The election of the National Association of Custom Brokers of Liberia (NCBAL), due to take place on April 27, 2021, appears to be running into difficulties as a splinter group operating within the association seeks prohibition from the Supreme Court of Liberia.
The NCBAL’s concerned group, made up of significant members of the association, said the current leadership, led by the Acting President, James Hinneh, whose tenure has elapsed, has no authority under the association’s by-laws to conduct election.
The group said the entire leadership, including the Acting President, Vice President, Secretary General and others, need to resign and turn over responsibility to an interim leadership, which will take the association to election.
Concerned NCBAL’s membership coordinator, Joseph Kparkar, said no member of the current administration or the concerned group should be eligible to serve on the interim body, which will also be charged with the responsibility of auditing the current administration.
Kparkar maintained that any election held under the gavel of the acting president and his code of offers will not be credible, free and fair under the by-laws and constitution of the National Custom Brokers Association of Liberia.
Speaking to the Hot Pepper on Friday at his office on Carey Street, Central Monrovia, NCBAL’s concerned group coordinator vowed to use the Supreme Court to place a stay order on the entire process.
He pointed out that their lawyer has since filed a motion to the court requesting for a stay order in case the current leadership insists on holding election without following the constitution of the organization.
Kparkar pointed out further that Acting President Hinneh completed the term of his predecessor, Alvin Tumbe, who unceremoniously left the Association in search of greener pasture in the United States of America, from where he now remote-controls the Acting President on what to do.
The concerned group coordinator said, in this way, Hinneh is being used to divert funds meant for the development of the Association, leading to widespread corruption, and yet the Acting President is seeking re-election without undergoing a free, fair and transparent audit.
When contacted, NCBAL Acting President, James Hinneh, argued that there is no need for an interim leadership because the court has since mandated his administration to lead the association to election.
He noted that this mandate was necessitated by the delay in conducting the process last year due to the impact of the Corona viral disease (COVID-19), adding that he has no alternative but to follow the ruling of the court.
Hinneh emphasized that, contrary to the claim made by the concerned group that his administration has refused to undergo an audit, there is an on-going audit at the association, and the report will be made public soon.
The Acting President boasted that the election will go ahead as planned, despite opposition to the process by people he described as a “handful of individuals bent on creating confusion in the Association”. He confirmed that he will take part in the election as a presidential candidate, as there is nothing in the constitution that prohibits him from contesting.