The 53nd National legislature climaxed very interestingly in 2017 with it refusal (The House Representatives) to pass bills presented to it by the Executive branch headed by former president Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Amongst the bill was the most questioned Cement agreement of Nigerian Billionaire Aliko Dangote.
The refusal by the 52nd legislature headed by Unity Party vice Presidential candidate then J. Emmanuel Nuquay was seen as a slap in the face of the President Emeritus (Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf who was believed to have been supporting the CDC political party over her own Unity Party
Appearing as though they were in the interest of the Liberian people, the Nuquay’s leadership threw out all the bills send by Madam Sirleaf and shut down legislative business on capitol hill.
With the public outcry, minority opposition lawmakers including Dr. Bohfal Chambers , Acarious Gray and few others opposed the passage of bills send to the lower house by the then President Johnson-Sirleaf.
The Intend “From whence I see it was a political face saving game by the lawmakers many of whom abused time and squandered opportunities as intoned by the former Liberian Vice President Joseph N. Boakai.
For Twelve Years, Dr. Chambers and other stood for a cause not to compromise the interest of the state by allowing any bill sent by the executive to sail in without going through scrutiny, they fought to see that concession agreements send to them were thoroughly reviewed, but the squanderers of those opportunities colluded with the executive and sought a 4G passage of those agreements.
Their quest to redeem time and buy the sympathy of their constituents, some of those poorly performed lawmakers thought that by joining their colleagues to reject the last minute to the time “bad” bill would have saved them, their intend was to tell Liberians that their interest had been sought thereby painting a bad picture of Madam Sirleaf as a wicked leader who wanted to mortgage the country as she exited
The New Legislative leaders, From when I see them.”
The new legislative leaders are not saints because they are humans, but they possessed some of the best qualities legislatively, they have stood for a cause of change in Liberia and are still leading a change for transformation.
In the early stages of the UP led government, Hon. Dr. Bohfal Chambers who was by then head of the UP legislative Caucus, repeatedly criticized early wrong doings by his party and warned that if the then President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf could not do what was wright he would have resigned. Months after, he resigned from Unity Party and joined the CDC.
Since then till the demise of the UP led government, Dr. Chambers a strong critic of the UP government and then his subsequent election as speaker. Dr. Chambers and few other lawmakers, though in their minority, stood for change in the house and resisted the passage of some bad legislation (Block 13 and Exxon Mobile oil deal).
This might have probably been the reason why Dr. Chambers was elected three times as representatives and Hon. Moye twice, which has subsequently placed them at the top post in the legislature ( Good leadership)
That leadership ability had further been demonstrated by the far sightseen of the leaders of the legislature presided over by Dr. Chambers, Deputy Speaker Prince Moye and the erudite Professor Senate Pro-tempore Albert Chie.
With the much criticized Elton Financing Loan and the EBOMFA loan which was presented to the legislature, the three astute leaders of both houses engaged their 103 colleagues in both houses to lend their thoughts independently on the loan agreements before they are sanctioned.
What is most creditable of Dr. Chambers, Deputy Speaker Moye and pro-tempore Chie was their un-wiliness to lobby with the executive branch of government to receive kick-backs for the ratification of these road financing agreements.
Unlike in the past 53rd legislature, the leaders colluded with the executive in siphoning millions from Liberia as signature fees and bribe to pass bills. Sixty –eight concession agreements were ratified with just two meeting legitimate standards
From Whence I see It, there are independent people who were elected to the legislature who sat and saw the plundering of our country’s resources under former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and they will never bow down to the power that be to down play the interest of the Liberian people .
Indeed, the 54th National Legislature remains a political theatre with hope, you have our mandate, and your performance to the Liberian people’s expectation will lead to the growth of Liberia and subsequently lead to your re-election.
