The head for chiefs and elders in Nimba County Chief Peter G. Barluon, presents key to the county to Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, dubbed here as the “godfather” of Nimba, but the decision is being resisted by chiefs and elders there.Chief Barluon is said to have taken the decision without consultation with fellow chiefs.
Over 20 chiefs and elders from across all 17 administrative districts of Nimba subsequently converged at the Evangelical Free Church of West Africa [EFCWA] in Ganta over the weekend to address complaint levied against Senator PYJ by two lawmakers from the county.
PYJ is also political leader of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) which collaborates with President George MannehWeah’s ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
He recently accused District#8 Lawmaker Larry P. Younquoi and District#5 Representative Samuel G. Kogar of transporting more than 30 ex-generals to turn the recent June 07 peaceful protest in Monrovia bloody, and blame it on the Government of Liberia.
The allegation came when the two representatives were out of the country, attending a conference in America.
Upon their return to the country, they wrote chiefs and elders, including women groups in Nimba to intervene in the matter, calling on Senator Johnson to substantiate his claim against them.
However, when Sen. PYJ was called up at the mediatory gathering over the weekend in Ganta to prove his claim, he instead, diverted his attention to his ongoing college project in the county and telling fellow Nimba lawmakers that he (PYJ) is the gateway to President George Manneh Weah, including members of the cabinet, so they should channel their concerns thru him.
The New Dawn gathers that after PYJ spoke, chiefs and elders called for a closed door meeting in which the controversial senator allegedly apologized to Representatives Younquoi and Kogar but he was mandated by the mediation committee to stand in the gathering and openly apologize, which he agreed to.
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However, upon return to the gathering Chief Peter G. Barluon instead changed the decision, giving the county key to Senator Johnson plus 200 Liberian dollars, calling on him to take over all mountains in Nimba and engage President Weah to provide employments in his government for Nimbaians.
With second highest registered voters in Liberia, the county overwhelmingly voted for Mr, Weah’s Coalition for Democratic Change during the runoff presidential elections on December 26, 2017 against the former ruling Unity Party.The decision by the head chief immediately caused stir among chiefs and elders attending the meeting, including the lawmakers accused by PYJ.
District#8 Representative Larry Younquoi vows to engage the international court or Senator Johnson himself to provide more information on his allegation. By Thomas Domah/Nimba
–Editing by Jonathan Browne
