Monrovia – Booked in another smelly Global Witness Report, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, J. Alex Tyler and some of his cohorts in the House of Representatives have been named as owners of logging companies that have lied, cheated and stolen from the Liberian people through illegal logging activities.

Report by Lennart Dodoo – ldodoo@frontpageafricaonline.com

“All of Liberia’s large logging contracts are fundamentally illegal, a fact that if not addressed immediately could undermine the important work being undertaken by the government and its partners to ensure Liberia’s forests do not again fuel conflict and corruption.

“Global Witness has collected evidence demonstrating that logging companies are illegally owned or controlled by politicians such as House of Representatives members Alex Tyler, Moses Kollie, and Ricks Toweh” – Global Witness (Full report)

There are evidence, according to the new report – Holding The Line – that the companies behind four of Liberia’s logging contracts are illegally owned or controlled by Liberian legislators or members of their families.

“All of Liberia’s large logging contracts are fundamentally illegal, a fact that if not addressed immediately could undermine the important work being undertaken by the government and its partners to ensure Liberia’s forests do not again fuel conflict and corruption.

“Global Witness has collected evidence demonstrating that logging companies are illegally owned or controlled by politicians such as House of Representatives members Alex Tyler, Moses Kollie, and Ricks Toweh,” the Global Witness

One of such companies, according to the report, is the International Consultants Capital (ICC) which is partly-owned by Representatives Moses Kollie and Tyler.

Tyler, the report said, denied being a shareholder in the company, despite the 2007 Articles of Incorporation of the company shows Tyler as a 15 percent shareholder of ICC, while Rep. Kollie owns 6 percent shares.

“Other company documents show that Liberian Tree & Trading Co. is controlled by the wife of Representative Ricks Toweh.

Additionally, real ownership information for companies behind six contracts – including those owned or controlled by Representatives Toweh, Kollie, and Tyler – was not reported to LEITI as required when the agency was compiling its 2015 Beneficial Ownership Report,” the report noted.

LEITI is the Liberia Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative which is a global coalition of governments, companies and civil society working together to improve transparency and accountability in the management of revenues from natural resources.

The six illegally awarded contracts include: FMCA which was awarded to Alpha Logging and Wood Processing, Inc. in a bidding process believed to be flawed with violations of the Forestry Development Authority Regulations.

FMC B: Contract awarded to EJ&J Investment Corp. EJ&J is operated by Mandra Forestry Liberia Ltd. (Mandra), according to the Global Witness.

“In 2008, Companies bidding for FMC B (and FMC A and FMC C) came to an agreement with two FDA officials that the final contract payment terms would be changed so as to reduce the companies’ financial obligations to the government by 96 percent.

Following their approval by the FDA Board but prior to being signed by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, the terms of these FMC contracts were changed in line with this agreement.

It is possible that EJJ was one of the companies negotiating this agreement as subsequent changes to financial obligations were made to EJJ FMC B. Such a deal was illegal as only a committee appointed by the Inter Ministerial Concessions Committee can negotiate a logging contract,” Global Witness.

FMC C: Contract Awarded To Liberia Tree & Trading Company, Inc. operated By Mandra Forestry Liberia Ltd. (Mandra). As of April 2012, Nyunyn Toweh – wife of Representative Ricks Toweh – was Acting President of LTTC, and as of August 2016 remained the company’s main point of contact.

As early as 2008 and possibly as late as March 2012, LTTC was headed by Representative Ricks Toweh himself. Representative Toweh took his seat in the Liberian Legislature in January 2012.

LTTC was awarded FMC C in 2008. It is illegal for Liberian Legislators or their family members to hold logging contracts.

Contract FMC F awarded to Euro-Liberia Logging Co. (Euro) – in 2015, logging companies were required to provide LEITI with a list of their ultimate, or “beneficial” owners. Euro failed to provide such a report to LEITI.

Contract FMC I was awarded to Geblo Logging INC. (GEBLO) operated by Plant Pool Liberia Inc.

