many of his peers in the House of Representatives. At least twenty senators signed the resolution and twenty-two Representatives voted to adopt the resolution which may lead to another try of signature from President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who had previously vetoed the bill.
BESIDES the possibility of Sirleaf not signing the bill in its current state, some members of the House of Representatives have threatened to go to court on the Threshold Subject claiming that Speaker and some members of the Legislature were attempting to provide seats for constituencies where there should be no seats at the expense of the constitution of the Republic of Liberia.
TWO OF THOSE Representatives, Eugene Fallah Kparkar of Lofa County and Gabriel Smith of Grand Bassa County and Chairman of the House Elections Committee said they will move to the Supreme Court to seek redress on what they say is a deliberate attempt by their colleagues to circumvent the law.
IRONICALLY, the Senate resolution is suggesting that members of the Legislature among other things: “that the 64 electoral districts set-up and used by the National Elections Commission (NEC) for the conduct of 2005 presidential and Legislative elections shall remain constant. But for the purpose of the 2011 presidential and Legislative elections, each county shall retain the existing number of seats it has in the House of Representatives, except the counties of Bassa, Bong, Margibi, Montserrado and Nimba. Accordingly, nine (9) additional constituencies are hereby prescribed and established. The National Elections Commission shall reapportion such constituencies herein prescribed to the Counties specifically named in the resolution based on the fraction of a percentage contribution of the current seats each of the county herein named above to their total number of seats in the Legislature.”
SO WHERE do we go from here? It appears the bill is still in neutral gear with both Wotorson and Tyler apparently unable to break the ice and show leadership on the issue.
MILLIONS OF DOLLARS has been pledged by the United States of America to ensure that the 2011 elections is held in a peaceful and non-violent atmosphere. United States of America Secretary of State Hilary R. Clinton during a recent visit to Liberia as part of a five African nation tour announced the US$17.5 million support from the United States of America to Liberia to strengthen the democracy of the post war country. Ironically, the most tension so far has come from elected lawmakers who should be responsible and show leadership by bringing this controversial legislation to a swift conclusion. So far, both Wotorson and Tyler have been toying with their peers.
JAMES FROMOYAN, Chairman of the National Elections Commission has persistently described the delay in the passage of the electoral threshold bill currently stalled at the National Legislature as one of the major hurdles to elections in 2011. “The fact that the National Legislature has not yet acted on this critical threshold bill is a major setback for the NEC work and we are of the conviction that the lawmakers will see wisdom in passing this bill without further delay”, the NEC Chairman appealed recently.
THE ELECTIONS Commission boss could not have been more right as he said, “We are already behind time, so it is important for them to pass this bill for us to begin doing the delineation of constituencies”.
THE BALL has been in the court of the Senate and House for sometime now. Passage of this bill is long overdue. Mr. Wotorson and Mr. Tyler must muster the courage to convince their peers about the urgency of the bill and end the playing game over an important piece of legislation now swirling in debates and uncertainty. If both leaders failed to deliver as they have done so far, they owe it to their constituents and the people of Liberia to step aside and give way to someone who can deliver. The looming 2011 elections will be much different from 2005 and those with seats on the line better watch out. Liberians will not be repeating the mistakes of 2005. It is about time that lawmakers recognize, take notice and pay heed to the cries of their people.
Mission Complete? TRC’s Verdier: “Ignore Recommendations & Perish”
07/30/2010 - Nat Bayjay
Source: FrontPage Africa
UNCEREMONIAL CLIMAX: While some of them, such as the South African TRC, have yielded positive results, the impacts of others were never felt with a fear that Liberia might be heading in similar directions. In the case of Liberia’s, the jury is still out over whether the Truth Commission’s work has been clouded in controversy or the victim of a post-war government unwilling or perhaps still struggling to accept the findings of a body of work detailing the horrors of a brutal civil war.
Monrovia -
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission tasked with the responsibility of promoting national peace, security, unity and reconciliation" by investigating more than 20 years of civil conflict in Liberia and to report on gross human rights violations that occurred in Liberia between January 1979 and 14 October 2003 closed shop Thursday, officially climaxing a body of work still swirling in a state of uncertainty.
Although a vetting committee is currently interviewing members for the Independent Human Rights Commission, tasked with the the responsibility under the TRC Mandate, Article X, to ensure the full implementation of the commendations contain in the TRC’s final report, the commission’s work has been eclipsed in controversy since it recommended a ban from political activities of at least fifty former and current Liberian government officials, including President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
Alarming declaration: ‘Do so at your own peril’
OBLIGATION TO LIBERIA
“This obligation to report to the Liberian people quarterly on the implementation of all recommendations of the TRC is imperative and vital to our continued drive for lasting peace and reconciliation. We urge her not to renege, but be strong in faith and do what is right so that this glorious land of liberty will continue to exist under God’s command”.
