Liberia: Weah’s Nominees, Dean, Wolokollie Left in Limbo

Following days of sustained picketing by Senate Staffers over unpaid benefits, Senate Pro-Tempore, Albert T. Chie yesterday announced the closure of the 54th Legislature, otherwise referred to as ‘adjournment Sine die’.

The closure, announced through a press release under the signature of Senate Press Director Alfred Johnson, said the adjournment of the 54th Legislature follows the end of the Special Session of the last segment of the 54th Legislative.

The Pro-Tempore’s unprecedented announcement of the closure of the Session (six years of sittings) through a press statement affected the expected confirmation hearings of two important nominations by President George Weah, which included Justice Minister Cllr Frank Musah Dean to the Supreme Court bench and Deputy Finance Minister Samora P. Z. Wolokolie as Commissioner General of the Liberia Revenue Authority.

There was a high degree of uncertainty surrounding the confirmation hearings of the President’s nominees, especially Dean, as the Senate Judicial Committee appeared unlikely to hold the scheduled hearing yesterday.

The confirmation process was temporarily suspended on January 4 by Associate Justice Jamesetta Wolokollie, the Presiding Chamber Justice of the Supreme Court, who rescheduled it for January 9.

However, the president’s proclamation for a regular session of the legislature, which includes the confirmation hearing, ended on Tuesday, January 9. This means the likelihood of Minister Dean’s confirmation depended largely on whether Associate Justice Wolokollie’s stay order would have been lifted, allowing the Senators to resume their work.

Interestingly, the stay order came after Chief Justice Sie-A-Nyene Yuoh and the majority of her colleagues raised constitutional concerns about the nomination following a petition filed by the Unity Party.

Dean, who is Liberia’s current Minister of Justice and Attorney General, was meant to replace Associate Justice Nagbe, who requested early retirement because of poor health. But Dean’s nomination was met with a barrage of condemnation from the public, with the incoming ruling Unity Party accusing judicial actors of illegality leading to the President’s nomination. Many also accused the outgoing President of ulterior motives.

As for Wolokollie, who was due to replace deceased LRA Commissioner Thomas Doe Nah, hardly any credence was given to his nomination, amid information filtering on Capitol Hill that he would never have been confirmed.

Meanwhile, on the occasion of the Senate adjournment yesterday, the leadership of the Liberian Senate expressed thanks and appreciation to their colleagues for the cooperation received during the Session and also over the years.

Pro-tempore Chie maintained that though the journey of the Senate Leadership was full of challenges, the Senate took the sense of responsibility to ensure that it (Senate) remains what he called a crucible of democracy in the Country, thereby providing political stability and serving as a reservoir for national leadership for the Executive and Judicial branches of government.

According to the Grand Kru County Senator, who has been elected to serve a second term of nine years in the Liberian Senate over the last six years, he helped to create the environment for economic growth, exercise oversight over the Executive and Judiciary branches of government, institute many legislative reforms, as well as represent the country abroad with distinction and implimplementy projects all across the country.

Meanwhile, Pro-Tempore Chie has sent a message of gratitude to his other colleagues who will not be returning for the 55th Legislature for their public service. He prayed that another avenue be available to them to contribute, noting that they still have the energy.