-Recommends That NEC Doesn’t Grant Him, Others the Right to Contest
IPNEWS: The senatorial bid of sanctioned Mr. Nathaniel Fahnlon McGill, former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Staff in the Office of President George Mannel Weah has received a bloody nose following the call from the majority religious community in Margibi County to reject him.
In a press statement, the much-admired clergymen and women and heads of other Christian faith-based institutions in the county decided to oppose McGill’s bid for their county’s senatorial seat over his alleged involvement in public corruption and human rights abuse. The seat that the sanctioned designee has decided to vie for is going to be up for contest in October 2023.
The former Presidential Affairs Minister was one of three top officials of Pres. Weah’s Cabinet to be sanctioned by the United States Treasury Department for public corruption and human rights abuse. In September, he, along with his colleagues, bowed to public pressure and tendered in their resignations.
On Monday, August 15, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated McGill, Sayma Syrenius Cephus, former Solicitor General of Liberia and Mr. Bill Twehway, former Managing Director of National Port Authority (NPA) for their involvement in ongoing public corruption in Liberia. These officials are designated pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13818, which builds upon and implements the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act and targets perpetrators of serious human rights abuse and corruption around the world.
According to United States under Secretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian E. Nelson, “Through their corruption these officials have undermined democracy in Liberia for their own personal benefit.” “Treasury’s designations today demonstrate that the United States remains committed to holding corrupt actors accountable and to the continued support of the Liberian people.”
The US government Treasury Department stated that corruption has long undermined Liberia’s democracy and its economy, robbing the Liberian people of funds for public services, empowering illicit actors, degrading the business environment, and damaging the rule of law and effective governance in the country.
On Tuesday, August 16, Pres. Weah suspended McGill, Twehway, and Cephus with immediate effect to enable them to face investigation, which is yet to get underway. And on September 12, 2022, McGill and Twehway jointly resigned from their posts.
Following their resignations, the sanctioned McGill has since declared his intention to contest in Margibi. His decision, notwithstanding, continues to be greeted with mixed reactions, predominantly public condemnations from all corners or the country and the county.
“We have gathered here today to officially announce to the Liberian public in general, and the people of Margibi County in particular, our position on the recent decision of Sanctioned Mr. Nathaniel F. McGill, and steps taken by him to run for the office of Senator in our county in the wake of the scandal of public corruption against the Liberian people, and the alleged abuse of his position and power when he served our country in the capacity of Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, and Chief of Office Staff in the Office of President George M. Weah for five years. After much prayer, reflections, consultations and deliberations; and in view of the responsibilities placed upon us as spiritual leaders to influence the MORAL and SPIRITUAL direction, and future of our nation; and being cognizant of the charge placed upon us by our calling, to guide the youth of today, and generations yet unborn into that future; we the leaders and members of the Christian Community led by the Liberia Fellowship of Full Gospel Ministers and Churches, Upper Margibi Chapter, wish to make it known that we stand united IN OPPOSITION TO, and unequivocally REJECT, the senatorial bid of Mr. Nathaniel McGill in Margibi County,” they said in their statement.
According to them, their Christian Faith calls on them to address and stand up against, and in opposition to the issues of poverty, conflict, corruption in the society, injustice, inequality, moral decline, discrimination and other vices that negatively affect all human societies in general, and the Liberian nation in particular. “Moreover, we have a moral and spiritual, obligation to ensure that in keeping with our Christian Faith, we never, at any time encourage or otherwise support hateful and destructive attitudes, violence behaviors, corruption in public places, the abuse of power in the nation, and the exploitation and manipulation of the poor and vulnerable, and whatsoever that is against the status of integrity and the human race. Since our Christian Faith requires that we stand as the conscience of society, we are called to protect the integrity and posterity of our country and project a stable and reliable future for the young people of our nation, Liberia.”
Other Excerpts from Religious Leaders’ Statement
Today, in view of the above stated, we have gathered here to publicly declare our stance against the senatorial bid of Mr. Nathaniel F. McGill, as leaders of the Christian Community of Margibi County, the office of public of trust, (The Senatorial Office of Margibi County), cannot and should not be given to Mr. Nathaniel F. McGill for the following reasons as stated below:
On August 10, 2022, in the City of Gbarnga, Bong County Mr. Nathaniel McGill, stated the following in these exact words: “Whole day they are stealing money, but even if I am stealing the money and give it to the Liberian people that good thing I am doing because I didn’t steal the money and take it to Europe.” Allowing Mr. McGill, a person in a position of public trust who publicly makes such statement to run for, or take on an elected position will be a license and an encouragement to common thieves, armed robbers, carjackers, and other criminals to continue in their criminal behaviors as long as they use the money in the country. This we cannot and should never allow to happen.
On August 15, 2022, the United States Government, through the Department of Treasury under the Office of Foreign Assets Control designated to the Liberian Government, sanctioned Mr. Nathaniel F. McGill, (former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Office Staff of President George Weah), Sayma Syrenius Cephus, (Former Solicitor General and Chief Prosecutor of Liberia) and Bill Twehway, (Former Managing Director of the National Port Authority), for their continuous Involvement in opened public corruption in Liberia and stating clearly that no one should do business with them.
On August 16, 2022, following the pronouncement of the United States Government, the President of Liberia, His Excellency, Dr. George M. Weah immediately suspended Mr. Nathaniel F. McGill, Mr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus and Mr. Bill Twehway, followed by their subsequent resignations from their respective offices of public trust.
On November 14, 2022, the U.S.A Ambassador Michael McCarthy, again reiterated the severity of the sanctions, and warned individuals and financial institutions against doing business with former and current sanctioned officials of the Government of Liberia namely: Mr. Nathaniel F. McGill, (Minister of
State for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Office Staff of President George M. Weah), Sayma Syrenius
Cephus, (Solicitor General and Chief Prosecutor of Liberia) and Bill Twehway, (Managing Director of the National Port Authority), Senator Prince Y. Johnson and Senator Varney Sherman.
We therefore call upon all ministers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all Christians and other religious
communities, tradition leaders, and the youth and student communities across Margibi County, and Liberia in general, to reject any attempt of any of the above stated individuals to run for further public office; and refrain from engaging in business and financial transactions with these statesmen or supporting them in their quest to be elected to other public offices, thus taking advantage of the vulnerability and low capacity of the majority of the society. Rather we encourage them to adapt the attitude of repentance and seek the forgivingness of the nation, yea the Liberian people.
Recommends to NEC
Meanwhile, the Christian religious leaders have recommended “that the National Elections Commission (NEC) of Liberia should not certificate any of these sanctioned individuals for election to public offices purposes as they did in the case of former Senator-elect, J. Brownie Samukai in Lofa County on Friday, April 5, 2021.
“That the Government of Liberia mandates the Minister of Justice to process and forward the sanctioned individuals to the appropriate court of law to face the Liberian people through the legal process.
“That the Government of Liberia makes every effort to establish the War and Economic Crimes Court in
Liberia to enable alleged and accused individuals have a free and fair trial before the Law.”
