Nuquay’s qualification under scrutiny

The Chairman of the Governing Council of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, Chief Cyril Allen voices his opposition to the appointment of former Speaker James Emmanuel Nuquay as Director General of the Liberia Civil Aviation Authority or LCAA and his subsequent confirmation by the Liberian Senate.

In an interview with OK FM, a local radio station in Monrovia on Friday, Chief Allen cites the “Civil Aviation Act of 2005” Sub-chapter II Section 203 under Appointment and Qualifications of the Director General, which states among others, “The Director General shall be appointed with regard to being properly qualified and experienced in civil aviation for the efficient discharge of the powers and duties vested in and imposed by this Act.”

Mr. Nuquay holds a BSc degree in Economics from the University of Liberia and is a graduate of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law from the same state-run university.

Chief Allen stresses that the former Speaker lacks technical qualification as required by the “Civil Aviation Act of 2005” to head the LCAA.

He notes that the country is not bankrupt of qualified personnel in civil aviation and names at least five Liberian professionals, including Capt. Moses J. Weefer, and Randolph Cooper, among others, who could instead, effectively run the institution based on competence.

He warns that the appointment could face some international challenges because Liberia is a member of the world civil aviation authority and there are global standards that should be met.
The CDC Governing Council Chair thinks those who recommended the former Speaker to President George Manneh Weah for appointment to the post, did so to embarrass the President, cautioning, “A gift from a wicked man is a trap; I don’t want somebody to embarrass our President tomorrow.”

But a member of the Liberian Senate, Rivercess County Senator Dollar Gueh, disagrees with Chief Allen, defending that Mr. Nuquay is a professional manager, capable of steering the affairs of the LCAA.
He cites count two of Section 203 of the “Civil Aviation Act of 2005” under Sub-chapter II that states: “At the time of nomination, the Director General shall have at least ten years management or similar technical experience in a field directly related to aviation.

Senator Gueh continues that former Speaker Nuquay is a professional manager with wealth of experience so the senate has explicit confidence in his ability to head the Civil the Aviation Authority.

Count Three (3) of Section 203 of the “Civil Aviation Act of 2005” says,
“The Director General shall have no monetary interest in or own any stocks or bonds of any aeronautical enterprise following his appointment, while count four (4) reads, “The Director General shall not engage in any other business, vocation, or employment”, and count five (5) stipulates, “The Director General shall hold office for a term of five years and may be reappointed.”

Former speaker James Emmanuel Nuquay fell from grace to grass when he relinquished the Speaker post of the House of Representative to contest as running mate to the defeated presidential candidate of the former running Unity Party, ex-Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai in the 2017 Presidential and Representatives Elections.

That single decision by the once third most powerful man in the Liberian government caused him to have lost out both in his political constituency where he did not re-contest, and at the national level when stepped down as Speaker to vie on a presidential ticket as vice standard bearer, which he also lost.

By Jonathan Browne