County Inspector drags youth advocate to court

The County Inspector of Nimba County, Reginald Mahn, takes a youth advocate before the Sanniquellie Magisterial Court for accusing him [Mahn] of alleged fraud.

Inspector Mahn’s court action against Armstrong Gobac Selekpoh, a defeated representative candidate Electoral District#3 followed claims made in a recent press conference he hosted that the County Inspector is involved in fraud in the ongoing resettlement of properties and farm owners along the Seyekinpa-Luoguatuo border for pavement of road by the Government of Liberia via sponsorship of the Africa Development Bank.

Currently executive director for Nimba Education Guide, Selekpoh alleges that Inspector Reginald Mahn influenced a staff of the Ministry of Public Works in Nimba County in joining him to mislead affected properties owners along the route that they will receive US$24.48 rather than US$97.92 per price unit of crops that would be destroyed during the road construction project.

According to him, Mr. Mahn is providing less money to affected communities as resettlement package.Selekpoh stresses that the focus of the government’s Pro-Poor Agenda is to help improve lives of impoverish Liberians, not to dash their hope of better living condition.

In early January, a team from the Ministry of Public Works along with the African Development Bank conducted a survey of crops and properties along the Seyekinpa-Loguatuo Road and presented to farmers and properties owners a list of properties that may be affected during pavement of the road.

Armstrong Gobac Selekpoh laments that if farmers received said money for their properties, the affected Communities would lose over US$11 Million. But County Inspector Mahn says the Executive Director of Nimba Education Guide is destroying his character. “I have worked for the past 50 years to protect my character and I cannot allow someone to destroy it and go free”, he protests.

Both parties appealed in court on Monday, 25 June in Sanniquellie City, Nimba County.The New Dawn gathers that similar alleged behavior was carried out during presentation of resettlement packages to affected Communities where ArcelorMittal operates in the county, including Gbapa and Zolowee, among others.

Kou Dolo, Saye Sendolo and Emmanuel Saye informed this paper that they were told each farm owner was required relinquish 15 percent of any amount received from the company to government.This money, according to report, was not given to government, but was used to construct houses for officials in Sanniquellie.

Some aggrieved citizens are calling on the George Weah-led government to bring to book those who collected said money on behalf of government in the county.
After their appearance on Monday, the court scheduled the parties for July 13, 2018.

Some residents of Sanniquellie narrate to the NEW Dawn that the same man, who County Inspector Mahn dragged to court was allegedly used by Dorr Cooper and the County Inspector to go against other local administrations.

“My brother in life, what goes around must come around; this boy has been used to go against other leaders in the County through Dorr Cooper and Reginald Mahn and today, the boy is ready for them. Let us wait and see”, they explain.

By Thomas Domah/Nimba–Editing by Jonathan Browne