By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The United Methodist Church Human Rights Monitor has warned the Executive branch of the Liberian government against undermining the Legislative and Judiciary branches of government, amidst claims that the Presidency had a hand impeaching former Associate Justice Kabineh Ja’neh.
The Monitor’s Executive Director, Jefferson Knight said information circulating that the executives allegedly dished out an unspecified amount of money to influence the decision of the Liberian Senate.
The Executive Mansion is yet to make official statement on the mounting claims. President George Weah was born into the Methodist Church.
Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson, who supported President George Weah and his CDC in last year’s election, had earlier said that the removal of Justice Ja’neh was politically orchestrated by the Executive and that the impeachment proceeding was unconstitutional.
Both the main opposition Unity Party and the Liberty Party have taken action against their Senators who voted to impeach and remove Justice Ja’neh. UP suspended their eight Senators, while LP suspended Grand Bassa County Senator Jonathan Kaipay.
LP’s Vice Chairman for political affairs, Mr. Diarus Dillon claimed on local radio earlier this week that Senators including the LP lawmakers had been given thousands of US dollars to vote for Ja’neh’s impeachment.
But so far, Senator Kaipay is yet to react to the claim.
The Methodist Human Rights Monitor Director in an interview with Journalists in Monrovia on Wednesday, pointed out that although there is so far no evidence provided by senators claiming that funds were spent in the case, if it is true then President George Weah must desist.
“There is a need for the executive to stop the alleged fussing of funds in the legislative and judiciary branches of government in order for each to function equally, independently and coordinating with one another,” Mr. Knight said.
The Human Rights Monitor however welcomed the peaceful manner in which the impeachment proceeding went, with no use of violence ‘
“If the people cannot use the legal system, they will take the law in their hands as we are hearing of mob justice and riots on a daily basis,” Mr. Knight said; adding: “most of the communities are engulfed with lawlessness and some people are not respecting the law anymore,” he said
“I am one of the Liberians that welcomed the fair play exhibited by the plaintiff and the respondent lawyers in the former associate justice case,” the head of the Methodist Church’s human rights institution said.
Knight encouraged the former associate justice to seek legal redress to the ECOWAS Court if he dissatisfied with the ruling of the Liberian Senate.
Meanwhile, the United Methodist Church Human Rights Monitor has expressed serious concern on the hardship facing the ordinary people as a result of the prevailing economic situation in the country.
The monitor’s executive director recommended a national conference to discuss the depreciation in the Liberian Dollar against the United States Dollar as well as the hardship the people are experiencing.
“The situation of the ordinary people in the rural areas and those unemployed is unimaginable, unbearable and beyond human description.”
“President George Weah needs to encourage his economic term to brainstorm with stakeholders in order address the harsh economic problems in the country,” Mr. Knight concluded.