Jerome Verdier, Chairman, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, RL
On Thursday, Jerome Verdier, Chair of the under-fire commission held a news conference without any of his fellow Commissioners in sight, in an office that was once busy and active but now stands dejected, the Chairman of Liberia’s erstwhile Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) did not only formally declare an end to the Commission’s work, but was cautious with this warning to Liberians: “Therefore, if we ignore the TRC Recommendations, we do so at our own peril”.
After a year and one month of the TRC’s submission of its Report to the National Legislature in accordance with the Act that created it, Verdier, whose chairmanship was characterized by both internal wrangling and accusations of being biased, told a delayed news conference in the capital Thursday that it is important for Liberia to take the TRC’s Findings and Recommendations as the way forward to seeing the country’s return to stability.
Verdier added: “For generations to come, we will be haunted by the ghosts of the past.”
The TRC was chosen over a war crime tribunal as the means of dealing with the country’s ugly and unforgettable 14 years of civil war following its end seven years ago; but the Commission’s more than four years of operations which were twice extended by the National Legislature, faced serious challenges including allegations of impartiality, non-payment of staffs and worst of all, dissenting opinions on the submitted Final Report from two of its commissioners.
A brainchild of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) in 2003, the Commission was tasked to ensure the promotion of national peace, security, unity and reconciliation as its objectives and purpose by
means of investigating gross human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law as well as abuses that occurred. These included the Commission’s investigation of massacres, sexual
violations, murders, extra-judicial killings and economic crimes, such as the exploitation of natural or public resources to perpetuate armed conflicts, all which happened during the period January 1979 to
October 14, 2003.
Coordinating Committee Takes Over
While the TRC is officially closed, the Chairman of the erstwhile Commission disclosed the constitution of what he termed as the ‘TRC Coordinating Committee’ being established with two main objectives:
ensuring that Government pays the Commission’s outstanding liabilities and providing supervision leading to the establishing of the archive center.
Responding to whether the constitution of such an interim committee is not outside of the Act, Verdier replied: “Are you implying that all we have worked for such as the documentations of the entire process
should be left here to rot or eaten up by rats? Are you also suggesting that all those who entrusted us with their money should not be repaid?”
However, Section 47 of the Act states: “The archives of the TRC shall remain in the public domain except those records or documents classified by the TRC as “confidential” which shall remain classified for 20 years following the retirement of the TRC. This restriction extends to commissioners, staff and persons privy to such confidential and closed information by virtue of employment, assignment or their involvement with the TRC or otherwise”.
The composition of the ‘Coordinating Committee’ obviously consists of no ‘Anti-Verdier’ Commissioners in a committee that sees his close former workmates of Massa Washington, John Stewart, and Reverend
Gerald Coleman as Commissioners, leaving no room for his once-opposing former workmates in the persons of Councilor Pearl Brown-Bull and Sheikh Kafumba Konneh. Both former commissioners dissented on the Final Report.
Again chaired by Verdier, Nathaniel Kwabo, Elwood Netty, Felix Yallah, Millicent Garli and Thomas Demamu make up the rest of the ‘Coordinating Committee’ as Executive Secretary, Finance Coordinator, Finance Officer, Coordinator and Administrative Assistant respectively.
President Lagging Behind In Reporting
Section 48 of Article Ten of the Act that created the TRC mandates the Head of State to report to the National Legislature within three months of receipt of the report of the TRC, and on a quarterly basis
thereafter, as to the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations which has not been done satisfactorily from a TRC point of view.
A disappointed Verdier spoke frustratingly about the failure of meeting the statutory mandate of reporting to the National Legislature by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, herself an indictee of the Report which is recommending her for a three-decade ban from public life along with others.
“To date, Her Excellency, the President, is lagging behind in her statutory commitment to report quarterly on the implementation of the TRC Recommendations” Verider lamented, adding, “and not a voice including that of the National Legislature has been heard.”
Verdier bemoans what he termed as the entire country’s mute posture on the President’s non-performance on a “major duty should have happened more than a month ago”.
Though she did make her first quarterly report four months ago, Verdier criticized the manner in which Sirleaf did so, adding: “While not much was recognized in the President’s first quarterly ‘report’ in March 2010, it was noteworthy for recognizing the good work of the Commission on the future of Liberia”.
