By Mark N. Mengonfia- mmenginfia@gmail.com
After the House of Representatives nailed one of their members with thirty (30) working days suspension without pay and benefits on Tuesday, opposition Lawmaker Yekeh Kolubah has rejected the move and threaten to file a law suit at the Supreme Court to overturn this decision..
The Montserrado County District #10 Representative has told the media in Monrovia that plenary failed to accord him the due process of law.
The decision was reached Tuesday, April 13, 2021 during that body’s regular sitting when Representative Acarous Moses Gray failed to file in his motion for reconsideration.
On Thursday, March 25, 2021 before going for their Esther Break, members of the House of Representatives took an action against Representative Yekeh Kolubah to correct his mistakes for what they considered as ‘rudeness’ against the Liberian presidency.
But speaking to the suspension of Representative Kolubah, Grand Bassa lawmaker, Thomas Goshua said there were some procedural errors in suspending the Montserrado County District 10 lawmaker.
He indicated that in keeping with their rules when any of their members go against the rules of that body, a committee should be constituted and based on the committee’s report, a two-third majority will vote to have said decision taken, but this was not done to give the lawmaker a due process.
Representative Goshua said they as a body of opposition politicians do not give consent to things the Montserrado County lawmaker says.
According to him, many at times they [opposition politicians] have reprimanded their colleague, Kolubah for his utterances against the presidency of Liberia.
“Representative Kolubah may have good intentions, but the way he puts it out is not well” the Grand Bassa lawmaker intoned.
The period of three and a half months (30 meeting days) suspension is in keeping with rule 48.7 of that body which states that, “The House may, according to the circumstances and degree of the breach, take the following measures: a) it may give an oral warning, b) it may give a written warning; c) it may suspend a member for not more than 30 days of the meeting, stop the payment of salary and allowances due him/her for the days of suspension, as the case may be; and d) it may expel a member from the House where the breach is very serious or where it is committed repeatedly.”
In keeping with their rules, Montserrado County District five lawmaker Thomas Fallah wrote the plenary of the House of Representatives weeks ago in which he said the constant act of insulting the President is something that denigrates the “Honorable House.”
Representative Fallah furthered in his March 25th communication indicated that Representative Kolubah’s continually insulting the Presidency and his ‘reckless and insulting comments’ are not only shameful, but brings them (Lawmakers) into what he calls ‘disrepute’.
He said Representative Yekeh’s recent outburst, calling President George M. Weah a ‘dog’ is unacceptable and needs to be reprimanded.
After Representative Fallah’s complain was read and discussed, a member of the opposition block at the House of Representatives rise a motion to suspend Rep. Kolubah.
Rep. Edward Kafiah, of the People’s Unification Party (PUP) in his motion argued that his colleague, Yekeh Kolubah has been warned more than four times to cease from acting dishonorably and breaching the rules and procedures.
“I therefore, moved that Rep. Kolubah be suspended in line with rule 48.7 (c) of the House rules” the March 25 motion of Representative Edward Kafiah carried it.
Although majority members of that body are from opposition and independent block but when the motion was raised and called for it to be tested, majority of his colleagues constituting the total of 24 voted for his suspension while 7 voted against him.
This suspension would have been changed or amended if a motion for reconsideration from Montserrado County District #8 Representative Acarous Moses Gray has not failed to file his motion.
Although, Representative Kolubah was left in the cold by his colleague, Gray, but he [Kolubah] has said that he will challenge his suspension; seeking due process in the court.
Until Representative Kolubah can take his issues to the Court for redress, he remains suspended for 30 working days without salaries and benefits.