Lawmakers fuss at unity forum

 Two lawmakers of Margibi County have seriously engaged each other at a unity forum organized to reunite the county’s Legislative Caucus. The forum was organized by the Liberia United Drivers Incorporated, a local group to bring lawmakers in the county together. 

The secretary of the group said its members have observed members of the Margibi Legislative Caucus are not united, and therefore, not working in the interest of Margibians. But the forum was characterized by bitter exchanges between Margibi Representative Ballah G. Zayzay of District Two and Representative Ben A. Fofana from District Four when they disagreed with each other over the disunity that exists amongst them as Lawmakers for the county.

Of the seven lawmakers from Margibi, only three attended the forum though they were all informed about the gathering. Representative Zayzay denied there exists any disunity among them, but Rep. Fofana thinks his colleague was playing politics and not being realistic, confirming that serious disunity exists among members of the Legislative Caucus.

However, Rep. Zayzay argued that none of his colleagues in the caucus have complained to the people of Margibi about disunity among them as lawmakers for which they (citizens) organized the unity forum.

He said members of Legislative Caucus are no longer children, but people, who have been trusted and elected to stair the affairs of the County, and if there is any problem among them as caucus, they should be the ones to call citizens and explain to them what’s happening.

“Well, let me say thank you to those who have initiated this unique program, but something is confusing me; I see on the paper here unity conference among the caucus; there is any complain or what brought this? we are no longer children, but people who have been trusted and elected to stair the affairs of the county so if there is any problem among us, we will call you; you people elected us; we respect you, that you people make us; we need to be afraid of you people; nobody can fire us, only you people can fire us, so if we have problem, we should be the one to call you and explain to you what’s happening within the Caucus”, the lawmaker told the forum.

According to him, not every individual lawmaker assemble everywhere at the same time because everyone is obligated to his/her district. Rep. Zayzay stressed that the Legislature is a place of talkative, noting that legislative work requires argument where people agree and disagree with one another and that does not mean that they are not united.

He said members of the Margibi Legislative Caucus are doing everything in common, making specific reference to past county sittings where according to him, lawmakers from the five

electoral districts of Margibi carried their citizens to decide what sort of development they want.

But his colleague, Rep. Ben A. Fofana disagrees; disclosing there is a very serious problem within the leadership of Margibi County, a situation he describes as chronic. told the gathering that he can’t disprove the fact that disunity is among them as county officials, and further disclosed a bloc has been formed within the county leadership.

“Nothing wrong with forming a bloc, but when it comes to doing the work of the people, your faction thing must be subordinated”, Representative Fofana emphasized. He continued that there is a calculated intent by some of his colleagues to marginalize certain sector of the Margibi society, adding there is no productivity in the leadership of the county because the citizens are not holding them accountable.

By Ramsey N. Singbeh, Jr. in Margibi-Editing by Jonathan Browne