Friends of Samukai, a political group in support of Lofa County Senator-elect Brownie Samukai has announced a nationwide march beginning at the Capitol building in Montserrado County and local government offices in Lofa County in solidarity with members of the Lofa legislative caucus.
The Lofa Caucus has earlier announced their abstinence from the President Weah’s state of the Nation address in protest against the delay in certificating the former defense Minister who was announced winner of the December 8, 2020 senatorial election.
They group said based on President weah’s refusal to listen to the many calls from several groups and prominent individuals to solve the problem in Lofa county, they will on Monday January 24, 2022 march on the capitol in red- T-shirts in demonstration of their frustration as people of Lofa County and again ask the international community to intervene in what they think is a “barefaced conspiracy” to keep Lofa County under-represented.
At a news conference Sunday January 16, 2022 in suburb of Paynesville, outside Monrovia, the group indicated that the presence of the people of Lofa on the grounds of the capitol on Monday will begin a new chapter of struggle that will be led by young courageous youth of Lofa county prepared to take the bullet, if need be, in defense of their noble county and its people.
According to the them so far, the people of Lofa County have remained peaceful in the face of the government’s marginalization in the governance of their own country.
“we have done all that is required by law to resolve this matter, but it is now clear that some elements of the regime are now taking advantage of our humble posture and manipulate judges to delay Lofa county representation.
Let the word go forth once more, if this government continues to push the court to delay the certification of senator elect Brownie Samukai thereby denying the full representation of Lofa county in the government, we will be left with no option but to the defend the constitution” the group said.
The friends of Samukai has at the same time welcome and endorse the decision taken by Senator Steven Zargo, Chairman of the Lofa legislative Caucus to abstain from taking part in President George Weah’s State of the Nation Address scheduled to be delivered on January 24 of this month in protest against the underrepresentation of Lofa County
They said the decision of the Chairman Zago and co-chair Representative Francis Sackilla Nyumalin to boycott the event is in demand of the full representation of the people of Lofa county in the house of senate as clearly enshrined in article 45 of the 1986 constitution of Liberia.
The group also extolled what it term as the special efforts by the traditional council of Liberia headed by Chief Zan Zan Karwah for their unequivocal position they took in recommending to President George Weah to use his constitutional power to resolve the problem in Lofa county as the father of the land, and assured the traditional chiefs and elders of their unflinching support for any and every action landlords and zoes of Lofa county will want to take in defense of their December 8, 2020 decision.
Former Defense Minister Brownie Samukai was elected by the people of Lofa during the December 2020 midterm election, but is yet to be certificated due to lingering court issues over the misapplication of pension fund belonging to personnel of the Armed Forces of Liberia.
What happened to Samukai?
Judge Yamie Quiqui Gbeisay of Criminal Court ‘C’ in March 2020 ruled Samukia along with two of his co-defendants, Joseph P. Johnson, former Deputy Minister for Administration and James Nyumah Dorkor, former Comptroller of the Ministry of Defense guilty of the crimes of theft of property, misuse of public money and criminal conspiracy and awarded them separate prison terms.
Mr. Samukai was given a higher two-year prison sentence, while his co-defendants were given six months jail terms each but with a condition that their sentences shall be suspended if they all restitute the amount of US$1.1 million in question over a one-year period.
But the Defendants took appeal at the Supreme Court and they (serving now as appellants), justified that they acted in line with the Constitution and relevant laws. They claimed that they acted on the orders of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to procure materials and render other services for the soldiers.
They claimed that US$50,000 was paid on the instruction of former President Sirleaf as death benefits to the families of the late General Abdurrahman, the Nigerian army officials who served as the first post war first Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia.
In February 2021, two months after he was elected Senator by the people of Lofa, The Supreme Court of Liberia upheld the lower court’s ruling against him and two other co-appellants and sentenced them to two years in prison each for misapplication of US$1.1 million intended for the Armed Forces of Liberia.
However, the court ruled that the prison terms could be suspended if the convicts restitute 50 percent of the fund within six months and make full payment within a year.
Samukai supporters raised his 50%
In August 2021 Supporters and Friends of the Lofa County Senator Elect Brownie Samukai completed the payment of Mr. Samukai 50% portion of the US$ 1.1 million Armed Forces of Liberia Money he and two others misapplied as order the by the Supreme Court of Liberia in its February 2021 ruling.
The group presented US$173,276.05 Criminal Court “C” which brings to total US$ 191,276 paid by the former Defense Minister haven’t paid US$18,000 few months back.
The payment of the money came as a surprise to many after the former Defense Minister wrote the Court asking for the time to pay the money citing COVID-19 as reason for his request.
But speaking after the presentation of the amount, the National Coordinator for the friends of Samukai, Abass Mark Biaty told reporters at the grounds of the Temple of Justice that the money was raised by Lofaians in and out of Liberians as well as people who believe in Mr. Samukai.
Mr. Biaty noted that they are aware that the case against Samukai was politically motivated, but the payment was in fulfillment of the mandate of the court.
The friends of Samukai national coordinator mentioned that he was not worried about the certification of the Lofa County Senator Elect indicating that the people of Lofa have spoken and under no circumstances their decision can be ignored.
Payment didn’t change anything
In July 2021 Presiding Justice in Chambers Joseph Nagbe granted the government of Liberia petition for the Writ of Prohibition to disallow the National Elections Commission (NEC) to certificate Mr. Samukai.
Associate Justice Joseph Nagbe, who ordered the clerk of the court to issue the peremptory writ of prohibition, sent a mandate to the NEC disallowing the certification of Samukai until his disability imposed on him by his conviction is removed according to law.
The former defense Minister ran to the court for explanation of what constitutes his disability, but the court has since remained silence on the matter which have made many to agree with Mr. Samukai supporters that he case against him is politically motivated.
Despite all of these legal battle hanging over him, the Lofa Senator-elect remain calm and was seen at all of the county’s games during the just ended National County Sports meets.
