Who NEXT?

–To Head NEC

With the withdrawal of Cllr. Ndubuisi Nwabudike’s nomination by President George Weah as Chairman of the National Elections Commission-NEC, the political parlance is open for possible names  that   will head one of Liberia’s most important Commissions.

So far, the President is said to be disenchanted over his choice, who was recommended to him by some of his close confidants.

Sources from within the inner circle of the President’s closet, confided in the New Republic that he has been blasting at some of his officials and other friends for the nomination of Cllr. Nwabudike.

“In a meeting with  some of  them, he was not happy at all. He told them it was a shame for this name to come out after they told him he was qualified to head that position,” the person who declined to be name said.

Possible Names: Dr. JallahA. Barbue

One name  that has come out  within the  CDC file is Dr. Jallah Allen Barbu, who hails from Lofa county.  He is a staunch CDcian who has worked extensively for the party both  in the USA and in Liberia. He campaigned against his uncle, former vice president, Joseph N. Boakai in his home town in Lofa.  For that,  there  was a serious rift  between him and his uncle.

He enrolled  at the University of Liberia where he earned the Bachelors of Business Administration in Accounting, minoring in Management. He subsequently enrolled in the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, from where he graduated with honors at the top of his class and later admitted to the graduate legal studies program of Indiana University School of Law as one of two beneficiaries of a study grant awarded by that University to the Grimes Law School, intended to augment the quality of the faculty of Grimes.

He earned the Master of Law degree (Constitutional Law) with an impressive performance thereby earning him the rare opportunity of extension of his study grant to pursue the doctorate degree at the same University which had been converted to Indiana University Maurer School of Law. With the approval of the administration of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, Dr. Barbu accepted the offer, successfully completing the course requirements, and receiving the distinguished Doctor of Judicial Science (SJD) Degree, so far making him the first Liberian to reach that level.

As an Attorney-At-Law in 2001 and a Counsellor-At-Law of the Bar of the Supreme Court as a Counsellor- At-Law in 2006, Dr./Cllr. Barbu has argued cases at all levels of the Liberian court system. Additionally, he has served in public service in various capacities including Accounts Manager at Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation, Vice Chairperson and subsequently, Chairperson of the Law Reform Commission. He served as Ex-Officio of the Constitutional Review Committee and is credited with spearheading the planning the organization of the National Constitutional Conference held in Gbarnga under the auspices of that Committee.

Many international organizations see Dr. Barbu  as one of Liberia’s foremost constitutional law scholars. He has authored and co-authored several literary materials on Liberian law, including the publication of Liberia’s first Constitutional Law Course book and Liberia’s first treatise on the Meaning of The Liberian Constitution. His Master’s Thesis and Doctoral

Dissertation, “Roots of Excessive Executive Power in Liberia” and “The Development of Excessive Executive Power in Liberia” respectively focused on the powers of the President of Liberia, and provide options for rationalizing those powers, as a way of decentralization and good governance.

He is also credited with leading the drafting and advocacy of several laws including the Children’s Law, the New Education Law, the Intellectual Property Law that assisted in Liberia’s accession to the WTO, and the Decentralization Act. He has also done extensive reviews of other laws and proffered suggestions for amendments, amongst which are the New Elections Law, the Aliens and Nationality Law and the Equal Rights to Marriage Law.

Currently chairing the LNBA’s Ad-Hoc Committee drafting the bill for the establishment of a War and Economic Crimes Tribunal for Liberia, Dr. Barbu, characterized as a straight- forward and respectable lawyer and professor who is quite knowledgeable of Liberian law and legal practice, has served the LNBA and the Judiciary in various capacities. He was once elected and served as the General Secretary of the LNBA and was for several years, a member of the Examinations Committee that examines applicants seeking admission as Attorneys and Counsellors-At-Law. His current faculty engagements at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law focus on teaching Constitutional Design, Practice Court, and Applied Legal Studies.

Other Side:

He is  seen as a straight forward person who does it as he sees it.  His nomination is seen by many legal experts and even  some Cdicians as a person who can easily  lead the commission  that will receive  both local and international respects and commendations.

