Former members of the Legislature, under the banner Concerned Members of the 53rd Legislature, honored Sen. Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence for her leadership over the short period as head of the Senate on Thursday.
Presenting the honor at the ceremony on behalf of the former lawmakers, Mr. Gabriel Buchanan Smith, former District #3 representative of Grand Bassa County, noted that the essence of observing such an honoring program was to recognize the exemplary leadership of Pro-Temp Karnga Lawrence. He noted that the group under the banner “Concerned Members of the 53rd Legislature” was established to collaborate with the current leadership with the aim of ensuring a better society for the Liberian people.
Former representative Smith further informed the Senate Pro-Tempore that as former lawmakers, they are impressed by the current level of improvements through a reform system set up under her leadership. Gowning the Pro-Tempore in a beautifully designed red, white, and blue Country cloth, the former lawmakers indicated that it was their way of giving Pro-Temp Karnga Lawrence a flower while she is still alive and admonished her to keep doing her best by those good things she has started to do at the Liberian Senate.
In response, Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence expressed gratitude to her former colleagues for such recognition, which she described as the first of its kind. Pro-Temp Karnga Lawrence also indicated to the former lawmakers that it is a new era and that it is time to work together in helping to develop the country. She further recommended that they, as lawmakers, are the only group of people with the knowledge to develop Liberia, given their experiences as lawmakers who have traveled in parts of the country with some of the most challenging conditions.
Pro-Temp said: “Let’s work together and fix this country; we are the only group of people that can do it,” Pro-Temp Karnga-Lawrence.
The very brief ceremony brought together several past and current lawmakers from both the 53rd and 55th Legislatures. Some of those in attendance from the 53rd Legislature include: Honorable Gabriel Buchanan Smith, former representative of District #3 Grand Bassa County; Solomon Claudius George, former representative, District #7 Montserrado County; Madame Josephine Francis, former representative of District #1 Montserrado County; William Varney Darkel, former representative of District #17 Montserrado County; Garrison Yealue, former Representative of District #3 Nimba County; and Moses Y. Kollie, former representative of District #5 Lofa County, among several other past lawmakers.
While Pro-Tempore in emeritus Albert Chie of Grand Kru-County, Senator James Biney of Maryland County, Senator Abraham Darius Dillon of Montserrado County, Senator Nathaniel Falo-McGill of Margibi County, Senator Prince Kemu-Moye, Jonny Kpehe, Senator Debbah Varpilah of Grand Cape Mount County, and Senator Augustine Chea of Sinoe County, amongst several others members of the 55th legislature.