By: Peter Dennis,
Desk Editor

IPNews-Monrovia: A well-seasoned Liberian Lawyer of Bong County has attributed the disunity in the country to article 80 subsections ‘D’ of the Liberian constitution.

According to Cllr. Benedict Kpakama Sagbeh, article 80 ‘D’ of the Liberian constitution is denying Liberians to equal rights and representation.

He also feels it is in violation to the Universal Declaration of Human rights including articles 11 ‘B’ and 18 of the Liberian constitution.

Article 80 ‘D’ calls for each constituency to have approximately equal population of twenty thousand, something the National Threshold Bill passed by the national legislature and signed into law on August 2, 2010 by former Liberian President, H. E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf who jumped the figure to thirty thousand with a proposition that no county should have not less than two representatives.

Cllr. Sagbeh’s statement comes from the background of clustering more districts by the National Elections Commission (NEC) to be represented by an individual, something he also thinks has not been effectively welcoming since its establishment across the country.

The Bong County senatorial aspirant further recommends to President George Manneh Weah to place ‘article 80 ‘D’ in the pending 2023 referendum’.

“I am therefore asking President George Manneh Weah to include article 80 subsections “D” of the Liberian constitution for amendment to ensure equal participation and representation” Cllr. Benedict Sagbeh averred.

“If you take what article 80 “D” says about twenty thousand inhabitants in each constituency across the country,  you find out that we will have 146 lawmakers. The country can pay these people by reducing the current $15,000 USD salary by each lawmaker to $7,500. It will not cause the country any lost of funding” Cllr. Benedict Sagbeh argued.

The former Legal advisor to the Forestry Development Authority during the Ellen’s regime further argued that Liberia needs competent leaders to advice the president on his workings.

“It is not seditious to advice the president, it is not also treasonable to give pieces of legal advice to the president for the forward match of the country” Cllr. Sagbeh pointed out.

Cllr. Benedict Sagbeh also assured Bongese that if the president does not heed to his recommendations when elected as Senator of Bong County, he will lobby with his colleagues at the national legislature to ensure Article 80 ‘D’ of the constitution is amended to ensure equal representation and participation.

He spoke when he was petitioned by two major towns in Fuamah district over the weekend. The towns include, Degei and Jungle James Camp.

In the citizens’ petition, they cited the numerous humanitarian gestures by Cllr. Benedict K. Sagbeh.

They named the freeing of over 85 out of 105 individuals who were jailed relating to a violent in Gold Camp in 2018, provision of scholarship, his legal experiences, among others, as key components that prompted his endorsement.

The citizens also feel Cllr. Sagbeh is the right person to unify the Bong’s Caucus adding that his election in the senate should not be overemphasized, as he is the hallmark of development in the county.

Responding to the citizens’ quest, the former legal advisor to the Forestry Development Authority, who debunked rumors that he has withdrawn his candidacy, accepted the petition with proud.

Cllr. Benedict K. Sagbeh, who was traditionally welcomed and presented by Hon. James Daniel alas Jungle James, told over six hundred (600) people gathered that if elected to the senate, reconciliation, unity and agriculture will be the hallmark of his leadership.