-County Sports Meet or Return to House’s Rules?
-As HOR Records 65 absences at Thursday’s Plenary Session
By Mark N. Mengonfia,mmenginfia@gmail.com
The Regular Legislative Thursday Session at the Capitol Building in Monrovia was deserted by a large number of Liberia Lawmakers, who appeared to have given priority over watching the ongoing National County football and kickball tournament than attending plenary deliberations on January 23, 2020.
Session was not held, as 65 members of that 73-member House of Representatives failed to show up for legislative deliberations. Similar situation exists at the Senate.
The Speaker of the 54th Legislature who comes from the ruling CDC party, Dr. Bhofal Chambers, for the very first time since his inception as Speaker of that body, called regular session to order earlier than usual.
Rule # 2.1 of the House of Representatives states“ Daily sessions of the House of Representatives shall be held on Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week from the hours of 10:am to 12:00 pm and from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm at which time roll call and votes shall be made respectively”.
This rule 2.1 has been repeatedly violated by Speaker Chambers a number of times since he begin Head of that body.
It was surprising to Capitol Building Reporters when House Speaker Dr. Chambers arrived in the House of Representatives Chambers and called session to order.
Accordingly, when the Speaker called the session to order and prayer offered by Nimba County Representative Joseph Somwarbi, the Secretariat of the House of Representatives recorded the total of 65 absences, 2 distances and 6 presents.
Speaker chambers said: “With six members present, we have not reached the threshold so with that we ask the Sergeant-At-Arms to go to the various offices of and compare our colleagues to come and form a quorum. We wait for about five minutes and proceed.”
As they awaited the return of their colleagues, few Lawmakers started murmuring asking the Speaker to adjoin the session, they cried for motion for adjournment.
They were heard saying: ‘even if we wait for the whole day, these people will not come to work today. This shows that they are not ready to work’
Representative Mariamu Fofana was one lawmaker who complained about the lack of quorum.
After waiting for about 15 minutes, the Sargent-at-Arms reported that after making calls to the various offices of the lawmakers, it was noticed that lawmakers did not show up for session.
Lawmakers who were present in session include Speaker Dr. Bhofal Chambers were, Mattew Zayzay, Joseph Somwarbi, Mariamu Fofana, Jerimiah Koung, Kinie Wesso, Dixon Seboe, Thomas Fallah and Marvin Cole.
There have been public outcry over the late starting of regular sessions by House Speaker, Dr. Chambers.
So by 3-4 Pm GMT on Thursday, one political analyst said: “Some lawmakers who are being paid to do the people’s work were already trooping into the Samuel Kanyon Doe Sports Complex in Monrovia’s Paynesville suburb to watch games.”
Recently, a member of the House of Representatives recently Montserrado County District #16 Lawmaker communicated to the Plenary of the House of Representatives highlighting the late stating of regular session of that body.
He noted in his communication that during the past two years of the 54th legislature; they have continue to exercise a blatant disregard to their own rules, thereby starting Sessions in most often during the afternoon hours of each session days.
Representative Seboe pleaded with his colleagues for them to revert to keeping their rules; as their action impeded them from accomplishing more of the work for which they were elected to do on behalf of their people.
The unanswered question heard in the corridors of the legislature was: ‘ is it because of the County meet games or the lawmakers returning to their rules which speaks of starting on time’.