During discussion of Human Rights pledge at the Liberian Senate, Ex-rebel leader Senator Prince Y. Johnson of Nimba County says there has been no record of any one of them in the Senate violating the International Human Rights law, for which they are asked to reaffirm or recommit the Human Rights pledge.
“I have been in this Senate for 18 years and no one had violated the Human Rights law; that human rights law that we put our signatures to as the International Declaration of Human Rights has not been violated by any senator”, argues the Nimba Senator who led a vicious rebel group( INPFL) in the 90s prior to entering politics.
He continues that there should be something wrong first before they would be asked to reaffirm or recommit to the Human Rights law.
According to PYJ, who opposes calls for the establishment of War and Economic Crimes Court for Liberia, threatening to return to the bush to mobilize men with single-barrel guns, if there were attempts to arrest him for suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity, because of their belief in International Human Rights, they (Senate) invited President George M. Weah, and based on that, the recent 07 June protest was allowed and the police moved accordingly, noting that the Police gave water to protesters that their organizers failed to provide.
Senator PYJ is one of the key former rebel leaders in Liberia indicted by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for heinous crimes during the Liberian Civil War.
But Senator Varney Sherman of Grand Cape Mount County, who is the crafter of the Human Rights pledge counters that reaffirming the Human Rights pledge doesn’t mean one has violated it. “If I pledged my allegiance to the Flag of Liberia, [it] didn’t mean that I’ve violated the flag of the country”, Sen. Sherman notes.
Sen. Sherman along with nine other senators further counter that they see no reason why some of their colleagues, including PYJ are refusing to reaffirm or recommit themselves to the Human Rights pledge.
In disagreement to reaffirmation of the Human Rights pledge, Senators Saah Joseph of Montserrado County and Daniel Nateehn of Gbarpolu County agree with PYJ that the pledge should be rejected and trashed out of the Liberian Senate because according to them, it makes no sense to reaffirm or recommit themselves to a pledge, but rather demonstrate patriotism as Liberians. By Ethel A Tweh–Editing by Jonathan Browne