As of November 2016, Geblo owed the Liberian government US$ 4,387,070 in rental fees and arrears from previously-unpaid fees for FMC I. The company has consistently failed to pay its financial obligations since it was first awarded its contract, in 2009.

International Consultant Capital (ICC) operated by Forest Venture Inc. was awarded FMC K. This contract was awarded to the company despite members of the House of Representatives were listed as shareholders in its Articles of Incorporation.

Atlantic Resources Liberia (ARL) was awarded contract FMC P, despite in 2009, the company colluded with a second company – Southeast Resources, which shares management and finances with ARL – to bid for an FMC contract. Both companies submitted their bids for the contract in the same envelope.

CFMA 1 license was awarded to Neezonnie-Gbao Community; sub-contracted to A & M Enterprises Inc. and operated by Liberian Hardwood Corp. 

The Community Forestry Management Body (CFMB) did not prepare the CFMA. The CFMA was signed in August 2011, but the CFMB was not created until May 2013, 20 months later. A CFMA is invalid if it is not prepared by a CFMB.

CFMA 2: License awarded To Blouquia Community; Sub-Contracted to A&M Enterprises Inc. (AM).

CFMA 3: License awarded To Bluyeama Community; Sub-Contracted to Sing Africa Plantations Liberia Inc. (Sing).

The CFMB did not prepare the CFMA. The CFMA was signed in January 2012, but the CFMB was not created until March 2012, two months later.107 A CFMA is invalid if it is not prepared by a CFMB.

Key Findings in the Report

Companies are hiding their owners. In an effort to root out corrupt deals, the Liberian government requires logging companies to declare their real, or “beneficial,” owners.

However, in 2015 when the government demanded this information, the companies behind half of Liberia’s logging contracts ignored the demand: five failed to provide the government with any information, while one company filed incorrect data, hiding that it is actually owned by powerful politicians.

Companies are failing to pay their taxes, currently owing an immense US$25 million to the cash-strapped Liberian government, which if paid would amount to nearly five percent of Liberia’s entire budget. 

Companies have illegally-manipulated their logging data on a massive scale, concealing how many trees they are actually felling.

Companies are co-opting community forest licenses – government permits designed help rural people manage their forests.

Evidence shows that five large community licenses have been awarded illegally, with companies encouraging people who do not represent communities to obtain licenses for large forests without first doing necessary mapping and socio-economic surveys.

Liberia is home to 40 percent of West Africa’s best remaining forest, the Upper Guinean Rainforest. During Liberia’s civil war, which ended in 2003, logging companies propped up the regime of Charles Taylor and trafficked arms.  

Following the war, Liberia and its partners – including the EU, Norway, the US, and the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative – worked to reform the sector.

These reforms have resulted in both better laws and increased government capacity, but also in new logging licenses covering ten percent of the country,  

“Liberia’s forest reform programmes have been good for the country and should be supported,” said Gant.

“But the Liberian government and international donors must also face up to the fact that big logging companies are corrupting Liberia in a way which threatens to unravel progress on the country’s hard-fought gains.”    

Hold the Line also describes how Liberia and its partners can confront illegal logging companies and ensure that their reform programs work. Key among these recommendations are: 

EU, which has signed a treaty with Liberia promoting trade in legal timber called a Voluntary Partnership Agreement, should make clear it will not allow timber from Liberia’s current large contracts into Europe.

Norway, which has signed a US$ 150 million deal with Liberia promoting community forestry and conservation, should ensure Liberia investigates and cancels illegal contracts as the country promised in the deal.

The Liberian Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, which requires natural resource companies to declare their real, or “beneficial,” owners, should penalize companies that have failed to report or reported incorrect ownership information.

Monrovia – The Special Presidential Taskforce set up to investigate former and current government officials indicted for bribery in the Global Witness Report has amended its indictment.

This is the second indictment expected to be filed by the Special Presidential Task Force against the defendants who have been accused of allegedly receiving bribes to change the Public Procurement Concessions Commission (PPCC) Act to award concession agreements in favor of a British Company, Sable Mining, to mine the Wologisi Mountain in Lofa County.

