By Ramsey N Singbeh, Jr, in Margibi county
This paper has been speaking to a lot of Margibians following the United States’ latest visa restrictions that also affected Senator James Emmanuel Nuquay from Margibi, about their reaction to the latest American Government decision.
The United States Government widened its sanctions against Liberian officials here issuing visa restrictions against Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, and Senators Albert T. Chie and Emmanuel Nuquay.
The U.S. State Department announced the latest move on Monday, 11 December 2023, bringing to a total of nine officials who have been sanctioned so far in the Weah-led regime.
How be it, several Margibians expressed frustrations over the sanctions.
Madam Fatu T Corneh, a businesswoman from District 5, Margibi County said she feels very miserable because she has not come across anything of such regarding Senator Nuquay, all the years she has known him.
According to her, he understands everyone’s problems when it comes to their living conditions.
Fatu: “Actually, I feel very downhearted. Right now as I speak, I’m very much miserable with the information because Nuquay that I know, for the past twenty-some more years, I have not come across anything of such. People will preach politics but reaching this far, this is my very first time to hear this. Nuquay has been a good human being. He understands everybody’s problem when it comes to the living conditions of Margibi citizens. Even he has gone across, that is when it comes to the country at large. So, when I got the information last night, it was shocking to me. I am so downhearted because Nuquay is a peace loving citizen of this county. The title he got as Godfather, that title represents him. From the way I’m seeing things, the county is not feeling good. The county is not feeling good about the saying until it is proven. I for one, sometimes, I sit down and analyze and say it is alleged but maybe when it comes to focus, he will be proven not guilty.”
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Friday Edwin Crusoe, Chairman, Civil Society Council of Liberia Margibi Chapter described the situation as a setback because Liberia is a country that cannot be void of America.
“Firstly, I see this as a setback for our leadership and the reason I said a setback is that Liberia has been a country that cannot be void of America in almost everything they do. I don’t know where it dates from. Whether it is from our foundation or wherever. What I see is that we’ve not done anything in the absence of America being a major player or whatever. What I think is that we need to see how what the sanctions say, it is for behavior change. How these people if they are linked, I am saying if, because it is an alleged issue. If they’re linked to anything, it means they need to change from it so that we can be able to go forward. The negative part of it I see is that when you are sanctioned, there will be visa restrictions from going to America and most times there are issues in the Americas where our citizens have this conference annually. They send for our leaders and they have to be there. Some of the time, they are there raising funds for the county. I see it as a major factor for undermining development. To have McGill as a senator and also to have Nuquay being sanctioned for alleged corrupt acts. It is a contempt charge. It is interpreted by the person who leveraged it. So, if they say, it is based on behavior change, how well? There is no benchmark to say if you do this then they will lift your sanction.”
Musa K. Ballah, a taxi driver from Kakata wonders why it should be Senator Nuquay this time around.
He says at first, it was McGill, and now it’s Nuquay and others. He notes that it affects the county because Senator Nuquay and others are the ones that Margibians go to with their cries.
He questions if the US has proof to the allegations.
“When I read on my Facebook page last night when I saw the information, I felt very bad because the name that came out, it’s a name from Margibi County. Why is it this time Nuquay? They were talking about McGill, it’s now gone to Nuquay. It went to Albert Chie. It went to Koijee. We’re talking about reconciliation and we talking about sanctioning people from Margibi. One way or the other, it affects us. These are people that Margibians can cry on to come to their aid but if you start sanctioning these people because of what? You got proof? All the allegations, you got proof? McGill still went and ran and became senator and he’s certificated. Why you never sanction McGill and children? Only Nuquay and his children. As for me in my opinion, I feel very discouraged because the citizen is from Margibi County. That means they are witch-hunting. Maybe they feel Nuquay has a future ambition to become pro-temp of the senate. Maybe they can do that to break him down so he can’t contest the pro-temp position because they feel that if Nuquay takes the post, it will bring some kind of embarrassment to the ruling party. If they say you are being sanctioned, that means the people will say you should recuse yourself. That means you will not take part in the process. As Margibians, only few people will be happy. Over the years, he’s been a good man. Though I have never been to Nuquay’s place for assistance, but we all are from Margibi; if I hate him, who I will like?”
Vandi Koromah, President, Margibi Private School Teachers Association: “Well, for us, we don’t know the yardstick which the American people used to sanction one of our citizens (Emmanuel Nuquay) who has developed this county when it comes to development, who has worked for the interest of the people, and who every year, pays most of our children’s school fees in the various schools. He has helped parents and built institutions. The first Margibian who built a school for the Muslim Community using government money. We don’t know which yardstick they have sanctioned our leader, but when it comes to reaction, the yardstick that they used, or what brought it about, for us we are saying the people of Margibi County and the Private School Teachers Association Inc., we are not happy. The reason why we are not happy, the Americans are not living with us here. We are the ones who live here. We’re the ones who know who are the best persons that helping us on the ground and when it comes to the pursuant of our education. But again, that is what they have done. It means a lot of things because they are saying the global Magnisky, the action is for behavior change. Are they telling us that Senator Nuquay should not help people children in school again? Are they telling us that the people that Senator Nuquay has employed on his farm, he will not pay them again? Like I said, we are in Africa. No African will sanction an American man. You don’t think that some of them have hands in most of the things that happen here?”
Musa Siryon, a political pundit in Kakata: “Individually as a Margibian, I may not be one of the happiest men on earth because a year ago, the current senator-elect was sanctioned and our current Senator (Emmanuel Nuquay) from the upper end to be sanctioned. To have two senators sanctioned, I don’t think it’s a very good thing for Margibi County but again, it also sends a signal to people who are in the habit of abusing power because they feel they have political positions so they must keep abusing power. This is a caveat that has been sounded, so other people must also be able to govern themselves. So, I will not tell you I am happy. I’m sad because it happened to Margibi; we have two persons that have been sanctioned but I am also happy that those that are sanctioned deserve to be sanctioned. It is clear. The guys were involved in massive corruption.”
Samuel K. K. Davis, Nurse, Kakata: “They should be real to everybody about this sanction, it should not only be Margibi alone but other people that their names are there, let the American Embassy make sure and bring their names out because people commit crimes and go with impunity. The negative effect is that we have two senators who are our elders from Margibi County. They have been sanctioned and it will have a negative impact because when it comes to legislative representation, our senators will not be able to work. Senator Nuquay has lot of good sides. He worked in Margibi County as a representative and then he worked as a speaker. He built schools around and then he has other developments, he sent people to school and other things but actually, he is our leader, so we need a speedy investigation so that we will not be affected all over because we have two senators.”
Margibians deserve this sanction upon their two senators in persons of Nathaniel McGill and Emmanuel Nuquay both are recent elected senators of Margibi County.
During the October 10, 2023 general and presidential elections, Margibians were all over the county campaigning for one of the indicted sanctioned officials Mr. Nathaniel McGill who in fact has been rejected twice in 2011 and 2023 by his own county Gbarpolu and the same McGill was also rejected 2023 in Bong county by the people but the people of Margibi decided to elect in their highest office an indictee who has been sanction by the strongest country in the world and Liberia traditional ally the United States of America, even though there were numerous caveats and advise to the people of Margibi to avoid voting tinted character and sanctioned candidate which will result to national embarrassment for the county. But the margibians insist to still vote this corrupt cdc candidate. So for their two senators to be banned from all international engagements is not a strange phenomenon for margibi people.
They the people of Margibi love corruption and they should be pride of their corrupt senators to work with them.