Bill W. Cooper
Montserrado County Senator, Abraham Darius Dillon has said the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) will embark on an unspecified political action if Associate Justice, Joseph Nagbe fails to issue a Writ of Prohibition on the alleged illegal suspension of Montserrado County District 10 Representative, Yekeh Kolubah.
Recently, Rep. Kolubah was suspended by the House of Representatives for 30 sitting/session days without salary and other benefits for what his colleagues termed as his continuous invectives rendered against the Liberian presidency, something which triggered his decision to run to the Supreme Court of Liberia to place a Stay-Order on the process.
Additionally, instead of Associate Justice Joseph Nagbe issuing the appropriate writ as being prayed for by lawyers representing the Montserrado County lawmaker, the Justice-in-Chambers has called the concerned parties to a conference scheduled for Thursday, April 22, by 3:00 P.M. at his Temple of Justice office in Monrovia.
However, appearing on the Ok Morning Rush on Ok FM in Monrovia, Sen. Dillon among other things described Justice Nagbe’s action as being ‘tribalistic’, something which he said, they from the angle of the CPP, will no longer accept.
Sen. Dillon indicated that if Justice Nagbe can hastily issue a Writ of Prohibition on the certification process of Lofa County Senator-elect, Brownie Samukai as was prayed for by the Movement for Progressive Change (MPC) and the government, said writ also needed to be issued on the House’s decision as was prayed for by Rep. Kolubah because his constitutional right as a lawmaker was violated by his colleagues.
According to him, Associate Justice Nagbe’s decision to only call for a conference and not the issuance of the Writ of Prohibition as prayed for, clearly speaks to how politicized the Supreme Court has become under the Weah-led administration, noting that as members and leaders of the CPP, they will ensure that the right of Rep. Kolubah and any other critical voices are protected under the law.
Sen. Dillon further argued that removing from office a lawmaker whether temporary or permanent, something which he said factually deprived his/her district or county from being adequately represented will require a “Two-third of the entire membership” of the House of Representatives in line with Article 38 of the Liberian Constitution.
He added that any number below said threshold to suspend or expel a lawmaker as instructed by the Constitution and the Standing Rules therefore it is unlawful and unconstitutional; something which he said was not done in the case with Rep. Kolubah and as such, his suspension is hundred percent illegal.
“The House cannot claim to suspend Rep. Kolubah and or any other members of that august body without obtaining the required two-third of the entire membership because 25 members of the HoR comprising of 73 members cannot constitute two-thirds. What I do know is that two-thirds of 73 members is beyond 49 members of the entire membership. So it is time for us, lawmakers, to learn doing the right thing in the right way for our country and not be bent on setting precedence,” Sen. Dillon said.
Meanwhile, the Montserrado County lawmaker has pledged the support of the entire Collaborating Political Parties behind the District 10 lawmaker as he is prepared to honor the request of Associate Justice Joseph Nagbe for a conference this Tuesday, alluding, “The CPP will escort Rep. Kolubah and we will be with him every step along the way because apart from being a politician, he is a Liberian and what is now happening to him could be anyone of us tomorrow.”