Sherman, Zargo get top Senate posts

Members of the Liberian Senate have overwhelmingly elected Grand Cape Mount Senator H. Varney G. Sherman as Chairman of the Committee on Judiciary and Lofa County Senator Stephen Zargo as Chairman on National Defense, Security, Intelligence and Veteran Affairs.

The two senators were elected Tuesday, February 24, 2015, during the full seating of the Senators in Plenary on Capitol Hill in Monrovia.

The duo won separately on white ballots- meaning they were the only contenders for their respective posts.

The election of Cllr. Senator Sherman and Atty. Senator Zargo yesterday brings the leadership of the Senate statutory committees to an end.

But the major factor lingering within the corridors of the Capitol Building is that the Liberian Senate has set another history by electing two senators – Cllr. Sherman and Senator Edward Dagoseh of Grand Cape Mount County, to serve on the leadership of the Senate.

Both Lofa and Grand Cape Mount Counties are the luckiest among the 15 counties to be elected to two leadership slots.

Senator George Tingbeh of Lofa County won the election as Chairman on Rules, Orders and Administration, while Senator Stephen Zargo was elected as Chairman on National Defense, Security, Intelligence and Veteran Affairs.

Grand Cape Mount’s Edward Dagoseh was elected as Chairman on Ways, Means and Finance and Senator Cllr. Sherman was elected Chairman on Judiciary.

Senators Dr. Peter Coleman of Grand Kru County was elected Chairman on Health and Gender Affairs and H. Dan Morias, Chairman on Foreign Relations.

Cllr. Sherman- a prominent Monrovia lawyer and partner in the Sherman and Sherman Law Firm, garnered front-page newspaper coverage for a speech to the Liberian Business Association denouncing the government for what he saw as non-enforcement of a hiring policy meant to favor Liberian citizens and businesses.

Running as the standard bearer of the four-party Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia (COTOL) in the 11 October 2005 presidential elections, Sherman placed fifth out of 22 candidates, receiving 7.8% of the total votes, following which endorsed George Weah for the run-off election. Following the merger of his Liberian Action Party with the “old Unity Party” in 2009, Sherman was chosen to become the National Chairman of the “new Unity Party” now in power.

In addition to law practice, Counselor Sherman is a Law Professor at the L.A. Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia, where- without compensation and as a personal contribution to his alma mate, he teaches Corporate Law and Taxation Law.

For many years,  he served as a permanent member of the Board of Examiners to examine attorneys-at-law who applied to become counselors-at-law to practice before the Supreme Court of Liberia.

He also served as President of the National Bar Association from 1993 – 1996. 

Over the years, he has also held positions on various Liberian Government commissions, including the Economic and Financial Reform Commission (1989 – 1990); the Tax Reform Commission (1999 – 2000); the Telecommunications Reform Commission (2002); and the Law Reform Commission (2006).

He is the Honorary Counsel for the Islamic Republic of Pakistan in Liberia.

By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor