By Olando Testimony Zeongar
CAPITOL HILL, LIBERIA – Following Wednesday’s deadly attack on the home of former Chief Justice Gloria Musu-Scott, resulting to the death of one of her daughters, the Senate Committee on Defense Security Intelligence and Veteran Affairs, has made the call for President George Weah to take appropriate actions aimed at giving Liberians confidence.
In the third of a series of attacks, armed assailants late Wednesday night stormed the Brewerville residence of Cllr. Scott, stabbing to death one of her daughters, Ms. Charloe Musu, and leaving another critically wounded, with the former Chief Justice reportedly escaping the attackers’ onslaught by the skin of the teeth, after she pepper-sprayed the unidentified gang leader of the attackers.
Howbeit, two senators, Steve Zargo and Commany Wesseh of Lofa and River Gee Counties respectively, representing the Senate’s Committee on Defense Security Intelligence and Veteran Affairs, at a joint press briefing on Thursday, stated that too often, findings from the Committee have been unenforced by the Executive Branch that has the constitutional mandate to enforce such findings.
Therefore, the lawmakers disclosed that the Senate’s Committee on Defense Security Intelligence and Veteran Affairs, has requested that President Weah, as the Chief Security Officer of the Republic of Liberia, takes what they called appropriate actions to give Liberians confidence.
“The DSI requests the President of the Republic of Liberia, President George Manneh Weah, to take appropriate actions in his position as the Chief Security Officer of the Republic of Liberia, to give confidence to our people. Too often, when this Senate Committee comes out with findings, we do not have the power to enforce it. There are several communications and several findings from this Committee that has never been enforced, and the records to those findings are available,” said Senator Zargo, who read the Committee’s press statement.
Senator Wesseh, for his part, asserted that on the watch of President Weah, as Chief Security Officer of the country, many things have occurred and gone unheard of.
“The Chief Security Officer of the Republic, is the President of the Republic, and many things happen, and you hardly hear anything,” Senator Wesseh emphasized, adding, “We are to ensure that everything we’re doing for the peace and security of our country must give hope to our people that they can go home and sleep, they can walk around town peacefully.”
He lamented that as a result of Wednesday’s fatal attack on the home of Cllr. Scott, “the message out there is too scaring,” indicating,” “as your representatives, your senators, we are giving out the notice that we stand with our people to ensure that their security will be maintained and protected; that we are going to put the pressure on the Executive because it’s the Executive that has the responsibility…”
He continued: “As a government, if we cannot give hope to the public that they can be protected, then we cannot give hope to anybody. We are not saying what we are saying because it is a big-shark, but for us, we are emphasizing that we want protection, security for all of our people of Liberia. It must not be limited to only senior government officials or prominent persons – but if we cannot assure the security in the person of Justice Gloria Musu-Scott, if we cannot provide security and give report on what happened to the son of the former President of Liberia, Dr. William Richard Tolbert, III, who was the Peace Ambassador, who took the position after President Weah was holding that position, then something is fundamentally wrong.”
He then noted that the aim of the Committee is that something needs to be done, indicating, “and the thing that we want done is to bring before us, the Minister of Justice, and the Director of police – they should tell us what they have done in the past, and what they’ve done in the catalytic case of Justice Gloria Musu-Scott today that has led to death that we’re talking about that has led to the panic, because everyone is scared – petrified by what happened to the [former Chief Justice], especially, when she gave notice that there was this threat on the 9th and on the 10th that something was happening and nothing was done about it until death occurred, and then we see what we think is a flippant statement from the police that’s not giving hope to our people.”
He maintained that as leaders of the country, they are to ensure all they’re doing for the peace and security of the country must give hope to the people of Liberia, so that Liberians can go home and sleep, as well as walk around town peacefully.
Meanwhile, the Liberian Senate has summoned both Justice Minister, Cllr. Frank Musah Dean and police IG, Patrick Sudue, to on next Tuesday, appear before the Senate’s Plenary, and respond to the Senate’s inquest on the country’s prevailing security situations including the recent lethal attack on the home of former Chief Justice Scott.
