Editorial: Judge Cornelius F. Wennah deserves national recognition

Editorial: It is an understatement to suggest that Bong County Residential Judge Cornelius Flomo Wennah, who was honoured on Tuesday, 19 July by United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken as one of six (6) Heroes of the 2022 Trafficking In Persons Report, for lifting Liberia on the world stage as one of the countries striving to curtailing trafficking in persons.

Judge Wennah presides over Criminal Court “E”, Ninth Judicial Circuit in Bong County. He was honored by the U.S. Department of State for positively impacting the fight against human trafficking in Liberia, leading to the elevation of this country to Tier Two, up from the 2021 Tier Two Watch List. That’s remarkable progress in minimizing, if not curtailing, trafficking in persons globally.

Secretary of State Blinken noted at the release of the 2022 Trafficking In Persons Report held inside the Benjamin Franklin Room at the State Department in Washington DC that currently, about 25 million people around the world are victims of trafficking, and stressed that trafficking destabilizes societies, undermines economies, harms workers, enriches those who exploit them, undercuts legitimate business, and most fundamentally, it is profoundly wrong.

According to Mr. Blinken, Judge Wennah was called out for his resolute efforts to build capacity in Liberia’s criminal justice sector to successfully prosecute human traffickers as well as his strong advocacy for the active inclusion of traditional leaders and civil society organizations in Liberia’s national Anti-Trafficking Task Force.

Judge Wennah does not operate on his own or in isolation, which we know, but his resilient and uncompromising commitment to this fight stands tall thus, winning international attention, and taking this government and the entire country alone.

It is important that we celebrate our very best always to motivate others making similar strive elsewhere in our governance structure and even outside of the public sector. Thousands of other ‘Cornelius Wennahes’ are across this country making honest strives to moving the Motherland forward, but their activities are not being brought to limelight.

It would be a serious disservice if Judge Wennah’s success story were to be treated ordinarily by the Government of Liberia, for he deserves not just a rousing welcome, but a national recognition because he has achieved a legacy not only for himself and his family but the entire country that has gone down in history.

At the same time, we laud the Government of Liberia under President George Weah for demonstrating commitment and supporting the fight against trafficking in person. We are vividly aware of government’s efforts in bringing our daughters and sisters back home from Oman, where they were trafficked and subjected to dehumanizing conditions, including sexual abuse.

The government should also be hailed for bringing suspects to book. We also stress a need to strengthen laws on the book to make human trafficking very difficult and near impossible for would-be traffickers.

We hold no doubt that Judge Cornelius Flomo Wennah deserves to be included in the National Image Award and also recognized by the State for bringing pride to Liberians both at home and abroad with service of distinction that should not be ignored.