Liberia: Senator Joseph Nagbe Hinted As Replacement for Justice Phillip Banks

Monrovia – Sinoe County Senator Milton Teahjay has unknowingly leaked who might just replace Associate Justice Phillip A. Z. Banks, who is set to resign from the Supreme Court of Liberia in June 2018 when he clocks 70.

Report by Henry Karmo, [email protected]

Senator Teahjay, who is a carefree talker, unknowingly gave the hint about who is tipped to replace Justice Banks on the Supreme Court’s Bench when he claimed that he will soon be the only Senator of Sinoe County while making a motion during Thursday session after he was recognized by Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, who presided.

“I will soon be the only Sinoe County Senator after all people will not be here forever as my colleague prepares to transition to the other side,” Teahjay said.

Senator Joseph Nagbe didn’t deny nor confirm it when this newspaper contacted him. However, he told our reporter in a telephone conversation; “Leave that when I come to town we will discuss that.”

Justice Philips Banks of the Supreme Court Bench is expected in June of 2018 to retire from the bench of the Supreme Court as he reached the constitutional retirement age of 70 for all justices.

Justice Banks was in 2011 commissioned on Friday, September 2, 2011 by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to serve on the Bench of the Supreme Court after serving as   former Justice Minister and outgoing Chairman of the Law Reform Commission.

If the hint is anything to go by, there would be a by-election in Sinoe County. With the already challenge of funding the pending by-elections in Bong and Montserrado Counties, the President might want to look another way.

The Sinoe lawmaker is the current Co-chair on the Senate’s Committee on Judiciary second to Cllr. Senator Varney Sherman of Grand Cape Mount County who chairs the committee.