Ahead of the 2020 Special Senatorial Elections, several current and former officials are bracing themselves to step in the race. Next October, Liberians will go to the poll to elect 15 senators for nine years tenure employment.
Among the emerging names are former Speaker J. Alex Tyler (Bomi County) and Ex-Senate Pro-Tempore now Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gbehnzohngar Milton Findley (Grand Bassa County). Both Tyler and Findley presided over the Liberian Legislature where 66 of the 68 concession agreements passed into law are bogus and not in the interest of the country, according to report.
Atty. Tyler, who is political leader of the Liberian People Democratic Party, which is a member of President George Weah’s ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, was indicted by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration for reportedly accepting US$75,000 bribe to change the Public Procurement Concession Commission act in favor of the British firm Sable Mining. But he was recently acquitted by Criminal Court C at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia along with several others incited by the State.
Also gearing up for the senate are former Minister of Finance and Development Planning Amara Konneh and ex-Minister of National defense Brownie Samukai, respectively,Mr. Konneh is currently in battle with Weah administration for reportedly misapplication of 13 million Euros from the European Union for child materiality.
During his stay at the Finance and Development Planning Ministry, Liberia faced budget shortfall every fiscal year.
former Defense Minister Samukai (Lofa County) is entangled in a retirement benefit scheme for soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia, amounting to about US$10 million.
Families of servicemen have been demanding their benefits but to avail.
former Speaker Emmanuel James Nuquay is at the verge of joining the race to unseat Senator Oscar Cooper of Margibi County. It was during the tenure of Nuquay that the House of Representatives approved the printing of 16 billion Liberian banknotes that reportedly went missing.
Though Nuquay, who contested alongside former Vice President Joseph Boakai in the 2017 Presidential elections on the ticket of the then ruling Unity Party, argued in one of his appearances before the House of Representatives’ Committee on Ways, Means, and Finance that the House only authorized the printing of LRD5 billion, he failed to explain how the amount swelled to LRD16 billion.
Deputy House Speaker Prince Moye (Bong County) is another official of government that wants to make a try in the 2020 race. He was the Chairman on Ways, Means, and Finance and Budget Committee of the House of Representatives when the printing of new Liberian banknotes was ordered through the Central Bank of Liberia with approval from the Liberian Legislature.
The head of the defunct rebel group MODEL, Thomas Nimely Yaya wants to enter the race for the third time for his native Grand Gedeh County. The former Foreign Minister during the Transitional Government of late Chairman Charles Gyude Bryant, led one of the deadest rebel group that carried out killing of thousands of Liberians and destruction of properties worth millions United States dollars.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]
Grand Kru County’s current Lawmaker Cllr. Jonathan Fonati Koffa wants to enter the senate. He chairs the House’s committee on judiciary.
Prior to his ascendency to the house, Cllr. Koffa served as head of the presidential taskforce that indicted several officials of government for alleged involvement in the Sable Mining case.
One of the longest serving legislators from the regime of former President Charles Taylor up to Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, James Biney, gears up for his native Maryland County in southeast Liberia, against incumbent Senator H. Dan Morais. By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor–Editing by Jonathan Browne
