21 August 2008
From the 133 years of settler oligarchy came a decade of vicious military junta and its metamorphosed National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL). The 14 years that followed were eaten democratic locusts that hijacked the political space and kept the bulk of Liberians on the mere periphery.
It seems, as reports, the country's governance system is still rocked by political disequilibrium as the election or selection of a new president pro tempore now leads the country.
Now, Bomi County, which is 30 kilometers away from Monrovia, is relishing in political glory with three of the nation's top political posts have been occupied by a daughter, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and sons, Speaker Alex Tyler and Senator Lahai Lassanah, of the county, thus seemingly making the Government becoming its (Bomi) hegemony.
The Analyst Staff Writer reports on the new political dispensation, which observers say is dangerous to the country's fledging democracy.
Introduction
On Aug 19, 2008, members of the Liberian Senate elected Senator Lahai Lassanah of Bomi County to the position of Acting President Pro Tempore, making a three the number of citizens from the county occupying the nation's top posts.
President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and the Speaker of the House of Representatives are both citizens of Bomi County, making it the first county in the history of the country to occupy epicenter of Liberia's political power. With his election, appointment or selection, political commentators say the Government has now become a Bomi County hegemony.
Senator Lassanah who will act in the capacity for six months in the absence of the Senator Isaac Nyenabo who is facing a six-month suspension, is one of the engineers of the Nyenabo nightmare, and political observers say he has got what he wanted.
A fortnight ago, following days of stalemate, Senators voted to suspend Senator Nyenabo for "administrative ineptitude" and acts incompatible to his status, instead of removing him from the post as earlier anticipated in a resolution circulated among senators.
Following the suspension of Senator Nyenabo, Senators, those who opposed his removal argued that the Chairman on Executive, in person of Maryland County Senator Cllr, Musu Scott should act in keeping with their rules, but proponents of the removal scheme opposed it.
According to their rules, the Chairman on Executive who is third in line as far as the senate leadership is concerned, acts in an instant the president pro tempore is suspended or incapacitated by sickness.
However, the opposition block defeated the argument that the Chairman on Executive acts in the absence of the President Pro Tempore and resorted to holding elections.
The election for an Acting Pro Tempore should have been taken place last week, but Senator Isaac Nyenabo opposed the decision on grounds that it contravenes their rules, but his remonstrance made no difference.
LCC Intervention
The Liberian Council of Churches and other members of the society have endeavored to intervene in the matter to dissuade members of the Senate from going ahead with the decision, to bring to matter to an amicable solution.
More besides, other members of the largest society, have been appealing to Senators to see reasons to resolve the imbroglio as much satisfactory as possible
Despite these timely interventions, the senators remained resolute and went ahead with the plan, which has placed the county of Bomi in political advantage of dominance.
During Aug 19 session which produced Senator Lassanah ahead of others who opted for the position, Bishop W. Nah Dixon, former President of the LCC took the stance with the hope of dissuading the lawmakers but had to be told not to continue with his presentation because of harsh words he used.
Senator Adolphus Dolo and others took exception to the trend of his presentation and demanded the presiding chair to bring to the understanding that he had gone too far.
The Genesis
Last month, members of the Liberian Senate moved to punt Senator Nyenabo of his position. About 20 legislators of the 30-member Senate at the time appended their names and signatures to a resolution which seeks to remove Senator Nyenabo from office as President Pro Tempore, for various reasons, other than what was earlier alleged.
The Senate petitioners include Lahai Lansanah, James Momo, J. Jonathan Barney, Richard Devine, Mobutu Vlah Nyepan, Jewel Howard Taylor, Daniel F. Nathan and Prince Johnson.
Others are Abel Massaley, Fomba Kanneh, Sumo Kupee, Clarice Jah, Nathaniel Innis, Gbezohngar Findley, and Franklin Siakor, amongst many others. It was reported that the senators were planning to remove their leader because "he was in the purse of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf".
According to a July 19, 2008 resolution code-named, "Resolution By Two-Thirds Majority of the Liberian Senate Removing Isaac Nyenabo From Position of President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate," the senators accused him of "betrayal of singular trust."
In what observers referred to as "political misery" for Senator Nyenabo, the petitioners also claimed that their leader is no longer worthy of the post due to "gross administrative ineptitude."
In their petition, the senators claimed their action is consistent with Article 47 of the Liberian Constitution as well as the Standing Rules of the Liberian Senate.
"We, the undersigned duly seated Senators of the Liberian Senate of the 52nd Legislature, constituting two-thirds of the entire membership of the Liberian Senate, do hereby, conscientiously and unequivocally declare an irreversible and explicit Vote of No Confidence in the leadership of Senator Isaac Nyenabo as President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate, principally for gross administrative ineptitude," the senators declared in their petition, which is likely to be introduced today during Session.
The resolution also quoted them as noting that the 'Vote of no Confidence' has become imperatively necessary as a consequence of his (Senator Nyenabo's) betrayal of this singular trust of the Liberian Senate, which according to him is manifested by the many "administrative inadequacies, lapses and gaps.
But question then asked by observers is what are the specific wrongs of Senator Nyenabo as President Pro Tempore and why hadn't the senators called him to attention at the time they noticed the wrongs, which they are now holding him to.
It was also indicated in the resolution that Senator Nyenabo as President Pro Tempore has conducted "himself, both in the public and private domain, in manners and forms that have brought the integrity and credibility of the Liberian Senate into question."
According to them, they want to remove him because "his administrative ineptitude has also become glaring as a result of his failure to take responsibility for actions he initiates once said actions are brought to scrutiny.
With no ounce of specificity, the senators who affixed their signatures to the petition contended also that the action of their leader, on more than one occasions, caused the polarization of the Senate and engendered unnecessary bickering amongst senators.
Besides, the senators said, "... it is acknowledged beyond all reasonable doubts that the activities and utterances of Senator Isaac W. Nyenabo as President Pro Tempore have impugned on the moral rectitude of the Senate."
Moreover, they claimed, Senator Nyenabo has diminished the stature of the Senate by being pathological lair bent on devising schemes to keep unsuspecting senators at loggerheads with the sole intent of perpetuating "his failed leadership."
Due to these and many other allegations, the senators said they were seeking to depose their leader said
"We have resolved to dispossess Senator Isaac Nyenabo of the confidence which we earlier reposed in him. With this popular declaration, he shall cease to serve or function as President Pro Tempore," the petition said.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
