The former Executive Director of the Independent National Commission on Human Rights (INCHR) has accused the Office of the High Commission of Human Right (OHCHR)of allegedly mismanaging over US$4 million intended to strengthen the Commission.
Mr. Heron Gbidi accused the two Nigerian human rights administrators, Uchenna Emelonye and Sonny Onyegbula of the OHCHR of misrepresenting the international human rights institution and said they have allegedly established marriages with some of the current commissioners.
He averred that the Commission is struggling to fulfill its broader mandate of promoting and protecting human rights in Liberia because it is suffering from the numerous sabotages by some partners and political actors who see the INCHR as an inheritor and extension of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and recently by OHCHR’s Country Representative and his former deputy in Liberia as well as collaborating with stooges within the civil society.
Mr. Gbidi claimed that the singular purpose of the latter is to ensure that the INCHR who has managed to build a strong Secretariat and Financial management system does not retain its “A” Status Accreditation to prolong their stay and siphoning of donor funding intended for the building of a culture of human rights governance in Liberia thereby shielding themselves from serious probe into the mismanagement of over US$ 4.5 million.
Gbidi called on journalists and the Legislature to investigate Commissioner Mohammed Fahnbulleh and his Nigerian counterparts on allegation of corruption including the misappropriation of funds intended for the support of the INCHR.
“Importantly, It must interest journalist, and the Legislature to investigate the corruption network of the two Nigerian mafias and why they are trying to contain the potential of the INCHR,” he disclosed.
He said a good place to begin the investigation is a review of the GAC 2021 Audit Report on the INCHR which identifies that the two Nigerians misrepresenting the OHCHR in Liberia were unable to account for millions of dollars intended for the INCHR’s capacity strengthening.
The former INCHR boss also alleged that Commissioner Mohammed Eldust Fahnbulleh is a product of that conspiracy evident by the very familiar tactics adding,
“No wonder why the two Nigerians misrepresenting the OHCHR have taken no interest in the sexual assault and gender abuse case against Mohammed,” Mr. Gbidi said in a communication on his Facebook page on July 27, 2022.
“It is obvious by now that my friend Mohammed Eldust Fahnbulleh did not heed my advice. In November 2021, I cautioned him that I had witnessed two internal conflicts amongst the last two Boards of Commissioner and can simply say that the current Board is still susceptible to conflict themselves,” Mr. Gbidi asserted.
He said the primary factor is not recognizing that human rights is a rigorous discipline which is in a perpetual state of flux while he assumed that most appointed as commissioners come with a veil of arrogance which blur their visions and suffocate their aptitude to learn.
He stressed that such posturing, if not recognized and tamed, can be explosive and disastrous noting, “Here in lies the problem of Mohammed, a personification of ignorance flashily dressed in customs of arrogance. But in the field of human rights, shielding ignorance and lack of grit is an impossibility; and mental starvation will always betray even the most colorful form.”
He said, unfortunately, Fahnbulleh is assigned as an oversight commissioner to the most intellectual department of the Human Rights Commission; the department on Legislative Assistance, Treaty Matters and Law. “To draw a clearer parallel, it is like giving Mohammed the whole of Cllr. Boakai Kanneh’s Law Reform Commission functions to perform but from a human rights prism.”
He claims that it seems like Mohammed and his predecessor with the assigned oversight of that department suffered anxiety and ergophobia pointing out that to cover up this disorder, they would rather foment conflict and divisions to thrive, such action, he said projects Mohammed as the perfect surrogate of the Nigerian mafias who since they cannot roboticized Cllr. Dempster Brown must create a wedge amongst the commissioners.
“It seems that my friend Mohammed ignored my advice to refrain from sexual abuse and exploitation when he embarked on his usual Casanova spree and in record time and space revealed himself as a dangerous sexual predator breaching the conservation and sanctity of the INCHR.
However, INCHR remains under attacks by those two Nigerian mafias misrepresenting the OHCHR.
In recent months, two familiar but weak tactics have been employed by the Nigerian mafias (throwing a wedge amongst commissioners through a vote of no confidence and bringing the INCHR to public disrepute on corruption claims). But in situation as such, where the enemies are known the battle will always be won by the INCHR.
He said the INCHR headed by Cllr. Dempster Brown, who challenged the Taylor’s authoritarianism defending human rights advocate Aloysius Toe, and supported by Liberia’s lead authority on human rights, Atty Urias Teh Pour, the INCHR is best situated to execute its mission.
“The veracity of my assertion here can simply be ascertained by asking Mohammed what he has done relative to his oversight functions in terms of review of legislation, thematic human rights research, issuance of advisory opinions and recommendations; responding to calls for inputs and submissions from international bodies, etc,” Mr. Gbidi said.
He pointed out that the ranting of Mohammed is a clear indication that he is incapable of delivering in tough intellectual environment like the INCHR adding, “That is what happens when you occupy the professional space through patronage. Divest him of the amour of “Commissioner” he cannot match even the least person in the department in which he currently provides oversight.”
However, in his reaction, Commissioner Fahnbulleh told this paper that he is targeted by critics for his stands against corruption national.
He told our reporter that finance and other administrative issues are taken care of by the chairperson and the executive director of the commission adding, “I am not in administration to be in the know about the commission resources, whether from government of partners.”
Meanwhile, the INCHR is currently defending its “A” Status accreditation. A process that should bring pride to Liberia and the accreditation process began on Monday, October 3, 2022 at 3:00P.M Geneva time.
