Liberia: Communications Officer at Governance Commission Reportedly Hired on Senator Milton Teahjay’s Recommendation

MONROVIA – FrontPageAfrica has gathered that one of the confidants of Sinoe County Senator, J. Milton Teahjay identified as Hugh Bladee was reportedly employed by Cllr. A. Ndubuisi Nwabudike when he was heading the Governance Commission.

Cllr. Nwabudike up to press time on Wednesday failed to answer phone calls or text messages seeking comments on the latest development.

FrontPageAfrica gathered from Bladee’s Facebook profile that he has been in the employ of the Governance Commission since November 2019 as a Communications Specialist.

Though FrontPageAfrica could not establish family ties between Bladee and Sen. Teahjay, it was observed that he has been a very close confidant of the Sinoe County Senator. He also often used his Facebook page for the promotion of the Senator.

FrontPageAfrica gathered from sources at the Governance Commission that the position was advertised with several persons applying including Bladee who was shortlisted and sat an interview.

However, our source within the Governance Commission further informed FPA that based on the influence of Sen. Teahjay, the commissioners were prevailed upon have Bladee taken for the job.

This revelation comes at a time when Sen. Teahjay had revealed to FrontPageAfrica that the heads of various committees at the Liberian Senate often enter into agreement with presidential nominees for job positions in their respective ministries and agencies for which they have been nominated.

He said, “I have a kind of tradition in my office which is when I am confirming people, I tell them the truth that we are the ones giving them the job, because if we don’t, they will not get the job. So, by God’s grace if we succeed in confirming them, they will have to help me with one or two names in their agency they are going to for employment. That corruption pa I get it, I can’t lie because me that’s how young people with me survive, I don’t run country and ministries.”

He made the statement, which the Liberian Senate is yet to distance itself from, while answering to a FrontPageAfrica inquiry that he allegedly received bribe in the tone of US$20,000 from Cllr. Nwabudike to have him confirmed as the Chairman of the National Elections Commission.

Sen. Teahjay denied the allegation, stating, “To say Milton Teahjay showed his hands and someone gave him five dollars, that’s not true. People always try to find way to be destroy people’s character. If I wanted money, Nwabudike would have been confirmed.”

FrontPageAfrica was reliably informed by sources at the Senate that Senator Teahjay who headed Committee on Autonomous Agencies was removed from the Committee based on the allegation.

The Senate Pro-Tempore informed FrontPageAfrica Sen. Teahjay’s removal from the Committee was part of a regular routine at the Senate.

However, in a Memo from the office of Pro-Tempore Albert Chie dated June 30, Teahjay’s committee appear to be the only committee affected by the sudden change in senate leadership.

In the pro-Temp’s Memo, part of his reason for the changes was to bring some vigor to the oversight responsibility of the senate. “Please be informed that in accordance with the standing rules of the Liberian Senate, I have affected changes to the composition of some of the non-statutory committees of the Senate. These changes take effect as of July 1, 2020 and are intended to bring vigor to the oversight responsibility of the Senate.”

“I have a kind of tradition in my office which is when I am confirming people, I tell them the truth that we are the ones giving them the job, because if we don’t, they will not get the job. So, by God’s grace if we succeed in confirming them, they will have to help me with one or two names in their agency they are going to for employment. That corruption pa I get it, I can’t lie because me that’s how young people with me survive, I don’t run country and ministries.”

– Senator J. Milton Teahjay (UP, Sinoe County)

As per the rule, each committee chairman should serve for the period of three years. Known as one tough provocative individual, it is believed that the Sinoe County senator has accepted the decision by the Pro-Temp to end his tenure even before its three years expiration date.

Rule 15 Section 2 of the Senate standing rule gives the Senate Pro-Tempore the power to appoint co-chairpersons and members of the leadership committees. “He/she shall also appoint the Chairpersons, Co-Chair-persons and members of all Standing, Conference and Ad Hoc Committees.”

Also, in Rule 43 Section 5, Removal of Regular Standing Committees Chair-persons and Member of any Committee: “The chairpersons, co-chairpersons and members of any Committee of the Liberian Senate may be removed for cause as determined by the Senate Leadership Committee.”

Meanwhile, Sen. Teahjay has filed a libel suit of US$4.7 million in damages against FrontPageAfrica for reporting that he allegedly received bribe from Cllr. Nwabudike.

The Sinoe County Senator in his complaint to the court stated “Plaintiff says that Defendants are liable to Plaintiff in damages unless they can prove the truthfulness of the libelous publication or otherwise prove that they were not in reckless disregard for the facts when they published or caused to be published the respective stories deliberately laced with misinformation and falsehood.”

Throughout the 13 counts document filed before the Civil Law Court, Sen. Teahjay denied receiving bribe from Cllr. Nwabudike.

He alleged that FrontPageAfrica, its Editor-in-Chief, Rodney Sieh and Reporter Henry Karmo “interspersed their story with partial verbatim quotations and other inconsistent facts, truncated some paragraphs and deliberately inserted, instead, misinformation of their own to make their story look genuine.”  This, he alleged, was intended to maliciously malign, defame and expose him to potential injury to his person, and even death and to also injure his reputation and political career in Liberia and elsewhere around the globe.

He prayed the court to grant US$1 million for general damages to include emotional pains and sufferings, emotional distress, psychological pains and sufferings.

He also wants US$1 million each for damages for allegedly exposing him to local and international anger, grave injury to his political interests and career, the risk of injury to his person or death, aggregating a total of US$3 million.

Also, he is claiming damages of US$250,000 each for punitive damages aggregating US$750,000 plus costs of court against FrontPageAfrica.