The plenary of the House of Representatives asked Madam Tamba to walk out of their regular session she had gone to address. The deputy Minister was not only shock, she appeared demeaned and dejected as she packed off.

Deputy Minister Tamba had already taken the podium when the House’s Sergeant at Armed, Gen. Martin Benson noticed that she was not “properly dressed” to address lawmakers.

Gen. Benson had gone to administer an oath to the Deputy Minister when he observed that she was wearing a suit he described as “indecent dress code”.

“You are not properly dressed,” the Sergeant at Armed who aborted the administering of the oath told Madam Tamba.

Deputy Finance Minister Tamba was wearing a navy blue sleeveless trousers suit designed like a coat suit. Undeclared rules of the House forbid females from wearing trousers and sleeveless shirts/blouses in their session.

On seeing the Minister’s suit, Gen. Benson immediately consulted presiding officer, Deputy Speaker Togba J. Mulbah who entertained comments from the floor as to what to do with the Minister. Most of the speakers maintained the Minister was not well dressed for their liking.

Following comments from some lawmakers, Plenary resolved that the minister leaves the hall, go home and return within 30 minutes “properly dressed”.

Immediately after the decision, Deputy Minister Tamba pleaded with the House to allow her come back the following day because she could not come back within 30 minutes.

Madam Tamba had gone to honor a request to provide clarity on a communication she wrote plenary seeking lawmakers assistance to disseminate information on the importance of paying taxes.

However, plenary decision was greeted with mixed reactions and sparked heated debate among the lawmakers.

Montserrado County District # 14 Representative Richard I. A. Holder in an interview with reporters condemned the decision to ask the deputy minister out.

Rep. Holder said the decision was hasty and that “it was wrong for plenary to disgrace a senior official of government like Tamba”.

Grand Bassa County Representative Baron Brown differed with his colleague and said Madam Tamba’s dress code was indecent and that she was in violation of the Houses’ rule.

He noted that it was unacceptable for a minister of government to address lawmakers in a sleeveless blouse.

But Representative Evans Koah of Nimba County sees the decision as being unfair and irresponsible for the House to ‘disgrace’ Madam Tamba.

Grand Gedeh County’s Zoe Emmanuel Pennoh believes protocol officers who ushered the Deputy Finance Minister in the chamber should be responsible.

“As a member of this August body, should the Minister of Finance [Tarnue Mawolo] asked me out of his office when I go to visit him while wearing a T-Shirt,” Rep. Pennoh asked.

Some female lawmakers in open session said the decision to ask the minister out of chamber is a disgrace to them.

In a related development, the Houses Committee on National Security, which along with other committees is investigating the confiscation and used of the more than US$ 500, 000 seized from an alleged Nigerian drug trafficker was expected to hear from Justice Minister Philip Banks Tuesday why he expended the Nigerian businessman’s money.

House’s Committee Chairman on National Security Saah R. Gbollie said members of the committees would cross- exam Minister Banks from his written position submitted to the august body last week.

Rep. Gbollie told a brief news conference Tuesday that Minister Banks’ position was distributed amongst committee members for study.

He indicated that the committees’ investigation of the matter is base on a communication from one of their colleagues, and added, “We have not received any complaint from the Nigerian.”

He said the committees would cite National Security Advisor Dr. Bioma Fahnbullah later on to speak to the issue, but noted the Central Bank Governor would not be present at the Tuesday hearing although he was invited.

In 2006 States Security seized over US$500,000 from an Nigerian national Chief Valintine Ogbonna Ayika, whom the Justice Minister is a drug trafficker.

Although the Police had thoroughly investigated the Nigerian and found no evidence of drug dealing and money laundering as alleged by the Ministry of Justice Philip Banks, the Minister claimed the Nigerian was a drug dealer and money launderer.

Minister Banks had himself written the Central Bank, which verified the US$508,000 to be real money, to release the money to the Mr. Ayika but after deducting a 25% charge for the Nigerian businessman’s failure to declare the amount at the Roberts International Airport (RIA).

But no sooner had the Central Bank received the directive when the Minister wrote another letter withdrawing the previous one, and ordering the confiscation of the half a million dollars, based on court orders.

News that the government used the money on security has been greeted with criticism from some members of the National Legislature and the public.

Some civil society organizations and lawmakers criticized Justice Minister Philip Banks for using the amount in question without authorization from the Legislature.

The House’s plenary then mandated its Security Committee and others committees to investigate circumstances surrounding the utilization of the money.   

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf Monday said the amount was used ‘correctly’.

Presidential Press Secretary Cyrus Wleh Badio told reporters that supporting documents to prove that the amount was ‘correctly’ used for security operations are available, without making them available to journalists during the press conference.

 

Mr. Badio made the statement Monday at his regular press briefing held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia.

 

He said invoices on how the amount in question was used are available and would be provided to the National Legislature.