The first indictment filed by the task force against the defendants who are currently on bail was filed in May and November 2016 respectively.

Those named in the amended indictment are former House Speaker Alex Tyler, Grand Cape Mount County Senator Varney Sherman, former Deputy Lands Mines and Energy Minister E.C.B. Jones, and businessman, Christopher Onanuga.

Others also named are former boss of the National Investment Commission (NIC), Richard Tolbert; Andrew Groves and Klaus Piprek of Sable Mining; former Land & Mines Minister Eugene Shannon; former Minister of State Morris Saytumah, and Wille Belleh, former Chairman of the PPCC.

The Special Task Force Chief Prosecutor, Daku Mulbah in his motion filed to the Criminal Court “C” at the Temple of Justice on February 8, 2017 prayed the Court for count 1, 2, 3, 4, & 5 of the May 24, 2016 indictment against the defendants to be amended.

“The criminal statute provides that the court shall permit an indictment or complaint to be amended at any stage of the proceeding to correct a formal defect,” said Cllr Mulbah.

Cllr. Mulbah stated that defendant Sherman encouraged and influenced Sable Mining to pay out money to public officials in the amount of about US$600,000 into accounts at the First International Bank, while during the period of 2010-2011 Sable Mining transferred to Sherman thru the Sherman & Sherman Law Firm the amount of US$440,000.00 as bribe to influence officials to change the PPCC Law of 2005.

Also in April 2010, US$200,000 was allegedly paid by Sable Mining to Sherman for the convention of the ruling Unity Party (UP) while US$50,000 was paid to Richard Tolbert former Chairman of NIC, US $50,000.00 paid to Morris Saytumah and US$50,000 paid to Klaus Pripek.

According to Mulbah  in June 6, 2010 a payment of US$10,000 was paid to Willie Belleh, E.C.B. Jones got US$250,00, former Speaker Tyler demanded US$250,000 but was paid US$75,000.00 for the smooth passage of the PPCC Act.

Cllr. Mulbah continued that Andrew Groves was one of the principal master-minds of the entire scheme and businessman Christopher Onanuga consulted, advised and conspired with Sherman to induce government officials.

“Wherefore and in view of the foregoing, movant (person filing motion to the court) prays your honor to grant movant’s motion to amend indictments and grant unto movant any and all relief equitable and just,” said Cllr. Mulbah’s motion.

However, lawyers for the defendant have acknowledged receipt of the motion and promised to file their resistance in the coming days.

Monrovia – Partisans of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) are parading principal streets of Monrovia with coffins which they say signifies the end of Unity Party’s rule.

Report by Edwin G. Genoway – edwin.genoway@frontpageafricaonline.com

Walking from the top of Ducor – Monrovia’s highest point (geographically) to the Oldest Congo Town where the party’s headquarters is located – about two hours walk with the coffin on their heads.

The procession was led by the CDC’s youth chair Jeferson Kojii of the men dressed in black with red caps.

Speaking to FrontPageAfrica, Koijii said the coffins represent the expiration of Sirleaf and Boakai’s regime.

“They must go alone with all of their corrupt officials in government.

The Liberian people tired with the all of the corruption and wickedness in government. We must burry them with their mother Madam Sirleaf in these caskets,” he said.

With the coffins on their heads, the men in black chanted: ‘Corrupt officials must be buried in this casket”; “It’s our time; go, go Ellen go, go with your big, big lie.”

The procession with the coffin was received rousingly at the party’s headquarters where citizens are gathering in anticipation of knowing who would be George Weah’s running mate.

Monrovia – Leader of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), George M. Weah, will today be announcing his vice standard bearer ahead of the October elections.

Report by Edwin Genoway – edwin.genoway@frontpageafricaonline.com

While Senator Weah has not given any clue of who is running mate would be, Bong County Senator Jewel Howard-Taylor who was a couple of weeks ago elected as standard bearer of the National Patriotic Party (NPP) is the favorite.

