CSO Wants Ombudsman Setup -Picks Bone With LTA Commissioners Caption: AJULAP Boss W. Omecee Johnson

The Founder and Executive Director of a local Civil Society Organization (CSO) under the banner Access To Justice and Legal Aid Program (AJULAP), has seriously frowned at the deportment of some Commissioners of the Liberia Telecommunication Authority (LTA) for what it termed as raising false alarm and threatening a lawsuit against President Joseph Boakai for violating the laws of the country. The organization is called on President Boakai ro setup the office of the Ombudsman so as to perform it’s statutory function in accordance with the Code of Conduct. Speaking to this paper over the weekend in Monrovia, AJULAP Executive Director, W. Omecee Johnson said it was a total contradiction for the LTA Commissioners to protest their removal or replacement from various positions on grounds that they are serving tenure positions.

According to him, all of the LTA Commissioners who are threatening lawsuit against the government, during their confirmation before the 54th Legislature acknowledge the cancellation of Tenure positions by the Liberian Senate at various public corporation and agencies. In a video audio a copy which is in the possession of this paper, Montserrado County Senator, Darius Dillion can be heard loudly asking the nominees at the time saying, “do you also know that by the removal of the tenure security, once confirmed, you will be serving at the will and pleasure of the President?”, and all of them unanimously agreed. It can be recalled that the 54th Legislature was in session when former President George M. Weah, requested the removal of former Central Bank Governor Nathaniel Pattry, as well as the head of the National Lottery Authority, Martin Kollie respectively, who also occupied tenure positions that were still running.

He alleged that the former CBL Governor threatened to leak classified Information relating to the mysterious death of CBL employee, Matthew Innis, something that led to the government paying him off while Martin Kollie struggled to maintain his position at the Lottery Authority. The AJULAP Founder, who is also a veteran courtroom reporter as well as social justice advocate, described the latest position of the LTA Commissioners to withdraw their initial quest to go to court based on considerations, according to the Chairperson of the LTA Board of Commissioners, Edwina Crump, as a well-calculated plot against the Boakai regime. “If Pressure Boakai government is capable of liquidating those who will be affected as a result of the removal from various positions as President Weah did in the case of the former CBL Governor, then the two Presidents will be acting in good faith in the interest of the country,” he said. The veteran Liberian journalist indicated that the mission of AJULAP is to sensitize the citizenry about the laws, their rights and how the legal system works through civic and public education as well as strategic litigation and the media intervention. He pointed out that when citizens are informed about the legal system, they will be equipped and effectively engaged in the democratic process, and hold their leaders accountable. Johnson noted that all public officials are obligated to respect all of the laws as enshrined in part IV, session 4.2 of the Code of Conduct. Accordingly, it is totally disappointing for some former officials of government to grossly violate part 5, session 5.1 of the Code of Conduct, which prohibits all public officials from participating in political activities, using their offices and public assets to engage in political propaganda for a candidate contesting for public office. The AJULAP Founder then lauded Maritime Authority former Commissioner General Lenn Eugene Nagbe, who resigned his tenure position because he realized that he violated part 5, session 5.1 of the Code of Conduct.