By Stephen G. Fellajuah
Email fellajuahstepheng@gmail.com
Over the weekend Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson publicly announced that the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) has halted support to the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change citizens have been voicing out mis reaction in regards to the Senator’s pronouncement.
The statement is against the failure of the ruling Weah – led CDC government failure to adhere to the November 2017 agreement signed with the party when it gave it political support.
Senator Johnson published a special press statement on his official Facebook page saying in the agreement they signed up for top Ministerial posts, Managing Directors a nd some ambassadorial positions to be given to Nimba or President George Weah should appoint sons and daughters from Nimba County to occupy these top positions through our recommendations.
“Since the CDC lead government came to power in 2018, we are yet to see sons and daughters from our beloved Nimba County in those top senior positions we agreed upon and signed a document as evidence.
“The citizens of Nimba have for the past five years been knocking at my door for the president to appoint them, and we have used all diplomatic means and have consistently engaged this CDC lead government, but nothing is working in order to get redress and make our people who struggled during the campaign period happy!
“Once again my fellow citizens of Nimba and supporters in Liberia and around the World, we like to take this time to inform you that the agreement we signed with the CDC has come to an end!
“So, for and on behalf of the great people Nimba and all partisans of the MDR Political Party, we are now constrained to make this pronouncement that we are “HALTING OUR POLITICAL SUPPORT” to the Coalition! the MDR Political leader stated.
In his post he emphasized that as a former general in the army, “We believe in agreement and don’t like to betray what we have agreed upon, so we ask you to remain calm until we can later inform you about where to go.
But reacting to the Senator’s statement, several Nimbanians who called on local radio stations in the county, accused the lawmaker of always using such strategy to solicit money from other parties or individuals for his personal gains
They recounted that in 2016, Senator Johnson with the Political leader of the All-Liberian Party, Mr. Benoni Urey met in Ghana where the Senator according to them agreed to support ALP.
Also, they said before the 2017 presidential and general elections, Senator Johnson pledged his support to Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Johnson but defected his support to the Coalition for Democratic Change, a reported action of the Senator which the citizens said is not strange and the Senator cannot be trusted.
Additionally, they recorded that the Standard Bearer of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Mr. Alexander B. Cummings recently made donation of cash to the Polytechnic University College of the Senator. They mentioned that it was Senator Jeremiah Koung the first to expressed dismay in the Coalition and is now followed by PYJ, who both they accused having negotiation to switch to the ANC.
Barely a week ago Mr. Bility made assertion that the CPP has a better option for the people of Nimba County that encompasses personal or political party gains, but one that would benefit all Nimbaians and Liberia in general.
Bility spoke recently when he appeared on the Spoon Talk show. Businessman-turned-politician Bility said the MDR being a pragmatic political organization has the right to be concerned about what is happening in Nimba County.
As part of reaction from the county, the President of the Nimba University and College Students Association, Printiss Domah enjoined other lawmakers and citizens to honor the US government recently warning to financial institutions and individuals against doing business with sanctioned former and current officials. Senator Johnson is axed by the list and the students called on the lawmakers not to allow him to head the pending caucus sitting.
Continuing, he said if the lawmakers do not listen to their call, they will organize them to stage a protest when the caucus gathered.
It may be recalled, recently the United States government, through its ambassador accredited near Monrovia, Michael McCarthy, warned individuals and financial institutions against doing business with former and current officials of the Government of Liberia (GOL) who have been sanctioned by its Treasury Department.
The former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel McGill, Solicitor General Cyrennius Cephus and the Director of the National Port Authority (NPA) Bill Tweahway for acts of corruption. The sanctions fall under the Global Magnitsky Human Rights Accountability Act.
Others sanctioned include Senators Varney Sherman and Prince Johnson of Grand Cape Mount and Nimba counties respectively.
Furthermore, unless an exception applies, any foreign financial institution that knowingly facilitates a significant transaction for any of the individuals or entities could be subject to US sanctions.
The US envoy pointed out that the warning from the US government also applies to Senators Varney Sherman and Prince Y. Johnson, who have also been sanctioned by the US Treasury Department under the Magnisky Act.
