Hell breaks loose in Nimba

All seems not to be well in Nimba County as a major County Sitting that had been scheduled for Thursday, 19 July was abruptly postponed with leaders from the county blaming one another.

Nimba County Senator Prince Yormie Johnson openly accuses Superintendent David Dorr Cooper of engaging in activities that have the propensity to create trouble among Nimbaians.

“We all agreed that the County Sitting was to be on Thursday, July 19, 2018 but Superintendent Cooper is nowhere to be found”, Senator Johnson complains.
Speaking Thursday in an angry voice when he appeared on a community radio station in Ganta, he disclosed that up to present, Superintendent Cooper is not cooperating with him to prepare for the County Sitting, which was to be held yesterday, 19 July.

He said instead, Superintendent Dorr Cooper was in Monrovia when he placed a call to him so that they both could meet before the sitting, but to his surprise, the Superintendent was out of the county.

He notes that since then the county has been without a development superintendent, which needed to be addressed before going for the County Sitting in Sanniquellie City.

For about three years, the annual event, which brings together all local leaders to discuss developmental issues, has not been held.However, this paper gathers that it has been rescheduled to early August.

A war of words erupted recently between Senator Prince Yormie Johnson and Superintendent David Dorr Cooper over which tribes wield political dominance in Nimba.

Senator Johnson, a very controversial but influential leader of the county, says members of the Gio and Mano tribes own Nimba.But Superintendent Cooper disagrees, rallying the support and involvement of all five tribes in the votes-rich county to join him for development.

It may be recalled that one Peter Karweah from Gbei-Dru in lower Nimba County was nominated to serve as Development Superintendent, but Senator Johnson rejected on grounds that he (Johnson) cannot work with any member of the Krahn ethnic group because they were allegedly against him during the 14-year civil war in Liberia.

“I cannot work with the Krahn people because during the war, they were against me”, the controversial Nimba Senator is on record to have said hence, up till now the county does not have Development Superintendent, including a Mayor for Bahn City.

Recently, a group of young people under the banner, Nimba Youth Young Professionals headed by one Nelson Brayalnt, while a community radio station in the county, called on Nimba lawmakers and citizens not to hold the County Sitting because of alleged corruption by Superintendent Cooper.

When this paper contacted Superintendent Dorr Cooper, he told our Nimba County Correspondent to go ahead and write whatever he wants to report.

By Thomas Domah/Nimba–Editing by Jonathan Browne