Liberia News: “Implement ECOWAS Recommendations”

By Mark N. Mengonfia

Liberia-Montserrado County District #10 Representative, Yekeh Kolubah is calling on the Joseph N. Boakia and Jeremaih K. Kung government to see reasons to implement the recommendations from the Economic Community of West African (ECOWAS).

Yekeh said since the recommendations were made by ECOWAS and were not implemented by the George M. Weah led government; President Boakai’s administration should take charge since government is continuity.

“ECOWAS told the Liberian people that the impeachment of Kabineh Ja’neh was illegal, reinstate him, has Joseph Boakai done it?” he inquired.

When he was reminded that the recommendations were made during the Weah administration, Rep. Kolubah said, “Government is continuity.

According to him, the issue of the impeached judge was used by the former opposition calling for his reinstatement. He was quick to ask a rhetorical question saying, “If they only used the dismissed judge’s case to gain sympathy votes from the Muslim community.”

Also the District #10 lawmaker said the impeached judge saw hope in the Unity Party when they were in opposition, something he said made a legal man like Ja’neh   Muhammad Ja’neh to be seen on political platforms.

“Since we are in authority now, let’s reinforce the ECOWAS recommendations now,” he said. Yekeh said, “When push comes to shove and ECOWAS comes, we will be in charge and will not listen to them.”

It can be recalled that Ja’neh was impeached during the 54th Legislature.

Being frustrated by his impeachment and also removal from the Supreme Court Bench in March 2019, Justice Ja’neh took further steps against the Government of Liberia at the ECOWAS Court of Justice.

After legal battle between lawyers of Ja’neh, the ECOWAS Court of Justice on Tuesday, November 10, 2020 ordered the Republic of Liberia to pay Counsellor Ja’neh   Muhammad Ja’neh the sum US$200,000 as reparation for moral prejudice suffered for the violation of his rights.

The November 10, 2020 judgment, in a case filed by the Judge, the Court also ordered Republic of Liberia to restore, calculate and pay to the Applicant all his withheld entitlements, including salaries, allowances and pension benefits as from the date of his impeachment to the date of notification of the Court’s judgment.

The Court further ordered Cllr. Ja’neh’s reinstatement as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court or in the alternative, to grant him the right to retire from service on the date of notification of the judgment of the Court with full pension benefits as if he had retired at the normal retirement age for justices of the Supreme Court.

It is the above judgment that the Montserrado County Representative is seeking for the Boakai led government to implement since government is continuity.