Monrovia – As concerns about the whereabouts of Montserrado County’s District #9 Representative Munah Pelham-Youngblood heighten, the lawmaker has blasted a FrontPageAfrica reporter in retaliation to a recent news article.
An FPA article captioned, “Where is Munah Pelham?” has prompted the CDC lawmaker to react through her WhatsApp account.
In her text message to FPA reporter, the lawmaker described the story as “nonsense”, adding that the reporter is not a “serious journalist.
“Keep writing nonsense, I thought you were a serious journalist,” she wrote.
Upon reading the WhatsApp message, the lawmaker was also quizzed about her characterization of the reporter and she quickly responded.
“You will find out when God meets you unaware, continue writing lies,” she said.
Some constituents, who have been following the lawmaker’s reactions to the story on social media, claim that she is in good health but has decided to stay away from the district.
“If Honorable Pelham-Youngblood can respond to our comments on the social media and sometimes we see her posts on Facebook it means that she’s well and ok, the strength she’s using to post and respond to all these comments could be used to do our district’s work but how can a sick,” said Jeff Morris, a resident of Lakpazee,
Pelham-Youngblood has been out of session for nine consecutive months and even residents of her district do not know her whereabouts.
Neither the House of Representatives nor her family has made clarifications about her whereabouts.
Rule 21.1 of the House Standing Rules forbids any member from being absent from sessions for two weeks without obtaining approval from the Speaker and violators must be penalized in a manner deemed appropriate by the leadership in consultation with Plenary.
Rep. Youngblood, the youngest lawmaker who was once upon a time an eloquent and hard-hitting lawmaker, missed session for nine months – missing out from Monday, February 14 – Wednesday, October 9, 2019.
She chairs the House Committee on Executive. And had reportedly sought permission to seek medical attention in the United States in February this year; she has since been considered excused, causing her to miss out on the entire second sitting of the 54th Legislature.
It remains unknown when she would be returning to the country and to resume work at the Legislature.
There are reports that some constituents of her district are drafting a petition to declare her incapacitated, which means she is no longer medical fit to represent the district.