The NPP and the Liberia People Democratic Party (LPDP) headed by former Speaker J. Alex Tyler in November 2016.

Also eyeing the vice standard bearer position was Nathaniel Barnes who failed to win the confidence of the delegates at the recently held NPP national convention.

Former Speaker Tyler whose has been keeping his cool is also said to be ogling the position. 

The Deputy Secretary General of the Coalition believes is sure of a first round victory irrespective of who emerges as vice standard bearer. 

“We are going to sweep the election by winning the first round in October and the CDC is prepare to fix what the Unity Party government has spoiled,” Menikpaki Dumoe said.

“Definitely, we all will embrace the person that will be chosen by Ambassador Weah as running mate and I know our standard bearer will make the best choice,” he said.

Mr. Dumoe is the Secretary General of the Liberian People Democratic Party (LPDP), one of the three political parties that joined the Congress for Democratic Change that had given birth to the coalition.

LPDP Tyler’s Limited Chance

Former House Speaker Alex Tyler is the political leader of the LPDP and is among names that Ambassador Weah will select as running mate.

“Yes, our Rep. Alex Tyler is among those who supposed to be chosen by the political leader (Weah) as running mate, and if he’s not chosen we accept it and we will move the party forward,” he said.

The stakes are high ahead of the selection, as two others from the National Patriotic Party (NPP) join Tyler on the list of three potential nominees.

Senator Jewel Howard Taylor of Bong County and former Liberian Ambassador to the UN and the United States, Nathaniel Barnes are also eyeing the vice standard bearer slot for the coalition.

Political observers have rated the former first lady as the suitable candidate ahead of her competitors considering her feat in the December 2016 NPP primary.

Senator Taylor’s advantage put her in a better position to partner with Senator Weah after she claimed 332 (79%) out of the total 417 votes casted from 12 counties, While Ambassador Nathaniel Barnes, former ambassador to the United States won 71 votes (17%) and Rev. Hanniah Zoe earned14 votes (3%).

Howard –Taylor’s empirical advantage justifies Dumoe’s expectation about his political leader (Tyler) limited chance in Friday’s decision.

‘CDC’s Sweet Spot’

He described young people turning 18 this year as “CDC sweet spot” [who are] looking up to the party for better future.

“The young people do not have the ability to work with the UN or travel because this government has stolen from its people including the youths,” Dumoe said.

The CDC Deputy SG noted that the government has been poorly managed by the Unity Party and has created more suffering for the people they supposed to be protecting.

“They continue to put tariff on goods that they have no right putting tariff on, how can you have an environment whose leaders cannot carter to its own people but keep stealing from the country instead,” he noted.

He said the CDC believes that government needs no sympathy from the people, saying when President Johnson Sirleaf took over as President iron ore and rubber prices were high but government could not do anything to make the lives of the people better.  

Monrovia – For the first time since he was removed by his colleagues as Speaker of the House of Representatives, Representative Alex Tyler was present in session under the gavel of the new Speaker, Emmanuel Nuquay.

Report by Henry Karmo –  henrykarmo@frontpageafricaonline.com

Speaker Tyler was seen in sitting in one of the pews in the joint chambers of the Capitol Building, a place he and his supporters once described as illegitimate for the holding of session.

Speaking to reporters Tyler described his relationship with the current Speaker as friendly and brotherly.

Responding to questions about why he hadn’t been in session he said – “I am  therepresentative of the people of Clay District so I deserve that right to come to work.”

“If I decide not to, I will tell the people of Clay I don’t want the job so nobody can pressure me to.  I was elected to serve them.”

Asked how he felt sitting in the pew in the joint chambers he once called illegitimate he said – “I have been in that pew before so it’s nothing strange.

“We are friends and brothers and for me, the removal or whatever it is history.”

Since his ousting he has not been given an office space in the Capitol, but Tyler who appeared calm said he believes administrative arrangements were being made to get him an office as soon as possible.

 “If I have office fine, if not I will operate from my private office.”

“As far as I am concerned, my personal things are in my private office,” Tyler said.

