Members of the House of Representatives of the 55th Legislature have overwhelmingly reelected Chief Clerk Mildred Siryon for the 3rd term and Sergeant-at-Arms Martin Johnson for the 5th term. The House of Representatives has also elected C. Cormicks Chea, replacing G. Sayfurh Geplay who died in October.
The elections of the Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Secretariat Staff are in consonance with Article 49, which says: “The House of Representatives shall elect once every six years a Speaker who shall be the presiding officer of that body, a Deputy Speaker, and such other officers as shall ensure the proper functioning of the House. The Speaker, the Deputy Speaker and other officers so elected may be removed from office for cause by resolution of a two-thirds majority of the members of the House.
Madam Siryon, 51 and General Johnson, 59 were re-elected on Tuesday during the 2nd day sitting of the 1st Quarter of the House of Representatives of the 55th Legislative of the Republic of Liberia.
Mildred hailed from Harper City, Maryland County. She earned her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration (BBA) and Master Degree in Public Administration (MPA) respectively from the University of Liberia.
Chief Clerk Siryon served as Junior Stenographer from 1997 to 2006 and also served as Deputy Chief Clerk from 2006 to 2010 in the 52nd Legislature.
Following the death of Chief Clerk Atty. James Kaba in 2010, Mildred Sayon was elected Chief Clerk to end the term of her predecessor.
In 2012, 2018 and 2024 respectively, Chief Clerk went unopposed and will be considered the longest serving Chief Clerk in post-war Liberia.
Sergeant-at-Arm Johnson on Tuesday has been elected for the 5th term unopposed following the withdrawal of Deputy Sergeant-at-arm Morris Gibson, who maintained his position.
General Johnson has since been Sergeant-at-arms during the era of the Liberia national transitional government (abbreviated LNTG). He is the longest, while Chief Clerk Sayon is the second.
In a media engagement following her election, Madam Siryon said: “I’m not the most qualified in Liberia so I want to tell God thank you.” She says to work at the legislature, it requires a good standing and her good standing is God. She records her ascendency to the post that has been over two decades, simultaneously from one position to another
The Clerk says her elections over years, her elections have not been because she’s the most competent, but because she has demonstrated commitment in the different roles she has been I trusted to serve. “I want to thank the entire public, because the things we don’t it is the public that watch us.” “Sacrifices bring results” she says.”I have served six Speakers in this country.”
She referenced that for years, she served LIberia volunteerily.”We put love for country first, today, God has favor us, God us seen our struggle and he has brought us this far.”
At the same time, she hailed her staff for their commitment to her office and all other departments at the legislature that have been supportive to her.
