By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
Amid complaints by staffers of the Judiciary over lack of increments in salaries and logistics, poor sanitary condition of the Temple of Justice, Liberia’s Chief Justice, Sie-A-Nyene G. Yuoh has held a big birthday celebration celebrated.
Currently there is no pipe=borne water in various bathrooms at the huge Judiciary complex on Monrovia’s Capitol Hill, where what some staffers called a lavish 68th birthday was held on Monday, June 26, 2023, with the cost of the festivities put at about $00k.
Against this backdrop, the Chief Justice 68th birthday celebration has sparked mixed reactions among Judiciary workers who have long been advocating for increment in their salaries.
During the dry season, visitors or party litigants including court workers usually paid money before using the bathroom due to the lack of pipe bone waters in various bathrooms at the Judiciary.
Nearly all the courts lacked stationary, equipment like computers, printers and least to say the old fashion typewriters. Court workers have to minutes of courts records and take to a commercial Cafe for typing.
Judges in those courts outside of Montserrado County including courts at the Temple of Justice have to provide equipment, computers and generator on their own to have the court running on a daily basis.
With less than two years since taking over the helm of the Supreme Court, Chief Justice Yuoh’s big birthday celebration was a “compulsory holiday” for the Judiciary, one court worker said.
The Temple of Justice was well decorated from the banquet hall in what some described as the first of its kind in many years.
Speakers were placed outside the court with music blaring, while courts Adjacent the main building were hearing cases.
For a period, normal court activities were temporarily halted and a formal program was held on the ground flood of the Temple of Justice in the banquet hall.
The birthday program was attended by international dignitaries, Some Judges from outside Monrovia and those situated at the Temple of Justice.
Party litigants couldn’t have their cases being heard from 1pm onward due to the elaborate birthday celebration of the Chief Justice.
The celebrant. Chief Justice Yuoh meanwhile, in her birthday message expressed thanks and appreciation to the almighty Cod for carrying her through thus far. She also lauded the Judiciary workers for identifying with her.
Liberia’s third female Chief Justice came out very religious in her speech, adding that if even you are rich, give your life to God, quoting from the Bible book of 2 Peter 1:3-8.
“…his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue:
4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Food and drinks of all sorts were as the partying went on amidst the pomp and pageantry.