PYJ ‘copy and paste’

Under pressure from plenary, one of Liberia’s representatives to the ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Prince Y. Johnson has reported to the Liberian Senate, but some of his colleagues have termed the report as mere ‘copy and paste’ of minuets from the ECOWAS secretariat.

The senate plenary recently gave a week ultimatum to both Senators Prince Johnson and George Weah to report on sessions they attended at the ECOWAS Parliament in Abuja, Nigeria.
Bitter exchanges erupted Thursday, March 2, after Sen. Johnson’s report was read by the Secretary of the Liberian Senate, Nanbolor Singbe when Senator Joseph Nagbe of Sinoe County termed the report as mere minutes copied from ECOWAS’ Secretariat.

His comment did not go with impunity, as Johnson in an angry mood, intimated that since Liberia joined the ECOWAS Parliament, he’s the first sitting senator to ever report on happenings at the Parliament, and that the senate did not give him any template how his report should be written.

As if adding insult to injury, Sen. Alphonso Gaye of Grand Gedeh County, who had written plenary, demanding the report, insisted that the document should be rejected on grounds that Senator Johnson should be compelled to make proper and decent report or be recalled him from the regional body for poor performance.

Gaye’s statement took PYJ on fire, lambasting that Gaye was out for witch-hunt, which he (Johnson) does not merit.
With these exchanges, the senate chambers fell in total disarray, while Presiding Officer, Sen. H. Dan Morais tried aimlessly to calm the body.

But Sen. Johnson insisted that as far as he was concerned, the report was his personal account of activities at the sessions in Abuja, and it does not represent the full delegation from Liberia, which was headed by Senator George Weah, adding that Weah will subsequently submit his report to plenary.

The two senators have since 2014 been on assignment to the regional body, but had never reported to their colleagues till now.
Meanwhile, out of apparent sympathy, the senate unwillingly received the report and forwarded to be included in its records for future use.

Senators Weah and Johnson were requested to submit detailed performance report on happenings at the ECOWAS Parliament.
Weah, who reportedly returned to the country from abroad, is yet to report as recently mandated by plenary.

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor -Editing by Jonathan Browne