Minister Cooper: “I Have Spent 53 Hours, 50 Minutes in Senate Chambers…”

Agriculture Minister  Jeanine M. Cooper has replied to the Liberian Senate’s citation to appear on contempt charges for non-compliance, in what appeared to be an offense to most Senators. 

In a communication dated October 22, 2021, Minister Cooper reminded the Senate plenary of how diligent she has been in doing everything humanly possible to appear and answer the Committee on Agriculture and Fisheries questions in fulfillment of her duties whenever she is in the country. 

She noted in her letter that she has attended twelve official citations and numerous informal meetings; “ an estimated 53 hours and 50 minutes spent in the Senate Chambers and meetings with Senators -- many more hours preparing for the meetings.” 

Minister Cooper recalled that while she was in New York (USA) for ten days last month (September), she participated in three different virtual meetings with Senators, the NIC, and the NBC.

“And you will surely remember that the MOA has supplied more than 2,000 pages of information in response to the Senate’s requests for information, some of it as recently as this week," She said.

Madam Cooper recalled that since her confirmation, she or deputies have faithfully represented the MOA before the Senate committees on Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries; Labor, Education, Judiciary, Human Rights, Claims, and Petitions; Ways, Means, Finance and Budget; Concessions and Investments or in the plenary on 12 separate occasions.

“ This very week, my Deputies have been in meetings with the Grand Kru Legislative Caucus and we spent several hours addressing their concerns on the SAPEC project. Last week, I spent two hours discussing with investors in the office of the Montserrado County Senator and his Colleague," the minister said.

Minister Cooper regretted that the Senate has repeatedly asked her ministry to comment on funds that have not yet even been disbursed into the MOA’s operational accounts.

Namely, the 16 million dollars in the Liberian Commercialization and Agribusiness Fund which, she noted, remains bogged down in establishment procedures; “ and that will eventually be disbursed only on the authorization of a National Fund Advisory Committee, as per our contract with the World Bank.” 

Giving reasons for her inability to attend yesterday’s citation, Minister Cooper noted that on October 24, she had to form a part of the advanced team of President George Manneh Weah’s Presidential delegation to the Conference of Parties on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to be held in Glasgow, Scotland.

“ In my capacity as National Chair of the Carbon Consultative Committee, I will be taking part in the pre-Summit negotiations of the African countries beginning on the 26th of October, and will be supporting his Excellency the President’s championing of climate finance for Liberia through to the end of the Summit on November 12, 2021,” Minister Cooper noted.

Concluding, Minister Cooper informed the Senate that “given the imminence of my travel and the time needed to prepare myself to fully address the concerns of the honorable Senate, I respectfully propose that the appearance be re-scheduled by mid-November, at your convenience. I will be more than ready then to respond robustly to the charges and lay to rest the narrative of non-cooperation.”

Reacting immediately after reading her letter, Senators reacted angrily with some Senators describing Minister Cooper as showing a high degree of arrogance, which was viewed as an affront to the Senate. 

But on a legal soft note. Senator H. Varney Sherman admonished his colleagues that as the accuser and also judge, “ we should not prejudge the accused.” Others agreed that the Senate awaits the return of the Minister and cite her on the same non-compliance charges. 

Meanwhile, the Senate plenary has voted that Minister Cooper be cited to appear before the plenary on November 23, 2021, at 11:05 am.