PHOTO: Spokesman Forkpa Gizzie (Right)
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
A group calling itself, the Lofa County Citizens in Solidarity Senator-elect, Brownie Samukai, has issued a strong warning to officials of government who are blocking the certification of Mr. Samukai to represent the people of the county in the Liberian Senate
The spokesman of the group, Forkpa Gizzie observed that the recent statement by Solicitor General , Serenius Cephas compelling the senator-elect to jointly restitute 573,828 United States Dollars as a way of fulfilling the 50% of the so-called AFL pension fund can only best be described as a comedy meant to amuse his slave masters and mislead the public.
Addressing a press conference held in Voinjama, Lofa County earlier this week, the group said the efforts by the citizens of Lofa county, friends and sympathizers of Samukai to restitute the Senator elect’s portion of the AFL welfare funds is in furtherance of their commitment to the rule of law, peace and development of the country.
Mr. Gizzle said: “We expect the judiciary to abide by its own precepts, rulings and opinions to reciprocate the same fairness and reasonableness to us in this particular case by promptly ensuring the certification of our senator elect as previously mandated by the people of Lofa County during the December 8, 2020 Senatorial elections which was declared by the National Elections Commission affirmed and confirmed by the Supreme Court of Liberia.”
Brownie Samukai
“We also want to use this medium to caution the Solicitor General, Serenaus Cephus, to remain a professional lawyer and not be a malicious politician, because his consistent and malicious actions against our senator elect before and after his indictment seems personal, a posture that has blinded his conscience to the law,” the spokesman of Samukai’s supporters added.
“Where on this planet earth can a constitutionally elected senator be denied his constitutional right to execute the popular mandate for an action of debt?” he asked.
Samukai’s supporters’ claim that it is now vividly clear that Counselor Syrennius Cephas is being used as a ‘bully-pulpy’ of the Weah regime to punish the people of Lofa County for not voting for the CDC in 2017 general elections.
But President Weah’s government has repeatedly said that Samukai issue is a legal one and it is before the court to decide in a country with three separate branches of govrnment.
But according to the Lofa County Senator-elect supporters, “This action of delaying the certification of Lofa County senator is intended to diminish the strength of the CPP in Lofa county and divide the people of Lofa County,” he claimed
Their spokesman, Mr Gizzie alleged that state prosecutors cannot continue to keep changing “the goal poles in the middle of the game just to create a stumbling block to the decision of the people of Lofa County.”
The Lofa County Citizens in Solidarity Brownie Samukai maintained that those should not expect their people to sit back supinely because for every action, there is an opposite reaction.
Their statement also noted that what is even more troubling is the manner in which the Supreme Court is flap flopping in its rulings in this matter.
“Henceforth, we want to send this warning that after consulting with cross session of our people in Lofa County and after receiving their blessings as usual, we will not accept any further delay in the certification of our senator elect.”
According to Mr. Gizzie, the state prosecution has demonstrated once more his monumental ignorance of lack of the very law he claims to be practicing ’ because it might be safe to say that such comment was intend to amuse his slave masters and mislead the public.
They say the Liberian Constitution states that all power is inherent in the people.
Therefore, the Samukai supporters say theyexpect the Supreme Court, the final arbiter of justice in the land, to respect the decision of the people and allow their senator elect to be certificated or the government will bear full responsibility for the frustration and anger of the people of Lofa County who reposed their unflinching confidence in their senator-Elect.
Meanwhile, they have called on the West African regional organization, ECOWAS, and the international community to impress upon the Liberian government to take due note that the frustration and reaction of 20,431 deprived citizens of Lofa who voted will be unpredictable like a crushing dam of hurricane Katrina.
The statement of the group said those in glass houses should stop throwing stones; they come in peace with humility but are prepared to politically challenge the status quo and demand their rights to immediate constitutional representation.
They have also called on the Supreme Court of Liberia to dispense justice by allowing Mr. Samukai to be certificated, now that they said he is in compliance with the law and he has demonstrated respect for the rule of law.