Grand Bassa County Representative, Hans Barchue, has called on Speaker Bhofal Chambers and his colleagues to rescind from calling for punishment for Rep. Yekeh Kolubah over assertions made in session.
The 43th Legislature’s Deputy Speaker reminded Speaker Chambers and other CDC lawmakers that when they were in opposition and used ‘inimical words’ against President Ellen Johnson, they were never expelled from the Legislature.
The Grand Bassa County lawmaker assertion was triggered after Speaker Chambers ordered the House’s committee on Rules, Order and Administration to investigate Rep. Kolubah due to his continuous disruption in sessions and incentives used against his colleagues as well as the Liberian Presidency.
During Thursday, August 25, 2022, special session, Kolubah, in an aggressive way, began raising issues of salary delay and fees for their extra sitting which prompted the plenary to request that action is taken against him.
But addressing his colleagues in session following the Speaker mandate, the former Deputy Speaker recounted that during the 53rd Legislature, Speaker Chambers is on records for being aggressive in sessions to the extent, he always too used unwelcoming words on former President Sirleaf that were not expected of a sitting lawmaker.
He further recounted that Speaker Chambers was one of those lawmakers who disturbed sessions many days under his gavel and that of former Speaker Alex Tyler’s but nothing of expulsion or suspension was sanction against him because of his action.
“Speaker Chambers was one of those very aggressive lawmakers during the 53rd Legislature’s plenaries; he now needs to be patient with his colleagues; he always raised issues beyond the point that everybody had to hear him,” former Deputy Speaker Barchue reminded.
According to him, the plenary on all occasions was very tolerant with him (Chambers) as such; he too also needs to be tolerant with other lawmakers including Rep. Kolubah and other opposition lawmakers who will vent aggressive behaviors in open session.
He noted that though Speaker Chambers’ leadership at the House of Representatives is perfect; he needs to retrospect on his own aggressive behavior during former House Speaker Tyler’s leadership and begin to accept same from his colleagues.
“I can remember that at some point in time, President Sirleaf called upon me to advice Rep. Acarous Gray from raining attacks on her person or else she would have taken court actions against him and I came to my office and immediately called my, colleague Gray and advised him,” Rep. Barchue said.
“So if another lawmaker behaves in an unfavorable way, Speaker Chambers should be moderate like we were and never a day called for him to be punished,” he stressed.
Rep. Barchue at the same time added that, “This is not something that is new to those lawmakers who have been in the Legislature overtime because they were not expelled during their days for similar misbehaviors as opposition lawmakers during Ellen’s regime.”
