Liberia: National Teachers Association Leadership Faces Court Battle

The Sixth Judicial Circuit Court of Montserrado County under the gavel of Judge J. Kennedy Peabody has placed a preliminary injunction against the President of the National Teachers Association of Liberia Mary Nyumah, and the Treasure of the Association, Nathaniel Tobah.

Court records say the preliminary injunction derives from the case of action of declaration filed by the majority bloc of the national executive committee of the NTAL.

According to the court, the petitioners include Brown Bardee, Vice President of NTAL southeastern region; James Miller, Vice President, north/central region; and Albertha Fagan-Coker, Assistant National Coordinator, who is also a non-teaching staff.

Others are Darkpay Johnson, private school representative; Daniel Dargba, National Coordinator and non-teaching staff; Erison Boakai, Principal Representative; and Margret Flomo, immediate past President, NTAL.

The writ also prohibits Madam Nyumah and Mr. Tobah from any form of interference with the NTAL's accounts at the International Bank of Liberia, the Liberia Bank for Development and Investment and the United Bank of Africa, respectively.

The writ summoned Madam Nyuman and Mr. Tobah, both of whom are respondents and all the petitioners for May 14, 2022, and warns that failure to appear will render default judgment on any of the parties.

The petitioners in a seven-count alleged that they the majority bloc have passed a vote of no confidence in respondents Mary Nyumah and Nathaniel Tobah because of alleged financial malpractices, impropriety and administrative malfeasance.

They also maintained that they have invoked Article V of the NTAL Constitution that states, among others, that that two-thirds of the current 11voting members of the national executive committee can call an emergency meeting, whereas 50 percent plus one of the members with voting rights or six members of the current NEC constitutes a quorum.

According to the petitioners, the act by co-respondent Mary Nyumah to allegedly shield the financial officer and head of the NTAL administration from being audited for the past four years, coupled with disregard for the financial policy and the NTAL constitution to the extent that she allegedly withdrew money from the Association's account without accountability and converted same into her personal use.

The writ of injunction contends that Madam Nyumah chose to suspend without salary the Secretary-General, contrary to by-laws and constitution of the NTAL, and elected to maliciously include the names of the majority members of the executive committee without their full knowledge, which is fraudulent and falsification.

The petitioners, therefore, prayed the court to grant the respondents to give an account of money withdrawn from the NTAL account and begged the court to prevent them from running the today-today operation of the Association, pending the determination of the case.

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