Several Pastors in Whomgbay, Bong County Electoral District #3 have uttered serious dissatisfaction in Representative Josiah Marvin Cole for allegedly misdirecting about 10 barrels intended for them.The issue continues to be discussed extensively both on social media and on radio stations as Cole is being accused of allegedly corrupting the minds of some of the Pastors and citizens of Whombay.
The Head Pastor of the Internal Life Ministry Rev. Ernest S. Flomo says the materials sent by Canada – based donor Mr. David Miclash were not only meant for the Linda Miclash Children’s Home for school going kids, but for some Pastors and the community as well.
But he alleges that they did not receive all the materials which he says the donor sent since February of this year.
“Well I have not been able to ask Hon. Cole for the remaining materials because it is very difficult to see him. But some of the Pastors who are heading the team have not explained to us what really happened,” Pastor Flomo explains.Pastor Flomo is demanding Rep. Cole to bring their remaining materials or explain to the beneficiaries why most of the materials were not given to those they were intended for.
“In total, we received only five barrels so we need the remaining ten because the donor sent fifteen,” he notes.According to him, while the Donor was still in Canada, he told them that the materials were packaged in the barrels according to the way it needed to be distributed.
“When he called us, he said that he was sending many things including bath soap, school materials, musical instrument for Church, fifteen sewing machines for the community (Whomgbay), among many things. But out of the fifteen machines, we only received one along with few other items,” Flomo alleges.
He told our Bong County correspondent that the donor, Mr. Miclash left Canada and came to Liberia for the distribution of the materials, but notes that the materials did not arrive sooner until Miclash went back to his country.
Our correspondent says after four weeks of investigation, he found that the Canadian donor had firstly engaged the office of Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor to help bring the materials on a duty free basis.
However, the VP’s office is said to have directed Mr. Miclash to the office of Representative Cole as lawmaker of the district that hosts Whomgbay. When reportedly engaged by the donor, Rep. Cole allegedly agreed to help bring the materials on his duty free immunity since they belonged to his constituents.
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Also speaking, the Deacon of Internal Life Ministry Joseph Reeves says he was astonished to have heard from the office of Rep. Cole that the materials were sent by Partners International, describing the statement as fabrication.“Those materials were sent by Mr. Miclash for our community, not to Hon. Cole or for political reasons,” Deacon Reeves tells our correspondent.
Our Bong County correspondent says during the time the container was freed from the Free Port of Monrovia, the office of Rep. Cole was spotted in some parts of his political district distributing some materials with claims that they were sent by his international partners.
When contacted about the allegations, Rep. Cole denies any wrongdoing, stating that those who are involved in making such claim against him are detractors who do not want to see the improvement of the citizens.
“I didn’t do anything bad but rather did what exactly I was told to do by Mr. Miclash, the donor,” Rep. Cole replies.According to him, he decided to help bring those materials on duty free because the materials were vital to the people of Whomgbay.
“Firstly when they met the Vice President, she immediately told them to reach me because I am the head of the district. After the donor met me, I told him that I would help in the process because as lawmakers, we are entitled to duty free,” he explains.Cole says the Canadian guy even told him to do a communication requesting the need for more materials which would give him grounds to lobby for more support.
On the basis of their discussion, Cole says his office did a communication, appreciating the donor for the support including the construction of the school in Whomgbay”.He laments that it is very saddened that some people will spread false information about a character like him who has built his integrity over the past years.
“I even thought that we would have gotten those materials absolutely free from the port but we didn’t because the port authorities said that they were not our personal materials so I paid four thousand United States Dollars from my pocket to free them,” Cole told Radio Gbarnga on a Saturday morning talk-show.
Our Correspondent says since the lawmaker promised to provide documents relating to the freeing of the materials, he has since failed to do so.
He however vows to resign his post if those alleging that he misdirected the donated materials provide pieces of evidence that he directed the materials to his personal use.
Meanwhile, Rep. Cole has threatened over a million dollars lawsuit against a local talk show participant who has been very hard-hitting on the issue.
In furtherance of this investigation, our Bong County correspondent sent a mail directly to Mr. David Miclash to inquire about how many barrels were in the container and how did he want those items to be distributed.But our correspondent says the donor has not responded, for reason best known to him.
By Joseph Titus Yekeryan in Bong –Edited by Winston W. Parley