On a local talk show Representative Edwin Snowe said, the former Speaker will be given an office on the ground floor close to the bathroom but Tyler doesn’t appear to be concerned about where his office would be located.

“They can even put me in the bathroom it wouldn’t change who I am.”

The legislature is like the Judiciary, you can serve as a Chief Justice and tomorrow you come back and become a judge.”

Tyler was ousted two months ago as Speaker through a resolution signed by 49 members of the House of Representatives.

The lawmakers’ action was in keeping with Article 49 of the Constitution of Liberia which provides the process through which the speaker of that body can be removed.

Article 49 of the Liberian Constitution states: “The House of Representatives shall elect once every six years a Speaker who shall be the presiding officer of that body, a Deputy Speaker and such other officers as shall ensure the proper functioning of the House.

The Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and other officers so elected may be removed from office for cause by resolution of two-thirds majority of the members of the House.”

Monrovia – The Global Witness bribery scandal case which was set to commence early December may face another blow.

One of those at center of the case, J. Alex Tyler, has requested the court to grant him two weeks travel permission to seek medical treatment in Beirut, Lebanon.

This would be the second time Tyler had requested medical excuse since he was indicted by the Special Presidential Task Force.

The first was in September when he requested the court to grant him one week medical excuse.

According to sources, the court is yet to take a decision on his latest request.

A lawyer who spoke with FrontPageAfrica on anonymity said, “This is purely a delay tactics. When the case first began, when he was on heat at the Legislature, he asked for two weeks medical leave.”

“Now that the court is about to start the trial, he’s asking for another two week?”

In an interview with FrontPageAfrica recently, the head of the Special Presidential Task Force, Cllr. Fonati Koffa, said arrangements had been made for the case to commence December. He added that the Task Force was negotiating with the court to allow cameras during the trial for live streaming and television broadcast.

“That is a part of transparent justice, the jury themselves will be aware that the public is watching, the international community is watching live.”

“When the trial is going on you’ll be able to go on the task force’s website and watch the trial and watch it on national television.

This case is so monumental and important to justice in Liberia that we will be petitioning the court to allow this process,” Cllr. Koffa told FrontPageAfrica.

According to Cllr. Koffa, there has been a change in the trial strategy which was prompted by the fillings of several motions by the first batch of indictees.

This, according him, has delayed the trial.

“We have changed our trial strategy because of the long delay of appeals at the Supreme Court; we are proceeding with those already indicted as soon as the Court comes down.”

“The other group – it is likely that everyone remaining will be indicted. We are convening a grand jury… and we will go to the grand jury and it is likely that the remaining names in the report will be indicted.

“What we are doing as a matter of trial strategy is that the group that would be indicted next term of court will not be tried with this group, they will be tried separately because the problem you run into is once you indict this group they start to file their motions and we will have to go through the same process of delay,” the Presidential taskforce head told FrontPage Africa.

Koffa emphasized that the charges pressed against those named in the report have not been dropped. However, according to him, the prosecution remains open for plea bargains where charges are reduced in exchange for less punishment in exchange of admission of guilt.

“We have talked to the defendants; they’ve not indicated to us that they’re prepared to do that.”

“Whenever they are ready we’re open and ready to talk. But far as we are concerned, we are proceeding with this case on the indictment as charged,” he added.

 He added that Sable Mining remains indicted that the evidence against them are consistent, clear and cogent and a mutual legal assistance agreement was being developed  to ensure that the British Government assists the Taskforce in bringing the corporation and the named individuals that are not under Liberia’s jurisdiction to justice.

“If you do your research on bribery cases, you will find out that this is one of the few times there is a very excellent paper trail of evidence because you know bribery being a criminal act that involves government officials and sometimes private parties like in the case here is usually not put on paper, there is usually no discoverable email trail, it’s usually by word of mouth.  In this case we have more than one material witness and then we have documentary evidence that backs up the testimony,” Koffa averred.

