Liberia History & Information

Inter PACO Memorandum

TO: ALL PARTISANS, UNITED PEOPLE’S PARTY

FR: RUFUS N. DARKOTEY, CHAIR, INVESTIGATION COMMITTEE

RE: FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS OF JARDIA’S COMPLAINT

DT: July 22, 2001

CC: WESLEY JOHNSON, UPP’S NATIONAL CHAIRMAN

Teah Jardia’s complaint

On June 14, 2001, Mr. Teah Jardia filed a written multiple-count complaint against Mr. Saywalah Kesselly for usurpation of executive power, consistent disregard for the rule of law and perennial polarization of the Political Action Committee for selfish reasons. The complainant was officially and verbally informed to participate at the investigation, but he indicated his confidence in the document as submitted.

Saywalah Kesselly’s Response

Mr. Kesselly pleaded guilty to all charges against him, but rendered the following justifications:

 

1. That the Philadelphia Meeting calls for the derivation of means by PACO members to foster organizational growth and that is exactly what he is doing.

    

    

2. That PACO’s past has been characterized by a pattern that empowers every PACO chapter to independently communicate with UPP national headquarters in Monrovia without the expressed consent of PACO’s National Executive Committee.

    

    

3. That UPP national headquarters in Monrovia is undergoing extreme difficulties and PACO has neglected her responsibility to support the Party.

    

According to PACO’s guidelines:

 

1. Local Chapters shall be headed by coordinators. Each chapter shall conduct PACO’s business at the local level. However, no chapter or individual shall undertake a major project without the expressed consent of PACO’s Executive Committee. Also, local chapters shall submit to the Executive Committee their annual budgets and program schedules one month before the annual convention.

    

    

2. The National Chairperson shall be PACO’s chief administrator and official spokesperson. He/she shall speak and negotiate for PACO and make all-important decisions unless that power is delegated to someone else by the chairperson. The chairperson has the power to call emergency sessions of the annual convention.

    

    

3. The Executive Committee shall be the highest administrative body. It shall consist of the National Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer. The Executive Committee shall conduct the day-to-day business of PACO.

    

Findings

The investigation has generated the following:

 

1. Mr. Kesselly organized a group of PACO members in the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania; chaired those meetings; generated $250 from one of those meetings and transmitted same to UPP headquarters in Monrovia without the expressed consent of PACO’s Executive Committee.

    

    

2. The organized group in those three states does not have a chapter status and unrecognized as an official or constitutional group within PACO.

    

    

3. Mr. Kesselly alleged that there has been an established pattern within PACO that empowers every chapter of PACO to independently communicate with and formally or informally conduct PACO’s affairs without the expressed consent of PACO’s National Executive Committee. It was confirmed that such has been Mr. Kesselly’s unlawful habit, which had divided the organization in recent times.

    

Congruent with PACO’s guidelines, the meetings called and conducted by Mr. Kesselly were not of the expressed consent of the organization’s Executive Committee. He transmitted $250 to Monrovia, thereby infracting on the rule that the transmittal of funds, communication and/or the general interaction of PACO with UPP or other organizations is the sole constitutional responsibility of the Chairperson or the Executive Committee of PACO. Mr. Kesselly, therefore, is guilty as charged.

Mr. Jardia’s complaint has adequately provided evidence of Mr. Kesselly’s persistent behavior to further destroy the Political Action Committee through undue polarization, deception, disrespect to the current leadership and violation of PACO’s principles.

Recommendations

As a means to enhance the smooth operation of PACO and to prevent any recurrence of constitution misinterpretation and problems within the group, we recommend the following:

 

1. Mr. Kesselly should be warned against such behavior as a means to foster cordiality in UPP and the Political Action Committee.

    

    

2. PACO should structure a committee to amend the ambiguities embedded in PACO’s guidelines.

    

    

3. Encourage individuals and chapters that intend to enhance PACO’s growth to do so in accordance with PACO’s guidelines, especially partisans in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Those partisans, including Mr. Kesselly should officially apologize to PACO’s national body for the apparent usurpation of function to promote cordiality and preclude any recurrence.

    

Committee Composition

Rufus N. Darkortey, Chairman
Daniel G. Johnson, Member
Nathaniel O. Beh, Member
Gelee Nagbae Saylee, Member