He continued: “This obligation to report to the Liberian people quarterly on the implementation of all recommendations of the TRC is imperative and vital to our continued drive for lasting peace and
reconciliation. We urge her not to renege, but be strong in faith and do what is right so that this glorious land of liberty will continue to exist under God’s command”.
Section 48 further states that the National Legislature shall require the Head of State to show cause in the case of non-compliance. It states: “All recommendations shall be implemented. Where the implementation of any recommendation has not been complied with, the Legislature shall require the Head of State to show cause for such noncompliance”.
‘Current Payment Laudable’
He disclosed during Thursday’s news conference that the Government has commenced the payment of the TRC’s liabilities, a situation which sparked rounds of public debate last week ,including that of the
National Legislature on the government’s refusal to pay the Commission whose official work ended over a year ago.
“The Government has commenced the payment of all TRC liabilities, for which we are exceedingly grateful as this is a major significant step towards full closure of this herculean enterprise”, he revealed.
The Liberian TRC joins over 30 other truth commissions established in 28 different countries of the world since the mid-1970s with eight African countries other than Liberia establishing truth commissions.
South Africa has had three truth commissions, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established in 1995. Other African countries which have established such commissions are: Uganda (1974), Chad (1991), Nigeria (1999), Ghana (2002), Sierra Leone (2002), Democratic Republic of Congo (2003), and Morocco (2004) with negotiations are ongoing to establish one in Burundi.
While some of them, such as the South African TRC, have yielded positive results, the impacts of others were never felt with a fear that Liberia might be heading in similar directions. In the case of Liberia’s, the jury is still out over whether the Truth Commission’s work has been clouded in controversy or the victim of a post-war government unwilling or perhaps still struggling to accept the findings of a body of work detailing the horrors of a brutal civil war.
Source: FrontPage Africa
UNCEREMONIAL CLIMAX: While some of them, such as the South African TRC, have yielded positive results, the impacts of others were never felt with a fear that Liberia might be heading in similar directions. In the case of Liberia’s, the jury is still out over whether the Truth Commission’s work has been clouded in controversy or the victim of a post-war government unwilling or perhaps still struggling to accept the findings of a body of work detailing the horrors of a brutal civil war.Monrovia -
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission tasked with the responsibility of promoting national peace, security, unity and reconciliation" by investigating more than 20 years of civil conflict in Liberia and to report on gross human rights violations that occurred in Liberia between January 1979 and 14 October 2003 closed shop Thursday, officially climaxing a body of work still swirling in a state of uncertainty.
Although a vetting committee is currently interviewing members for the Independent Human Rights Commission, tasked with the the responsibility under the TRC Mandate, Article X, to ensure the full implementation of the commendations contain in the TRC’s final report, the commission’s work has been eclipsed in controversy since it recommended a ban from political activities of at least fifty former and current Liberian government officials, including President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
Alarming declaration: ‘Do so at your own peril’
OBLIGATION TO LIBERIA
“This obligation to report to the Liberian people quarterly on the implementation of all recommendations of the TRC is imperative and vital to our continued drive for lasting peace and reconciliation. We urge her not to renege, but be strong in faith and do what is right so that this glorious land of liberty will continue to exist under God’s command”.
Jerome Verdier, Chairman, Truth and Reconciliation Commission, RL
On Thursday, Jerome Verdier, Chair of the under-fire commission held a news conference without any of his fellow Commissioners in sight, in an office that was once busy and active but now stands dejected, the Chairman of Liberia’s erstwhile Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) did not only formally declare an end to the Commission’s work, but was cautious with this warning to Liberians: “Therefore, if we ignore the TRC Recommendations, we do so at our own peril”.
After a year and one month of the TRC’s submission of its Report to the National Legislature in accordance with the Act that created it, Verdier, whose chairmanship was characterized by both internal wrangling and accusations of being biased, told a delayed news conference in the capital Thursday that it is important for Liberia to take the TRC’s Findings and Recommendations as the way forward to seeing the country’s return to stability.
Verdier added: “For generations to come, we will be haunted by the ghosts of the past.”
The TRC was chosen over a war crime tribunal as the means of dealing with the country’s ugly and unforgettable 14 years of civil war following its end seven years ago; but the Commission’s more than four years of operations which were twice extended by the National Legislature, faced serious challenges including allegations of impartiality, non-payment of staffs and worst of all, dissenting opinions on the submitted Final Report from two of its commissioners.
A brainchild of the Accra Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) in 2003, the Commission was tasked to ensure the promotion of national peace, security, unity and reconciliation as its objectives and purpose by
means of investigating gross human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law as well as abuses that occurred. These included the Commission’s investigation of massacres, sexual
violations, murders, extra-judicial killings and economic crimes, such as the exploitation of natural or public resources to perpetuate armed conflicts, all which happened during the period January 1979 to
October 14, 2003.
