Monrovia – A well-placed source in the Senate, who is also a member of the Senate’s Defense Committee, has confided in FrontPageAfrica that confirmation request made for Tarplah Davis alias Zoely Zoe, for the position of Deputy Defense Minister for Operations, has been met with strong resistance from the majority of committee members.
According to our source, several committee and non-committee members opposed and warned against the confirmation of Davis in fear of public criticism and anger. Nevertheless, anything to the contrary could not be unprecedented as this same chamber has witnessed many dramatic U-turns in confirmation proceedings.
“It will be strange if the committee recommends any favorable report for the Deputy Defense Minister-designate because there is strong resistance against his confirmation.”
In July of 2019, Grand Kru County Senator, Peter Coleman, admitted in public that confirmation of most presidential nominees for government positions are often not based on merits, rather on sympathy and influence.
Speaking Monday, July 8, 2019, during the confirmation hearing of former Senator Blamo Nelson, than Ambassador-designate to Japan, Sen. Coleman said in many cases Senators have had to “swallow bitter pills to confirm nominees”.
“Mr. Nominee, let me take this time to congratulate you for your preferment, you know many times we are coerced to swallow the bitter pills to accept some of the nominees who are average and some are not average,” he said during the confirmation.
The revelation from Senator Coleman came days after the Senate’s Committee on Banking and Currency recommended to plenary to reject James Dennis, Timothy Thomas and Richard Dolley, who were nominated as Board members on the Board of Governors of the Central Bank of Liberia.
“It will be strange if the committee recommends any favorable report for the Deputy Defense Minister-designate because there is strong resistance against his confirmation.”
– Legislative source
Controversial Facebook Post
A controversial Facebook post in which Mr. Tarplah Z. Davis, President George Manneh Weah’s nominee for the position of Deputy Defense Minister for Operations, threatened to “kill” would-be protesters of the ‘Weah Step Down Campaign’ and critics of the President, has come back to haunt the nominee with Senators taking keen interest in the threats made on the post which went viral when it was released last year.
Appearing before the Senate’s Defense and Intelligence Committee last Wednesday, Mr. Davis lied under oath as he sought to distance himself from the Facebook Live post. In the live video session, Mr. Davis promised to defend the government of President Weah, his family and others with plans intended to thwart or go against the Liberian Constitution.
“The symbol of everything that I have worked for personally is in Liberia. And I told people, anybody tries my property, I will kill them. I have said it and will continue to say it openly,” he stated.
The nominee added: “I, Zoely Zoe or Tarplah Z. Davis, will never ever sit down in this America when Henry Costa and his likes who are thinking about covertly overthrowing the Government of Liberia and thinking about looting the resources of our country. When they carry out their wicked plan, I will not sit in this America and witness my country in chaos. I will defend my properties, I will defend my government and people, I will defend my family and do everything possible to ensure that those people who have their devilish intention of trying to subvert the Constitution, their plans are reverted and the Constitution will take over. I will never even accept any undemocratic removal of President George Manneh Weah. If it causes me to risk my life, I will do so.”
Wednesday confirmation drama
On Wednesday, the nominee, in a non-apologetic posture, averred: “Honorable Senators, I have a history of being involved in student politics. My first protest was the LINSU protest. Why would I as a former student leader, say, I will harm people who want to protest. I cherish the rights given to people by the constitution so I am not associated with that people may have their own personal reasons why they disseminated such information of that nature.”
Senator Conmany Wesseh (River Gee County), a member of the committee, expressed disappointment in the soldier’s attempt to lie under oath.
According to them, Mr. Davis’ comments struck fear. “You scare us and because you scare us too much you really need to go for de-traumatization first. You really need that and you would have saved yourself the embarrassment, if you had told President Weah that you are not ready for this position.”
In more disappointing tone, Senator Wesseh said to the nominee: “To be honest with you, I would think that you will do this country a favor by getting out of that thing. Don’t put us through the embarrassment of rejecting you because what I have read from you and what you have indicated is that you are not suitable for the position.”