By Naneka A. Hoffman
Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson (PYJ) has vowed to resist President George Manneh Weah’s last-minute nomination of Justice Minister Frank Musa Dean as Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Recently, President Weah nominated Cllr. Dean to serve as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
Dean is supposed to replace Associate Justice Joseph Nagbe who requested an early retirement due to ill health.
The nomination of Justice Minister Dean to the Supreme Court bench has sparked up a row between the outgoing government of President Weah and the opposition Unity Party which Mr. Johnson supported during the just-ended election.
Some supporters of the incoming government believed the appointment of an Associate Justice to replace Justice Nagbe should be left with President-elect Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai.
But supporters of the Weah regime insist that the outgoing administration still has the constitutional mandate to appoint.
In an interview with Voice of America Day Break Africa recently, Senator Johnson said he will lobby with his colleagues to vote against Dean’s confirmation once it is brought before the Liberian Senate.
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Senator Johnson wondered why at this time President Weah wants to replace Associate Justice Nagbe who has been in Ghana attending medical treatment.
The Nimba County Senator argued that after President Weah announced a freeze on appointments or nominations in government, he could not understand why he came back to nominate the Justice Minister.
“We don’t know but we think it’s untimely,” said Johnson, asking why President Weah cannot leave that with the new government to decide what to do.
Senator Johnson said he wants Cllr. Dean is to remain at his ministry and be audited, adding that the audit will come immediately after the inauguration.
