Opposition formed against Bong division

A group of Bong County citizens under the banner ‘One Bong County Campaign’ has promised to resist a bill proposed by Senator Henry Willie Yallah to divide Bong into two counties and give county status to lower Bong.

“The question is, as Senator, what legislation and representation did Senator Yallah make since 2011 to have development projects in lower Bong County?” The group asks.

The ‘One Bong County Campaign’ says it believes that the intent of Bong County Senator Yallah and his followers to divide the county is selfish, diabolical and has the proclivity to perpetually divide the people instead of reconciling them.

The opposing group has come out against Sen. Yallah’s recent announcement that he has proffered a bill that seeks to give a County status to lower Bong County.

According to Sen. Yallah, when passed into law, the bill would divide Bong into two segments, making lower Bong a County on its own and upper Bong another county.

He claims that that the bill is intended to bring rapid developments in lower Bong County. But ‘One Bong County Campaign’ National Chairman David S. Kansuah said recently that the problems in Bong are not about dividing the county, but the lack of a united leadership that will see Bong County as a whole in decision making.

He believes that unity among the county’s leaders would ensure the equitable distribution of limited resources for the sole purpose of improving the lives and wellbeing of the people.

“Our issues have never been about size or number, but a responsible leadership that is creative and innovative in finding solutions that would seek to provide the best alternative source of funding to positively impact the lives of our people,’’ Mr. Kansuah stresses.

The group alleged in a press conference held recently that Sen. Yallah complains that the landscape and population of the county are too huge and unmanageable.

They claim that Sen. Yallah has lost the ability to provide quality leadership for the county due to the size and population and his alleged inability to fulfill his campaign promises made in 2011.
The One Bong County Campaign group questions Sen. Yallah as to what he proposed as development package for lower Bong County when the county reportedly received in 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 $4.6 million as Social Development Funds and additional $400,000.00 as County Development Fund while he was chairman of the county’s Legislative Cuscus.

The advocacy group alleged that Senator Yallah has acquired huge farm land from the people of lower Bong where he is expected to produce rubber and cocoa, but the land is allegedly yet to be surveyed while the road leading to the farm is in terrible condition.

They claim that citizens working on Sen. Yallah’s farm have not been paid for three months, pondering if Sen. Yallah really cares about the people of lower Bong.

“We are informed that Sen. Henry W. Yallah is against the passage of the Land Right and the Local Government bills because he doesn’t want local leaders to be elected so as to make decisions about their development needs/ projects,” the group alleges. They urge Mr. Yallah to put halt to his selfish political interest and focus on delivering the promises he made to citizens in 2011.

By Joseph Titus Yekeryan in Bong–Edited by Winston W. Parley