Teahjay stalls confirmation at Capitol

-Sen. Grupee alleges

As delay in the confirmation of Sinoe County superintendent-desigante Prosperous Brown by the Liberian Senate seems unending, the Chairman of the Statutory Committee on Internal Affairs has accused Sinoe County Senator J. Milton Teahjay of refusing to allow the confirmation proceed.

Senator Thomas Grupee of Nimba County said, when President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf submitted the name of Mr. Brown to the senate for possible confirmation, the plenary of the Senate mandated his committee to conduct the hearing, but Senator Teahjay intervened, claiming that he has to inform the county about the appointment.

Addressing a news conference last week at the Capitol Building in Monrovia Senator Grupee said since Teahjay made the request about two months ago, he has failed to provide information to allow the committee complete its task.

“Since Senator Teahjay requested he wanted to inform the county about the appointment before the confirmation can be completed, he has failed to report to the committee; when contacted he is always creating the corridor of what I will called delay tactics, and such action is not helpful to the committee. Senator Teahjay is the one stalling the confirmation of this young, educated, eloquent [man] with the desire to work for his county and the country at large,” Senator Grupee added.

According to him, Senator Joseph Nagbe of Sinoe had earlier agreed with the appointment of Mr. Brown but the problematic person who has created stumbling block for Mr. Brown is Teahjay. Last Thursday during the sitting of the upper House, Senator Grupee requested plenary to add his committee report, but it was rejected by Senate President Pro- Tempore Armah Jallah on grounds that the senate has not concluded on the report.

Due to the comments of the Pro-Tempore, Senator Grupee blasted openly, “We are not stupid; this is nonsense and I will not take such thing.” He was quickly calmed down when Grand Gedeh County Senator G. Alphonso Gaye requested to expel Grupee.

When Senator Teahjay was contacted via mobile, he promised to give his side of the story, but when contacted subsequently, he declined to take call or to response to SMS text message sent to him on his private number.

However, Senator Teahjay had earlier said it was time for the people of Jedepo District to take superintendent post on grounds that both the Kru and Sarpo tribes in the county had served in the position and since Mr. Brown is not from the Jedepo tribe, he should not be given the opportunity to serve.

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