REPRESENTATIVE YEKEH KOLUBAH (Independent, District No. 10, Montserrado County) IS APPEARING before the Ministry of Justice Monday to offer clarity over what his intentions and motivations were when he made a statement to supporters on Sunday, April 14, 2019, suggesting “change of government by means other constitutional.”
Perceptions that all hands are not equal under the law, spells doom. It is one the Weah-led government could avoid. The truth of the matter is that all of these side attractions drives away investors, and lessens their confidence in doing business in Liberia. It spells danger and sends a message that rule of law is non-existent and citizens, particularly those languishing at the bottom of the economic ladder, have lost faith in the justice system.
JUSTICE MINISTER FRANK Musah Dean, in a communication to the lawmaker last week noted that the lawmaker is on record to have said, inter alia: “We will move and they will solve the problem; too much, enough is enough… when you need us tomorrow, we will be available to tell this president, this squatter, will soon be leaving in less than three months because he does not able this country anymore. If they want violence, we will give them violence”.
REP. KOLUBAH, in a VOA Daybreak Africa Monday said he is unsure what the ministry is hoping to get out of him but he stands by what he said, guided by the constitution. “We don’t know what will be discussed there but I received a communication citing me to appear there. So, I’m going to respect the justice ministry and respect the rule of law, meet the minister and we will start up from there. Anything got to do with me going to court for what I have said is in line with the constitution, I am going to respect it.”
THE LAWMAKER explains that his statement regarding the removal of the president in three months was in reference to an impeachment bill he has been proffering since last August. “I said, the President will be gone in three months, I was making reference to the bill of impeachment that I have because I think in my mind and by law, the impeachment bill will go on the floor in two to three months, we will be finish with the impeachment of this president,” Rep. Kolubah said Monday.
THE SUMMONING of Rep. Kolubah for questioning comes in the aftermath of the recent impeachment of Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh.
IRONICALLY, the three main players involved in that quest – House Speaker Bophal Chambers, Representatives’ Acarous Moses Gray(CDC, District No. 8, Montserrado County) and Rep. Thomas Fallah(CDC, District No. 5, Montserrado) have already expressed their support to the impeachment of Rep. Kolubah who has been one of the key critics of the ruling CDC government and himself pushing an impeachment line against the President.
REP. KOLUBAH stands accused of making ‘reckless and insulting comments’ against the president. “He will either be suspended if he is lucky, or expelled based on Rule 40 of the House’s Rules and Procedures,” Rep. Fallah said last week.
ACCORDING TO THE DISTRICT No. 5 lawmaker, majority members of the House, at least 49 members, in accordance to the House’s Rules and Procedures, will either suspend or expel Rep. Kolubah for ‘bad conduct and undesirable acts.’
REP. FALLAH URGED Rep. Kolubah, to desist from raining insults and bringing the Honorable House of Representatives [into disrepute] and, if he does not desist and continues, he will be suspended and, when bad-lucky, he will be expelled”.
TELLING THE LAWMAKER TO limit his advocacy on policy issues, including the economy, health and other basic social issues, Rep. Fallah cautioned Rep. Kolubah against raising unsubstantial issues and raining insults, which casts a dark cloud on the Legislature and the government.
IRONICALLY, REP. GRAY was amongst the key critics of former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf
GRAY HIMSELF was a key critic of former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, playing a familiar role now being played by Rep. Kolubah.
IN FEBRUARY 2012, REP. GRAY took the former president to task as he threatened to bring impeachment proceedings against Sirleaf for what he called aiding and abetting cheating during the country’s 2005 presidential election.
PRESIDENT SIRLEAF, who was attending the U.N. General Assembly in New York, reportedly told a forum at a public school in New York’s Harlem community that she was aware that women who supported her during the 2005 election confiscated the voting cards of their children fearing, if they did do so, their children would vote for rival George Weah. Sirleaf also reportedly said women told her that “they did some unorthodox things.”
