Monrovia – Senator Nyounblee Karnga Lawrence has returned to the Capitol after a long period of mourning the death of her late husband, Representative Adolph Lawrence, who died in a tragic motor accident on the Robertsfield highway.
The late Rep. Lawrence was in his second term as lawmaker for the people of District #15 of Montserrado County.
The couples will go down in legislative history as the first couple lawmakers in the Liberian Legislature. Mourning her husband’s death has been a difficult period especially after she was just recovering from the loss of her close colleague Senator Geraldine Doe-Sheriff. Sen. Doe Sheriff was the other female in the Senate.
Senator Karnga now stands as a lone female Senator amongst 29 males and one of the few with strong views on national issues. She has a huge task of convincing 29 male lawmakers to listen to what she has to offer especially as it relates to issues that directly affect women.
As the political leader of the opposition Liberty Party, she faces a daunting task of contesting for re-election in Grand Bassa County.
As a sign of love for their boss who has faced one of the toughest challenges in life, staffer of the capitol building specifically the Senate, organized a welcoming program for her. For them it was a way to soften the grounds for their senator, who was returning to a working environment that she has gotten used to seeing her husband daily when he was alive.
At the welcoming program, the Senator thanked the staffers for the surprised welcome program. She could not hold back her emotions about national issues.
As a politician, she spoke of how the country is at a critical stage that needs the involvement of all Liberians to set it back on the right trajectory.
According to her, the “illegal” impeachment of former Associate Justice Kabineh M. Ja’neh from the Supreme Court Bench by the Senate has rendered the Judiciary not independent and it showed a “compromised legislature”.
“We are at a very critical stage in this country; when the Senate took the decision to carry out an unconstitutional impeachment of the Justice of the Supreme Court, we send out a sign that the Judiciary is not independent. It also showed that the legislature has been compromised.
“These by-elections in Montserrado County showed us leaders that our powers have been taken away from us by the people. They are telling us that they will take the lead to restructure this country by bringing on board the right people.”
She further said because of the support shown her by the staff, she is reinvigorated and will be stronger in performing her duties as a Senator. Attending the welcomed ceremony too, Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor calls on Liberians to unite and work for Liberia, so that history can judge them for their contributions to society and the legacy they leave. “It is about Liberia, and Liberia should be last, Liberia should be second and Liberia should be last.”