Monrovia – Eyebrows have also been raised with the prospects of the Coalition over the atrocities committed by the National Patriotic Front of Liberia that culminated into the NPP, as well as the integrity of the LPDP with former Speaker Alex Tyler as a stalwart.

“The thing that we need to move away from in the Liberian political dispensation is that we need to move away from personalities and focus on institutions,” Ambassador Barnes argued. 

“Alex Tyler is a leader of an institution; that institution is not Alex Tyler. Sometimes we tend to associate the institution with the personality.

He said Representative Tyler was only facing allegation that he received bribe in the Sable Mining scandal and that did not make the LPDP guilty of what he has been accused of, conceding, though, that it was a difficult thing to do in Liberian politics. 

We need to focus on institutions, the platform, the philosophy and vision. We’re going to work with institution.

Mr. Tyler has bought in a team to the fore, representing the LPDP institution. They are not distracted nor tainted by these allegations made against him.

Similarly, Ambassador Barnes said it was not deniable that the NPP evolved from the NPFL and became a political institution, but he said the Truth and Reconciliation Commission recommended that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf be barred from political activities over her alleged role in the Liberian civil war.

Barnes served as Minister of Finance during the regime of President Charles Taylor but claimed he was not a member of the NPP.

In the Tuesday interview, he said he had done so because the job of the Minister of Finance was a technical job.  

He, however said, he had now only joined the NPP because the party was going through a period of rebranding the transformation. 

“As time goes on, political parties will change.

There are some political institutions in the United States that have some pretty tough atrocities in their histories by they have evolved, they have grown and it is the same thing with many of the politicians and parties in Liberia. 

We need to try to transcend that.

“The NPP of today is not the NPP of 2011; the NPP of 2011 is certainly not the NPP of 2005 and not the NPP of the past, so we need to move beyond that.”

Monrovia – Strong political ally of Musa Bility, Representative Edwin Snowe, has described Bility’s recent move to cross over from the Unity Party to join the Brumskine’s Liberty Party as an “unfortunate decision”.

Report by Edwin G. Genoway – edwin.genoway@frontpageonline.com

Vividly disappointed, Snowe failed to elaborate on his comment but said though he welcomed and respects Bility’s decision, he least expected Bility who had been his long-standing friend to make such a move.

Snowe and Bility were strong campaigners of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the Unity Party in the 2011 elections.

“You heard recently that Bility was saying on a talk-show that he will carry me over to the Liberty Party.

I heard him say if he doesn’t carry me to the Liberty Party, hair will grow in his palms, but I think Mr. Bility was joking about that. I have no plan whatsoever to join any other party other than the Unity Party,” Snowe strongly asserted.

Representative Snowe made the statement during an exclusive interview with a team of journalists over the Weekend in Bomi County.

The Biggest Political Move

Bility’s move to the Liberty Party has been described by many political actors as the biggest political cross carpet ahead of the 2017 elections.

This comes just 11 months to Liberia’s Presidential and legislative elections in 2017.

Bility served as the Unity Party’s campaign chairman for Montserrado County during the 2011 elections.

“It was a pleasure to have worked and served over the years and to have worked and served over the years and to have been a proud member of the teams that elected the leadership of this country in two successive elections,” Bility wrote in his resignation letter to UP’s Chairman Wilmot Paye.

Bility said he had joined the LP to assist the party build up on the gains made by President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in the areas of freedom of speech and democracy.

According to him, he was happy living in a country “where today someone of my stature in business and in politics is free to make a decision to leave the ruling party and join the incoming ruling party.”

He said he was joining Cllr. Brumskine because he had shown great leadership for more than a decade as an opposition politician.

“As a person, when I make a political decision, I do not make it because I have one vote or because I love the person,” Bility said.

“I am a stakeholder. I employed several hundred Liberians. Over the last five years, I have invested over US$50 million into our economy.

And therefore I have a stake into what happens to the country. I have come to know Cllr. Brumskine; his quality has impressed me.”

He said each of the two times Cllr. Brumskine had lost the elections; the LP political leader had called him up for discussion.   