AT THE TIME, Rep. Gray said, President Sirleaf had engaged in a criminal matter in Liberia to deprive people of their right to vote and the President’s admission, confirmed his party’s claims the 2005 election was fraudulent. “The oath of office says she [the president] should uphold and defend the constitution of the Republic Liberia and all other laws. If groups of people stole voter registration cards from their children at night and they confessed to her, many years have come and gone, and the president did not take action, it is a criminal matter to deprive people of their voting rights. So, it means the president was in full support. She aided and abetted the process, and the president refused, as the executor of the law, to have some charges against those who were involved,” Gray said.
SIMILARLY, REP. KOLUBAH, last August commenced his impeachment chatter of the current President Weah, who succeeded Sirleaf last January.
WHILE WE agree to some extent with the Minister, we hope that the lawmaker will receive the same treatment as the ex-rebels who threatened talk-show host Henry Costa and Rep. Kolubah last week.
THE LAWMAKER SAID his quest for impeachment of President Weah was triggered by what he termed alleged violations of the Liberian Constitution by the President. “What is best in the interest of the Liberian people is that the President, Ambassador George Weah should be impeached on grounds that he has violated all of the laws of the country,” Representative Kolubah told legislative reporters at the time. “The President is telling the Liberian people to hold their heart and be patient with his administration but then he is building all of his properties around here, I think he should be holding his heart and stop building and address the needs of the Liberian people,” Representative Kolubah stressed.
THREATS OF IMPEACHMENT which appear to be making the rounds on a consistent basis, over the last year is unproductive for Liberia’s bourgeoning democracy.
IT IS ALWAYS a good thing for any Liberian to exercise their constitutional rights to speak out against the ills of society and those at the top of the government hierarchy. However, it is totally wrong for anyone to attempt to chastised and threatened a sitting lawmaker, critical of the government of the day.
IF IT IS PROVEN that the lawmaker indeed issue threats against the President, it warrants some looking into and requires clarity on Rep. Kolubah’s part. However, where we find it troubling, is when those in power adapts a somewhat unfair posture in bringing folks to book for similar reasons.
LAST WEEK, a group of former rebels held a press conference, taking aim at Rep. Kolubah and talk-show host Henry Costa, going as far as demanding Rep. Kolubah will be arrested by them if he fails to surrender himself to them.
APPEARING ON THE VOA Monday, the government’s chief spokesman, Information Minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe explained that the government has a legitimate reason seeking clarity from the lawmaker. “The reason for this citation is very simple – in fact Rep. Kolubah was very specific in the statement, he said the President would not be in power in three months- and that has caused a lot of incitement. So, the minister of justice has called him in for him to clarify these statements.”
WHILE WE agree to some extent with the Minister, we hope that the lawmaker will receive the same treatment as the ex-rebels who threatened talk-show host Henry Costa and Rep. Kolubah last week.
IN THE MINISTER’S OWN WORDS, the government received complaints and the ex-rebels have apologized. “No citizen of Liberia has made any complaint to any authority regarding a particular threat by any particular former general.”
SO, WE HOPE THAT after Rep. Kolubah’s appearance, the soft treatment afforded the ex-rebels will be afforded him in the fashion of equality and fair-play, key ingredients necessary to maintain Liberia’s post-war peach.
IF THE GOVERNMENT is saying that because the ex-rebels were summoned by the solicitor general, made their apology and went on their merry way, Liberians and international stakeholders expect the same when Rep. Kolubah appears.
PERCEPTIONS THAT ALL hands are not equal under the law, spells doom. It is one the Weah-led government could avoid.
THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER is that all of these side attractions drives away investors, and lessens their confidence in doing business in Liberia.
IT SPELLS DANGER and sends a message that rule of law is non-existent and citizens, particularly those languishing at the bottom of the economic ladder, have lost faith in the justice system.
ALREADY, businesses are struggling, the rate is climbing and many Liberians appear unhappy with the way things are proceeding. The last thing the Weah-led government needs is yet another bloody nose – and noise over Yekeh Kolubah, especially with the June 7th protest lurking in the wind.