Charles Brumskine is Wrong to Embrace Lahai Lasanah, and Shouldn't Encourage Any Ludicrous Gesture From Him Antics Of Two Soccer Legends

Saturday, November 15, 2008    

By Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh

     I must confess I am one of those people who  applauded the Liberian Legislature months ago, after that body garnered the courage to suspend one of its own in the person of Isaac Nyenabo, then-President Pro-Tempore of the Liberian Senate, who was punished by his colleagues for constantly siding with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf when the body did not agree with the president on key national issues.

     It is one of the few times in the history of the Liberian nation that a president or leader of the Senate has ever been challenged or suspended for his close political ties to a sitting president, so powerful that members of the Legislative branch or any branch of government better be careful how they thread whatever paths they are threading, else, somebody will either go to prison or lose that much-needed job they cannot afford to lose.

      In this time of uncertainty and confusion in Liberia, the last thing a person wants to be known for is to disagree with a president who is seen as doing her best to bring stability to a dying nation and improve the lives of her people, after a crippling civil war that almost took that country off the map.

     However, when the president is wrong about corruption, is seen as loyal and protective of corrupt officials in her administration, when average Liberian citizens cannot afford to purchase a bag or cup of rice to eat or support a family, when national issues of the day are being ignored while the leader of the Senate is seen as protecting the president and trying to turn the clock back to the painful and undemocratic dark days when Liberian presidents ruled by iron-clad, bribery, intimidation, incarceration, or assassination of political opponents instead of looking out for the average citizen, then it is the right of those on the other side of the aisle in today’s supposedly democratic Liberia to take the debate to the president and the Liberian people and let them know why this president is wrong, and why the other side is joining forces to oppose her on those issues.

     And when the leader of that legislative body is believed to constantly be on the side of the president amid opposition from his colleagues, a feeling of anger and frustration sets in that encourages members to contemplate such a drastic move of removing Nyenabo from his leadership position, especially when they think Isaac Nyenabo’s behavior was motivated by greed and unproven allegations of financial payoffs he allegedly received from the president, which is not farfetched in a political climate such as Liberia where politicians are easily manipulated and often bribed to sell their core convictions to the highest political authority of the land. 

     Isaac Nyenabo was suspended in August 2008, for 6 months from his Senate Pro Temporo duties as a way to send a clear message to others that being an heretic in this modern day Liberian congress is unacceptable, and if possible, individuals who violates the rules of the opposition and the trust of their colleagues will be punished for betraying those guiding principles, which is a way of instilling discipline in a fragile coalition comprised of opposition political parties and individuals with selfish interests and divided loyalties, than loyalty to the nation’s interest.

     According to news reports from Liberia, Lahai Lasanah then-member of the National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL) was elected interim President Pro-Temporo of the Liberian Senate by his colleagues to replace the embattled Isaac Nyenabo of the same political party who, after refusing to quietly swallow this national humiliation took his case to the Supreme Court – the highest court of the land, which rendered a resounding victory in Nyenabo’s favor and cleared the way for his immediate reinstatement to his former position as President Pro-Temporo of the Liberian Senate.

     With the nation still healing from years of self-inflicted wounds brought on by wannabe leaders such as Lahai Lasanah, who wants to be a national leader but don’t know how to be one; and will not even honor the ruling of the highest court of the land, only to allowed his twisted ego and selfish interest to get the best of him as he hid behind such nonsense excuse that the “Senate was already on Agriculture break” as his reason for refusing to abide by the unanimous ruling of the Supreme Court, tells me he is not ready to even work as a dog handler.

     Because being a leader requires making tough decisions and tough choices that affects a whole lot of people, and not just oneself. Being a national leader also requires abiding by and respecting national decisions that affects the individual and could potentially affect national security.

     So for Lahai Lasanah to jump ship to Charles Brumskine’s Liberty Party because his former party, the National Democratic Party of Liberia (NDPL) did not support his quest to hijack the democratic political process, is one of the cheapest and Pollyannaish reasons I have ever heard for switching to another political party.

     “I have resigned today from the NDPL so that I can continue fighting my battle alone given that the party that I have trusted and cherished so much has unbelievably continued to fight against me at the highest court in the land – the Supreme Court,” Lasanah said.

     Which battle is this idiot fighting? How can he be so silly and completely out of touch with reality to reach such illogical conclusion? The Supreme Court of Liberia already fought a unanimous battle against you, Mr. Lasanah in favor of Mr. Nyenabo, paving the way for Nyenabo to resume his official duties as President Pro-Temporo of the Senate; and the best way to save face, Lahai Lasanah, is to drop your contention for the position and let justice prevail.

     With those silly comments coming out of the mouth of Lahai Lasanah, one would think opposition leader, Charles Brumskine of the Liberty Party being a lawyer himself would have acted quickly by either distancing himself from Mr. Lasanah, or urge his new friend to honor the ruling of the court before his membership in the Liberty Party could ever be accepted.

     Instead, Charles Brumskine’s Liberty Party swallowed the bait and accepted the membership of a man who refuses to abide by the ruling of the highest court of the land, in what could define Brumskine and could also question his leadership, judgment and decision-making skills.

     “The presence of Senator Lassana to the Liberty Party signals a positive step for the new day for democracy in Liberia,” quipped Chairman Israel Akinsaya, who also said “as Acting President Pro-Temporo of the Liberian senate, Senator Lassana will be bringing to the Liberty Party worth of experience and strategies in the workings of the party.”

     Charles Brumskine, who did not want to be outshined by the remarks of his party’s chairman said; “his party is honored to welcome a senior Liberian senator into its fold.”

     Mr. Brumskine, as party leader and future presidential candidate, are you honored to welcome into your party one like Lahai Lasanah, a rule breaker who will not honor the ruling of the Supreme Court of Liberia, which could potentially set up a power struggle and a disastrous national security crisis? If yes, are you setting a good example – that anybody can disrespect the ruling of the Supreme Court of Liberia that did not favor them, protest such ruling by resigning from their political party, then join Charles Brumskine’s Liberty Party and be honored for behaving badly? This is the wrong way, Mr. Brumskine, which most definitely will haunt you, as Liberians will now begin to question your judgment in your quest for the presidency in 2011. 

     I really don’t know what’s wrong with Liberian politicians, and don’t know why they don’t learn from past mistakes? These people are either brain dead, nakedly arrogant and don’t care about their constituencies, or just don’t understand the fundamentals of politics - and that rule of law, institutions and traditions of a nation are part and parcel of the political process, and that norms of society ought to be cherished and respected in order to have a functioning society.

     Lahai Lasanah failed the Liberian people by flaunting the decision of the legal process and Supreme Court of Liberia. Liberty Party leader and future presidential candidate Charles Brumskine failed the Liberian people he wants to lead after 2011, when he did not act wisely like the legal scholar and statesman he is to stop the insanity. 

     Lahai Lasanah put his personal interest over the nation’s interest. Charles Brumskine also put his personal and Liberty Party’s interests over the nation’s interest. Both men are national leaders? I really want to know.