“I have come with this decision knowing the person I want to trust, the person that I believe that you have trusted for this decade.

“As a people, we all reflect, we come along and we make political decisions, but today my decision to join the Liberty Party—it will surprise you to note—is not because I believe that Liberty Party is the party that is going to win.

It is because I believe that the Liberty Party has the leadership that is fit to run this country.

“The winning is our job; that is what I am here for.”

Bility praised Cllr. Brumskine for being the only politician in Liberia who for the past decade and more has not been involved in a controversy or scandal.

Lobbying Within Unity Party

Despite Bility’s confidence in Brumskine, Snowe says was lobbying within the Unity Party to be selected as campaign chairman of Joseph Boakai during the 2017 elections.

Snowe joined the Unity Party in 2011 after he was elected as Representative of Montserrdo County District #6 as an independent candidate.

“Many say I am inconsistent, but that is not true. If I make any political decision I stand by it.”

“I have no plans leaving the Unity Party, in fact, I am currently lobbying to be the campaign manager for the election of Vice President Joseph Boakai,” he told FrontPageAfrica.

Switching Constituency

Switching from Montserrado to Bomi, Snowe said he would officially respond to the petition made by citizens and residents of Sinje District who called on him to contest the legislative seat in the district.

His petition to contest a seat in the county has been strongly rejected by top Bomi leaders including former Speaker Alex Tyler, Senators Morris Saytumah and Sando Johnson who claimed Snowe had mingling in the political affairs of the county.

However, Snowe disclosed that he would organize a huge gathering to official respond to the request made by thousands of Senjeh District citizens.

But Snowe said he had officially informed the National Elections Commission about his residency in the county.

According to Snowe, life in Bomi County was very appalling and the people residing in the county are totally disconnected from the county’s leadership.

Former Speaker fair share

Representative Edwin Snowe says dethroned House speaker Alex Tyler was having a fair share of the lack of systems to protect the welfare of past leaders of the House of Representatives.

As removed Speaker, Representative Tyler had been given a small office on the ground floor of the Capitol.

According to Snowe, the leadership cannot help the situation, as the only office available was the one next to a rest room on the ground floor.

Snowe said the office given Tyler is better than the one Tyler and others offered him when he was removed as Speaker.

“If you are a hunchback man and another hunchback man is being buried, you should look at the casket of that hunchback man so you can know how you will be buried, too.”

“The office that Honorable Alex Tyler has been given today is better than the office I was given when I resigned as Speaker of the House of Representatives.”

“It is not a payback but it tells you that in our system we have not put mechanism in place for former leaders,” he noted.

Snowe said the current leadership of the House headed by Speaker Nuquay has nothing against former speaker Tyler.

Monrovia – Ahead of the 2017 Presidential elections, political parties are making frantic efforts to form collaboration in an effort to unseat the ruling Unity party.

The National Patriotic Party at a recent meeting in Bomi County endorsed collaboration with the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and days later another political party has endorsed through a resolution to form collaboration with the CDC and other political parties.

The National Executive Committee of the Liberia People Democratic Party (LPDP) through a resolution adopted October 31 has in its extra-ordinary session endorsed that the party collaborates with opposition political parties of like minds for the 2017 general and Presidential elections.

“The National Executive Committee of the Liberia people Democratic Party (LPDP) met in an extra-ordinary session to review political trends in the country and formulate strategies that would deliver to the people of Liberia the much needed change they crave for”, the resolution of the LPDP stated.

The resolution continued “In consideration thereof, the Executive Committee has resolved to collaborate with political parties of like minds in an effort to consolidate the opposition and accelerate its chances at the electoral polls come 2017”.

The party through the resolution has mandated its political leader to enter into collaboration with the CDC, NPP, ALP and other political parties

“Now therefore, the National Executive Committee mandates that the LPDP Political Leader enters into collaboration with and/or sign the articles of collaboration with the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), National Patriotic Party (NPP) and encourage the All Liberian Party (ALP) and other opposition political parties to join the coalition,” the resolution added.