Coordinating Committee Takes Over
While the TRC is officially closed, the Chairman of the erstwhile Commission disclosed the constitution of what he termed as the ‘TRC Coordinating Committee’ being established with two main objectives:
ensuring that Government pays the Commission’s outstanding liabilities and providing supervision leading to the establishing of the archive center.
Responding to whether the constitution of such an interim committee is not outside of the Act, Verdier replied: “Are you implying that all we have worked for such as the documentations of the entire process
should be left here to rot or eaten up by rats? Are you also suggesting that all those who entrusted us with their money should not be repaid?”
However, Section 47 of the Act states: “The archives of the TRC shall remain in the public domain except those records or documents classified by the TRC as “confidential” which shall remain classified for 20 years following the retirement of the TRC. This restriction extends to commissioners, staff and persons privy to such confidential and closed information by virtue of employment, assignment or their involvement with the TRC or otherwise”.
The composition of the ‘Coordinating Committee’ obviously consists of no ‘Anti-Verdier’ Commissioners in a committee that sees his close former workmates of Massa Washington, John Stewart, and Reverend
Gerald Coleman as Commissioners, leaving no room for his once-opposing former workmates in the persons of Councilor Pearl Brown-Bull and Sheikh Kafumba Konneh. Both former commissioners dissented on the Final Report.
Again chaired by Verdier, Nathaniel Kwabo, Elwood Netty, Felix Yallah, Millicent Garli and Thomas Demamu make up the rest of the ‘Coordinating Committee’ as Executive Secretary, Finance Coordinator, Finance Officer, Coordinator and Administrative Assistant respectively.
President Lagging Behind In Reporting
Section 48 of Article Ten of the Act that created the TRC mandates the Head of State to report to the National Legislature within three months of receipt of the report of the TRC, and on a quarterly basis
thereafter, as to the implementation of the Commission’s recommendations which has not been done satisfactorily from a TRC point of view.
A disappointed Verdier spoke frustratingly about the failure of meeting the statutory mandate of reporting to the National Legislature by President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, herself an indictee of the Report which is recommending her for a three-decade ban from public life along with others.
“To date, Her Excellency, the President, is lagging behind in her statutory commitment to report quarterly on the implementation of the TRC Recommendations” Verider lamented, adding, “and not a voice including that of the National Legislature has been heard.”
Verdier bemoans what he termed as the entire country’s mute posture on the President’s non-performance on a “major duty should have happened more than a month ago”.
Though she did make her first quarterly report four months ago, Verdier criticized the manner in which Sirleaf did so, adding: “While not much was recognized in the President’s first quarterly ‘report’ in March 2010, it was noteworthy for recognizing the good work of the Commission on the future of Liberia”.
He continued: “This obligation to report to the Liberian people quarterly on the implementation of all recommendations of the TRC is imperative and vital to our continued drive for lasting peace and
reconciliation. We urge her not to renege, but be strong in faith and do what is right so that this glorious land of liberty will continue to exist under God’s command”.
Section 48 further states that the National Legislature shall require the Head of State to show cause in the case of non-compliance. It states: “All recommendations shall be implemented. Where the implementation of any recommendation has not been complied with, the Legislature shall require the Head of State to show cause for such noncompliance”.
‘Current Payment Laudable’
He disclosed during Thursday’s news conference that the Government has commenced the payment of the TRC’s liabilities, a situation which sparked rounds of public debate last week ,including that of the
National Legislature on the government’s refusal to pay the Commission whose official work ended over a year ago.
“The Government has commenced the payment of all TRC liabilities, for which we are exceedingly grateful as this is a major significant step towards full closure of this herculean enterprise”, he revealed.
The Liberian TRC joins over 30 other truth commissions established in 28 different countries of the world since the mid-1970s with eight African countries other than Liberia establishing truth commissions.
South Africa has had three truth commissions, including the Truth and Reconciliation Commission established in 1995. Other African countries which have established such commissions are: Uganda (1974), Chad (1991), Nigeria (1999), Ghana (2002), Sierra Leone (2002), Democratic Republic of Congo (2003), and Morocco (2004) with negotiations are ongoing to establish one in Burundi.
While some of them, such as the South African TRC, have yielded positive results, the impacts of others were never felt with a fear that Liberia might be heading in similar directions. In the case of Liberia’s, the jury is still out over whether the Truth Commission’s work has been clouded in controversy or the victim of a post-war government unwilling or perhaps still struggling to accept the findings of a body of work detailing the horrors of a brutal civil war.
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