Monrovia – Record in possession of FrontPage Africa shows that President George Manneh Weah’s nomination for Associate Justice to replace retired Justice Philip A.Z. Banks, III took 31 excuses to seek medical treatment in 2016.
Report by Bettie K. Johnson-Mbayo, [email protected]
That year’s Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD)’s scorecard for senators, shows that the Sinoe Senator, Cllr. Joseph Nagbe (Alliance for Peace and Democracy-APD), was present 43 times, six absents, and 31 sick leave, which amount to 55.13 percent of appearance.
IREDD graded him ‘F,’ and added that the Senator only appeared 72 times in debates and filed no motion either did he propose any bill.
Records obtained on the sitting sessions of the 54th Legislature also show that Sen. Nagbe has been absent six times out of 15 Legislative sittings.
From May to July 2018, the record shows that the Senator was present on the 24th and 31st of May. On June 11th, 14th, 19th and 26th, he was present. The records also show that he attended session on July 5th, 9th, 12th, and 19th. There are no records available for all the other days. However, a source at the Senate disclosed: “This could mean that he was either absent or on medical leave again.”
The health concern of the Sinoe Senator remains one of the major concerns of many as to whether he is fit to replace Justice Banks, who was always very punctual and never used the elevator but always took the stairs to get to the fifth floor of the Temple of Justice.
In an interview recently, the Associate Justice-designate was asked if he will be punctual as per his record, he answered, “One institution that does not joke with time is the Judiciary. One thing as a lawyer you should be punctual unless you didn’t practice law.”
He said lawyers could lose their case for failure to be punctual adding that law goes with time. “Punctuality is a requirement of law.
He boasted that he is physically fit warning reporters to desist from reporting on the status of someone’s health. “In your profession as a journalist don’t highlight the sickness of somebody because you are not above it, it can happen to you anytime.”
According to him, those raising the issue of health are playing politics.
“When I hear it, I laugh because no one is above health issue. I leave my house 7 am; at my house, every 5 a.m. I am up. Someone who is not physically fit will not do that because they cannot get sick I feel for them.
“Life is a combination of good health and bad health, the two constitutes life.”
“Sometimes we wake up to the death news of someone who was not sick, but me who is been considered sick, I am still living, because I know my health issue and I know it is treatable and they don’t know anything about their health.”
“Those who are raising the health issues are weaklings, confront my academic preparedness so the debate shouldn’t be about my health, health issue should not be played with.”
The Associate Justice-designate bragged of long-term relationship with Weah, adding: “He knows me personally.”