Tyler elected political leader

The LPDP has also elected former Speaker of the House of Representatives, J. Alex Tyler as the political leader of the party.

“In a letter signed by its National Chairman Rep. Moses Y. Kollie, the National Executive Committee of the LPDP has unanimously elected Honorable J. Alex Tyler as the political leader of the Liberia People Democratic Party”, the communication from the Chairman of the Party stated.

The political leader has been mandated by the resolution to negotiate and conclude collaboration of opposition political parties.

“Accordingly, the Political leader is mandated to initiate, negotiate and conclude collaboration arrangements with the above named parties”, the LPDP resolution noted.

The LPDP is one of the newest political parties that is expected to make its debut in the political landscape of the country in 2017.

Political observers are suggesting that no one political party can win the pending election, pushing the need for collaboration between opposition political parties.

President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf disclosed in an interview a while ago that no one political party can win the election.

Former Speaker Tyler was a member of the ruling Unity Party before resigning and accordingly helping in the formation of the LPDP.

He joined the LPDP sometimes ago which has now been followed by his election as political leader of the party.

 Monrovia – The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chief Justice have held talks behind closed door, the first of such meeting by heads of the two branches of government in recent history.

Report by Kennedy L. Yangian – kennedylyangian@frontpageafricaonline.com

The meeting which brought Chief Justice Francis Korkpor and Speaker Emmanuel Nuquay comes on the backdrop of series of power struggles at the House of Representatives, with many members of House, including ousted Speaker J. Alex Tyler, seeking the intervention of the Supreme Court.

The rare meeting was held Tuesday on the ground floor of the Temple Justice, during which time Chief Justice Korkpor called on members of the House of Representatives to avoid court action in addressing on matters of conflict at the Legislature. He admonished them to rather resolve their conflicts internally.

Tyler’s ousting sparked a national debate after the Supreme Court under the gavel of Associate Justice Sie-Nyeneh Youh denied the Bomi County lawmaker’s petition for a writ of prohibition to restrain his colleagues from holding parallel sections. 

The Global Witness 2016 Report on Liberia accused former Speaker Tyler of accepting bribe to influence changes in the Public Procurement Concession Commission Act (PPCC) to favor of a British Company, Sable Mining, to gain concession at the Wologisi Mountain in Lofa County.

The majority bloc at the House at the time, headed by Deputy Speaker Hans Barchue, had called on the former Speaker to rescue himself because of his indictment by the state based on the Global Witness report.

After series of upheavals and political wrangles at the lower House, Tyler was replaced by Margibi County’s Representative Nuquay.

With just a month in office, Speaker Nuquay on Tuesday paid a visit to the Temple of Justice with several other lawmakers where he met with Chief Justice Korkpor and the four Associate Justices of the Supreme Court behind closed door.

 At the end of the visit, Speaker Nuquay told reporters that – “This is an acquaintance visit, we have a new leadership at the House of Representatives and there is a need for us to go out and acquaint ourselves with the other branches.”

Speaker Nuquay told reporters he had already made similar visit to the office of the President, but he failed to elaborate further on the outcome of that visit.

But Chief Justice Francis Korkpor told judicial reporters at the end of the visit that it was a fact that there are three separate branches of government that need to coordinate as provided by law.

With the meeting being held behind closed doors, Chief Justice Korkpor indicated that his message to the lawmakers was to see the need to sort out their differences peacefully among themselves without the intervention of the court.

“Lawmakers should seek peaceful means in resolving differences, but coming to court to resolve differences could create more divisions among themselves,” said Chief Justice Korkpor.

According to court records, members of the House of Representatives have filed in three Writs of prohibitions since the hullabaloo surrounding Rep. Tyler’s removal as Speaker began in May 2016.

One of the Writs for prohibition emanated from former House Speaker Edwin Snowe against the failure of former Speaker Tyler to call roll, another from Montserrado County District #14 Lawmaker Adolf Lawrence over the holding of the second Speaker election and the third one coming from former Speaker Alex Tyler over his removal as Speaker.