By J. Ebenezer Daygbor
Montserrado Senator and CDC standard-bearer George Weah and Nimba Senator Prince Y. Johnson are at the top of lawmakers who received a failing mark for the year 2016 legislative performance year. Weah and Johnson got the lowest plenary attendance, lowest floor debate and chamber participation for the year under review, a legislative report has disclosed.
The assessment of the two senators was contained in a legislative report card 2016 full report of the Liberian National Legislature, released by the Institute for Research and Democratic Development. A total of five senators received “F” mark.
The report gave George Weah and Prince Johnson failure marks for their poor performances in the Liberian parliament. The report is a bad news for the two senators, and critics of Weah made use the report as campaign tool against him during the national elections.
Speaking at a press conference Tuesday, June 20, in Monrovia, the Executive Director of IREDD, Mr. Harold Aidoo said Montserrado and Nimba Senators George Weah and Prince Johnson got the lowest plenary attendance, lowest floor debate and chambers participation. The rest that received lowest marks also are Sen. Varney Sherman of Grand Cape mount, Sen. Matthew N. Jaye of Rivergee
The Mr. Aidoo said that the five Senators got the average score of F. However, he pointed out that Sen. George Weah and Sen. Prince Johnson frequently attends ECOWAS parliament.
As though the report was squarely intended to expose the presidential hopeful’s weaknesses at the Liberian Legislature, it further added that George Weah of Montserrado, Sen. Prince Y. Johnson of Nimba, Sen. Marshall A. Dennis of Grand Gedeh counties got the highest distant times amongst the five senators with 28 distant times.
While Senators Johnson and Weah are being dragged in low points, Bong Representative Prince Moye obtains A+ in attendance.
The report says that the House of Representatives held 78 plenary sessions while the Liberian senate held 80 sessions.
Aidoo added that there were 14 lawmakers at the House of Representatives who almost attended all of the plenary sittings. It was only Representatives Prince K. Moye of Bong County attended all of the 78 plenary sittings, with an A+ average.
The others who got the highest scores include Representatives Mary M. Karwor, Robert Siaway, Mambu M. Sonni, and Emmanuel Zoe Pennue, Morias T. Waylee, Julie F. Wiah, Clarence Massaquoi, Bill Twehnway, Henry B. Fahnbulleh, Adolph B. Lawrence, Christian S. Chea, Charles K Bardyl and Jeremiah W.N. McCauley. They all got the average scores of A.
The IREDD highlighted that at the Liberian Senate, there were five senators who got the highest in plenary attendance. They include; Sen. Francis S. Paye of Rivercess, Sen. Albert Chie of Grand Kru, Sen. George Tengbeh of Lofa, Sen. Jewel Howard Taylor of Bong and J. Milton Teahjay of Sinoe Counties, they all got the average score of A at the Liberian Senate for plenary attendance.
The IREDD said that nine representatives of the house got the lowest attendance during plenary session. They include: Representatives Alex J. Tyler, Haja F. Siryon, Alfred G. Koiwood, Gertrude Larmin and Deputy Speaker Hans M. Barchure. They all got the average scores of D in plenary attendance. “Others who got the lowest plenary attendance include: Representatives Alex C. Grant, Roland Cooper and James Banney. They got the average scores of F. in plenary attendance.
