Court Summons LIBA Prexy

 James Strother, Others

 

The Civil Law Court Judge has summon the Leadership of the Liberia Business Association (LIBA) to answer to a petition for Declaratory Judgment filed by aggrieved members of the association

   A Declaratory judgment is a binding judgment from a court defining the legal relationship between parties and their rights in a matter before the court. When there is uncertainty as to the legal obligations or rights between two parties, a declaratory judgment offers an immediate means to resolve the uncertainty.

   The decision by the judge of the Civil law court came, when the aggrieved members filed their complaint requesting the court to declare the rights of petitioners, rescind all acts inconsistent with the rights of workers.

   In the petition, the association urged the court to grant them the right as members and former members of the association to participate in the ongoing LIBA convention, praying the court that their petition should be granted.

   The aggrieved members, in their petition, stated that they are members and former executives of the Association pursuant to the by- laws and constitution of LIBA. They added, “It is recognized under the laws of Liberia and organized for the common good of LIBA" 

   The petitioners noted that since their election four years ago, the leadership has neglected their responsibilities and committed several breaches of the original constitution of 2007, including their failure to hold regular convention and unilateral introduction of a new constitution dated March 20, 2021.

    The introduction of a new constitution outside the constitutional framework of the Association, the petitioners said, was done fraudulent and only meant to perpetuate the respondents illegitimate in office against the clear wishes and dictate of the proper by-laws and constitution of the LIBA

    The petitioners further maintained that the respondents were elected August 2018, and their time has since expired. This, according to the petitioners, makes the leadership not only illegitimate and without authority to conduct the affairs of LIBA, but also disqualifies them for re-election.

    Petitioners added that the respondents have sought to abruptly hold convention and election outside the recognized constitutional framework of the LIBA so as to have them re-elected for another term.

   "Our laws provide that courts of record within their respective jurisdictions shall have power to declare rights, status and other legal relations,  whether further relief is or could be claimed or not, " the petitioners concluded.

   Judge Kennedy Peabody, before whom the petition was filed, commanded the clerk of the court “… to summon the defendants to appear before the court to answer to the complaint,” saying that failure on their part, the court will be left with no alternative but to   render  judgment by default will be against the respondents.

   He also commanded the clerk of court to notify the respondents to file their formal appearance bond at the judge office before February 17.  

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EPS Officers Brutalize

LIGIS   Contractors

-Briefly Detained Them for Demanding Wages

The grounds of the Liberia Institute for Geo Information Services {LIGIS} was the scene of violence on Tuesday, February 7, 2023 when five contractual workers of the National Housing and population Census were brutalized and detained   by the Executive Protection Services for demanding their legitimate wages in keeping with the term of their contracts; they were however released later from further detention; Frederick T. Swen reports.

   Narrating that the five were among group of workers contracted   by LIGIS to conduct the 2022 National Housing and Population Census, a Spokesman of the unpaid contractors, Mr. Lawrence B. Flahn, told The Analyst Newspaper in an interview at LIGIS’ Headquarters that since the completion of the census exercise, bulk of them have not been paid.   

    Each time we come to get our pay is another story, Mr. Flahn noted, indicating, however, that of recent times LIGIS authorities blamed delay in the payment of their wages on what was called “irregularities” in the payroll structure.

   Accordingly, the contractors were assured by the acting boss of LIGIS, Mr. Lawrence George, that they will get their pay soon. Mr. Flahn, who claims to be coordinating between the aggrieved contractors and LIGIS Administration, notwithstanding, argues they (contractors) cannot be responsible for irregularities in the payroll system of LIGIS.

    Flahn pointed out it was improper on the part of the Executive Protection Service (EPS) Personnel to have the peaceful Liberian workers brutalized and detained for advocating for their just wages for their labor.

   When asked as to the number of persons who have not been paid, he could not state the figure involved; but he said the number is huge. “Imaging people from nearly all of the fifteen subdivisions of Liberia are contacting me as their spokesman, to know the status of their pay,” he maintained.

     In an effort to get the side of LIGIS, our reporter was told by a receptionist that the administration was in a tight meeting.

    The issue of payment of the wages of contractors of the National Housing and Population Census has been a very serious problem since the completion of the exercises last year.     

 CDC Youth Accuses

Cummings of Violence

- But ANC SG Dismisses Claims as Nonsense

 The Revolutionary Youth League of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has accused opposition Alternative National Congress’ (ANC) Alexander B Cummings of using young people to cause violence against the CDC, referencing a video that went viral on the social media showing a youth burning the party uniforms on the day of their one million citizens rally, But ANC Secretary General Aloysius Toe dismisses the allegation as complete nonsense; The Analyst’s Stephen G. Fellajuah reports.

   The CDC Youth League Chairman Emmanuel M. Johnson told a press conference held at the CDC’s National Headquarters in Congo Town yesterday, Thursday, that  the ANC leader is the sponsor of a recent Facebook post displaying the burning of a CDC paraphernalia, describing the act as threats to the peace and security of the country,

   Mr. Johnson is convinced that the ANC leadership is prepared to instigate violence against the CDC, and therefore calls on the National Elections Commission (NEC) and the international community to investigate the intent of the Facebook post.

   "We have discovered that the political leader of the ANC has planted young people to burn down banners and other belongings of the CDC only to instigate violence to derail our hard earned peace. You as a [political] leader who wants to become president [should not be] instigating violence against the ruling party." Johnson told the news conference.

   He warned the leader of the opposition Alternative National Congress to desist from instigating violence against another political party, stating that violence is not the way to leadership.

   "Violence is not the way to leadership, and no politician must encourage young people to get involved with violence. They should rather promote peace and stability by positively empowering young people", Johnson said.

   At the same time, the  Youth League leader admonished partisans of the ruling CDC not to respond to negatives acts being instigated against the CDC as doing so would further escalate  violence in the country. 

  "Never and ever will we get engaged in violence; it is therefore our clarion call on all CDCians to exhibit peace which is the best and only way forward to peaceful elections and security in the country…”.   Johnson characterized the president to be a man of peace, which attributes, he said, “… all CDCian must emulate."

   However, Mr. Johnson revealed that a formal complaint has been filed with the Nation Elections Commission and the international community against the ANC political leader, asserting that the alleged action of the Collaborating Political Parties’ standard bearer violates Section 10.25v of the elections law of the Republic of Liberia.

   But, the ANC reacted to Johnson’s claim. ANC Secretary General Aloysius Toe in a telephone chat with The Analyst in reaction to the claim of the CDC youth League leader termed the CDC Youths’ allegation as “nonsense”.

    Mr. Toe said such allegations are purely out of fear of the opposition, saying,  "That is complete nonsense and I think they fear the ANC."

   The national scribe of the Alternative National Congress added that the ANC is a party of peace and the respecter of the rule of law, and can never indulge into such diabolical acts of violence to the peril of the suffering Liberian masses.