Madam Gloria Maya Musu-Scott 

Madam Gloria Maya Musu-Scott is a Liberian politician and jurist  and served as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court from 1997 until 2003. She is well respected both locally and internationally  and commands a lot of respect.

She has a bachelor’s degree in economics and a law degree from the University of Liberia.

She is a graduate of the law school  and graduated from the prestigious Harvard Law School (HLS) of Harvard University in 2017.

Scott  hails from  Maryland County.  A number of politicians from CDC, National Patriotic party and Liberty  Party  this paper spoke with over the past time, said “even though she is from the opposition camp, her appointment to any of the top positions would demonstrate the  CDC’s political  maturity.

“I do not think she will be there to serve UP, but will be serving the country. “For us, we think  she will be serving her country,” one opposition politician said.  She was appointed Chief Justice of the five member Supreme Court in 1997, after the court was reconstituted following the civil war and the election of  former president, Charles Taylor.

In February 2003, Scott read a ruling of the court which said it did not have legal jurisdiction over the rebel Liberians United for Reconciliation and Democracy to stop the second civil war in order to conduct a national census prior to the 2003 election. She served on the court until August 2003, when the transitional government took effect.

At the 2005 elections, Scott became the Junior Senator for Maryland County, representing the Alliance for Peace and Democracy. In 2008, she spoke to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission about the need to look further beyond the events of 1979.   She is seen as a tough person who may not like for any rule to changed. Her level of rigidity is one of her strengths.

She was the chairperson of the Constitution Review Committee which convened from 2013 until 2015. The CRC visited all 73 electoral districts and collected a total of 56,729 views from citizens. In this role, Scott advocated for the participation of women as well as for the education of girls.

She was an assistant professor at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law at the University of Liberia.

The other side:

She is a member of the opposition Unity party (UP). But her appointment would send a clear signal to the outside world of the president’s commitment for political inclusion.

Currently, she is focusing on research and providing legal consultancies for a number of people and institutions.  The Liberian normal health problem-Typhoid, malaria has been an issue.  That cannot be seen as an obstacle, source close  within the  Liberia National Bar Association said

She is not really a Cdician but well respected by party members. Scott was very instrumental in the formation of the Association of Female Lawyers of Liberia.

Natu Oswald Tweh

Cllr. Tweh is a well known lawyer who commands a lot of respect both locally and internationally.  Usually referred to as a quite lawyer whose actions speak more than his talks.

He is a quite man who is hardly seen at many events.  He obtained his B.Sc. (Honors),from Cuttington University College, Liberia, 1984; LL.B. (Honors), Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia, Liberia, 1986; LL.M., Harvard Law School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1988.

More to that, he is  Member – Liberia National Bar Association (President 2006); New York State Bar Association; American Bar Association. His areas   of  specialties are  Corporate Taxation; Corporate Law; International Business; Commercial Transactions; Litigation.

He is Assistant Professor of Law, Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia, 1992-1996; Managing Partner, Brumskine& Associates, 1991-to current; Member, National Board of Bar Examiners, Supreme Court of Liberia, 1994-1996/February 2004 to 2014; Member, Board of Directors, Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LTC), 1994-1995; Member, Tax Commission of Liberia, 1999; Member, Grievance & Ethics Committee, Supreme Court of Liberia, 2002 to 2013.

Chairman, Board of Directors, Industrial Property Office, 2005 to 2012; Chairman, Provisional Board of Directors, Liberia Telecommunications Corporation (LTC), February 2006 to September 2007; Member, Judicial Inquiry Commission, Supreme Court of Liberia, 2006 to 2008; Co-Chairman, Judicial Training Institute Steering Committee, Supreme Court of Liberia, 2007 to 2008; Member Board of Directors of the Liberian National Oil Company, 2009 to 2010; Member, Executive Council of the Liberia Chamber of Commerce, 2009 to February 2011; Member, Judicial Council of the United Methodist Church, 2012 to 2020.

His political affiliation:

His political affiliation is not really known. Some say he is member of either Liberty Party or  CDC.  But not much is heard about him in public glare.