FrontPage Africa editor Rodney Sieh has warned that widespread complaints of injustice, arbitrary arrests, and a faltering judiciary in Liberia echo the conditions that preceded the country's 1980 coup and 14-year civil war. Speaking on the OK Morning Rush program on OK FM in Monrovia, Sieh urged the Chief Justice to assert himself and accused prosecutors of selective treatment in the drug-trafficking case against former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor. He emphasized that similar grievances are building again, with many people complaining about injustice.
Sieh noted that the soldiers who seized power in 1980 said they had come to free Liberia from nepotism, greed, and corruption, but they "ended up doing the same thing." The justice system was said to be nonexistent during that period, and people felt they had no choice but to overthrow the government, which eventually led to civil war. Sieh stressed that all these little things happening in the country cannot be taken for granted and that it behooves the Judiciary to guarantee justice for everybody.
The 1980 coup, led by Master Sgt. Samuel K. Doe, killed President William R. Tolbert Jr. and ended more than a century of rule by the True Whig Party and the Americo-Liberian elite. The coup followed years of resentment over corruption, the concentration of wealth and power in a small minority, and the exclusion of the indigenous majority. Those grievances boiled over in the deadly 1979 rice riots, which were triggered by a proposed increase in the price of the staple.
Sieh said the public increasingly believes the judiciary is failing, and he called on the Chief Justice to assert himself. Litigants are losing faith in the courts, he said, as their cases are not being resolved in a way that gives them confidence. He cited the prosecution of Dee-Maxwell Saah Kemayah, saying it seems the case against him is not going anywhere and looks like a witch hunt.
Sieh also pointed to the case of Yekeh Y. Kolubah, the former representative for Montserrado County's District 10, who was impeached nearly six months ago. Kolubah has challenged the impeachment before the Supreme Court, and the full bench has yet to rule. The seat remains vacant as the Legislature returns to session this month. Sieh emphasized that people cannot wait until the elections come before deciding to do the right thing.
Sieh criticized the handling of the drug investigation involving former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, who was arrested on Aug. 19 at Roberts International Airport and charged with drug trafficking, money laundering, and conspiracy. She has denied the charges. Forty-eight days after her arrest, the state has not indicted her. Sieh accused the government of shielding others while exposing a few to public ridicule.
Sieh tied the judiciary's performance to the political future of Nimba County, noting that the Chief Justice comes from Nimba, as does Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, whom Sieh described as a possible future president. He stressed that if people see that Nimba County officials are not using their power properly, they will not give them the power they deserve in the future.
Key points
- FrontPage Africa editor Rodney Sieh warns of rising injustice and arbitrary arrests in Liberia.
- Sieh urges the Chief Justice to assert himself amid a faltering judiciary.
- The cases of former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor and Yekeh Y. Kolubah are cited as examples of the judiciary's failures.
