Cyrus D. Dahquon writes
I have to cut my sabbatical short to respond to Rep. Nyahn Flomo, Sr.
Hon Flomo, as a son of Nimba, my attention is drawn to your recent post in which you said senator Kogar’s statement critiquing the vice president political promise made to Cuttington University under the guise of a policy statement is “premature” and it undermines the doctrine of separation of powers.
Rep Flomo, your assertion that no member (s) of the legislature must question policy statements that originate from the executive branch is not only shameful, but it says a lot about your re-election burden that has pushed you to resort to praise singing.
Although your smart game is dedicated on maintaining power at the expense of our despondent masses, but it is hugely embarrassing for a lawmaker to reduce his office to a PR desk for another elected official. For me, I am personally not surprised at you because these things happen when individuals elected to serve choose to hustle at the expense of the people they are supposed to represent.
Sir, building on your own logic, if the senator’s issue-based scrutiny of the VP’s clever attempt to commit the central government to undertaking a solar project at CU which is rooted in legislative oversight and pragmatic governance is “premature,” then your response to the senator’s statement is premature too. Hon Flomo, it is important to emphasize on our constitutional right to freedom of thought-a cardinal provision through which your defense is built, but please bear it in mind that you are not the only person to exclusively enjoy such right as enshrined in article 14 of our 1986 constitution.
Rep Flomo, like you or all Liberians, senator Kogar as a Liberian and a national leader enjoys such right too. Moving forward, our constitution is structured in a way that you as a lawmaker who was equally elected as the VP can choose to build your legislative failure on sentiment spree-a clever defense strategy employed to secure your re-election, but the only people who enjoy another constitutional right to reprimand you for your flagrant failure to deliver legislatively are the resolute people of electoral district #2, Nimba County, who are living in total neglect.
Your constituents can decide not to renew your contract even if you propose a bill for Liberians to consider Jeremiah Koung as Jesus Christ. Rep Flomo, if you must know, you and senator Kogar are two officials of our government with distinct governance principles and philosophy, and your attempt to sentimentally scapegoat your senior legislative colleague is an unsuccessful rhetoric and we have no fear in checkmating you for engendering such narrative.
For instance, you have chosen to be worshipping the VP as your re-election rests on such shenanigan, whereas senator Kogar chooses to hold the executive branch accountable regardless of who is involved and I see nothing wrong with the both of you by virtue of freedom of thought. More to that Rep Flomo, your brazen attempt to engage in name calling simply to impress your slave master as a means to ingratiate yourself to power will never go out of scrutiny, and such a choice is distasteful in national discourse.
Sir, we have zero tolerance for your PR stunt even though it is your right to be an apologist if you so desire. While it is your right to sing praises to the VP thinking that serving as an apologist to the executive branch would shield you from your inevitable defeat in the upcoming election, we will appreciate it if you engage in sincere discourse that promotes honesty, transparency and accountability. We sincerely acknowledge your self-created additional responsibility (praise singing), but we will never allow you to compromise your primary responsibilities laid down in statutes nor will we allow you to name-shame independent lawmakers who can not afford to ignore their legislative functions simply to impress the executive branch or anyone else as you.
Finally Rep Flomo, as a law graduate who has deep knowledge about the rule of law and governance, I want you to know that a member of the legislature critiquing the executive branch on calculated policy misrepresentation is in no way an attempt to undermine the separation of powers doctrine as you evoked in your defense. Enjoy your failure and allow senator Kogar to perform his constitutional responsibilities as 2029 is the right judge.
