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President Weah Got It Totally Wrong’ – Isaac Jackson Defends Tenure Position at IMO

Monrovia – Attorney Isaac Jackson, who was recently dismissed by President George Manneh Weah as Liberia’s Special Representative to the International Maritime Organization in London says the President was in breach of Article 89 of the Constitution as well as Part II, Section 7(4) of the Maritime Act of 2010 in naming a replacement for his position.

 

The IMO known as the Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for regulating shipping. The organization which comprises 174-member-states and three Associate members, was established in Geneva, Switzerland in 1948 following a UN conference and came into existence 10 years later, with its headquarters in London, the United Kingdom.

President Weah recently named Mr. Moses Owen Brown, previously a public relations officer at the Civil Service Agency as a replacement for Attorney Jackson, who is also a former Deputy Information Minister Isaac Jackson who was appointed as permanent representative to IMO by former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf in 2016.

“Regrettably, my appointment does not fall under Article 54 of the constitution. I am protected under Article 89 0f the Constitution, and in keeping with Part II, Section 7 (4) of the Maritime Act of 2010. The President is totally wrong  – his action is not supported by the Statute law creating the Maritime Authority – my position is tenured for five years,” Attorney Jackson told FrontPageAfrica via a statement Monday.

Section II, Part 7 of the Act states: “Suspension and Removal of the Commissioner. The Commissioner shall be subject to removal or suspension from his position by the President of Liberia, on the recommendation of the Board, for nonperformance, for dishonesty, or any offense in violation of the Liberian criminal laws or, as a result of the outcome of a due process investigation, or a showing of complete disregard for international treaties and conventions to which Liberia is a party, or on grounds of verified physical, mental or administrative incapacity. Any suspension or removal shall be without prejudice to any criminal sanctions which may be imposed upon trial and conviction. Where the Commissioner is removed or-resigns his position, the Board shall appoint one or more Deputy Commissioners to act as Commissioner pending the recommendation of a replacement by the Board with the approval of the President of Liberia.”

Mr. Jackson’s argument is that the IMO position falls under the Deputy Commissioner and therefore his tenure argument is valid.

FrontPageAfrica has learned that during the drafting of the new act, former commissioner Binyah Kesselly  intentionally did not include the Permanent Rep under the Deputy Commissioner bracket on grounds that the commissioner is the permanent representative although the position is listed as a deputy commissioner’s position on the LMA’s organizational chart.

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