By Alex Yomah
The Vanguard Student Unification Party (SUP), a leading advocacy students’ group at the University of Liberia (UL) has staged a firing protest at the offices of the Independent Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) demanding the removal of Commissioner Mohammed Fahnbulleh for allegedly abusing a female employee.
SUP’s petition statement under the banner, ‘petition for the immediate removal of Commissioner Mohammed Fahnbulleh’ was due to what the group called a flagrant violation of the human rights meted against one of the INCHR’s female employees.
According to the Chairperson of the Women Presidium, Olive Larmie, it is unacceptable for women of all spectrum of life to sit supinely and witness Commissioner Fahnbulleh still sit at the Commission which is supposed to be composed of individuals with integrity when the accusation which rendered him makes him guilty of all other allegations levied against him.
“Mr. Chairman, we are submitting this petition statement to inform you so you can inform the President of Liberia, the feminist-in-Chief that when positive steps are not taken to remove Fahnbulleh from this Commission as he was found guilty as per the report of sexual exploitation and abuse conducted by an Independent Panel of Civil Society Organization, we will inform all the donors not to deal with you because the Commission cannot be with such a character,” Madam Larmie threatened.
SUP is however calling on all international partners not to do business with Commissioner Fahnbulleh because he has crossed the boundary adding that his last Facebook post which is in their possession validates the findings of the Civil Society about him for which the group describes Fahnbulleh as a sexual predator who has no place in any integrity institution like the INCHR.
The Commission’s own investigative report that was recently released to the public showed that Commissioner Fahnbulleh allegedly molested and humiliated a female employee therefore the group wonders why “This Board of commissioners continues to sit and see one of its commissioners who is supposed to be a bearer of integrity, now culpabl, molesting our women.”
“Let’s inform you about the recent behavior of this commissioner. On Wednesday, Commissioner Fahnbulleh without fear of God and total disrespect for womanhood posted some comments on his Facebook page asserting that “He will not deal with a compromised civil society female leader; that the woman has no moral standing to question him on this matter and that he will play dirty and post all of their conversations regarding her privacy.”
According to SUP’s statement, the only crime this woman committed was to have served on the panel that investigated him for sexual harassment. This act is completely savagery and must stop.
SUP call to the President of Liberia is to remove Commissioner Fahbulleh or they as women groups are willing and prepared to organize bigger civil rallies to ensure that Commissioner Fahnbulleh is removed.
SUP also called on the international partners not to do business with the Commission until Commissioner Fahnbulleh is kicked out of that integrity ground of commissioners.
Responding to the students, Commissioner Cllr. Dempster Brown thanked them and alluded to all those comments made against the Commissioner, saying, “Yes, this place is supposed to be a place for people of integrity.”
He then assured the students that he will take their petition statement to the President, noting that it is only the President who has that sole prerogative to dismiss and appoint.
