-Min. McGill tells Sen. Dillon
Liberia’s Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathanial McGill, challenges opposition Senator Abraham Darious Dillon to substantiate his recent claim that prior to becoming Minister, he (McGill) never had a dime or owned a house.
He warns the Montserrado County Senator to prove his allegation or “shut up.” Minister McGill reportedly applied for a loan totaling US$200,000 from a commercial bank in 2018 to buy a home, upon becoming Minister. However, it is not clear whether that application was approved.
“I challenge Sen. Dillon to prove that I had less then US$20,000 in personal account before becoming Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, and if that is proven, I will resign my post as Minister of State and if Sen. Dillon fails to prove that he too should resign his post as Senator of Montserrado. I want the Liberia Bar Association, Liberia Anti Commission and other independent groups to form part of it process.
I got appointed by the President on January 22, 2018, look at my asset declaration form, the account still same. In fact T-Max, I want you to take your camera there. My account is with UBA (the United Africa Bank),” McGill argues.
Minister McGill gave the challenge while speaking to Sky fm on Monday, April 26, in Monrovia.
But in response to the open challenge, Senator Dillon wrote on his Facebook page “All the CDC gang members that said they would resign because of me have failed to do so. None of them has summoned the faintest courage to resign! Nat McGill is the latest to talk about “resigning” because of me. And they expect me to take them seriously? Let me go do the people’s job yaa. Haha!!.”
McGill notes that attitudes of opposition leaders’ lying on public officials should stop and one of the best ways to stop it is by challenging them publicly.
“Many people think I have money, no. I don’t have money. I asked business people and friends for help through which I shared with people. Their perceptions of me being rich at the expanse of the Liberian people are false and I think [it] is all about hate against me,” he says.
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According to him, much assistance rendered to several individuals are monies he lobbied for from friends and even the President, adding; for people to classify him as being rich or corruption is totally false and another form of hate against him.
Speaking on a pending return of foreign investment to the country, he discloses the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change has discussed and concluded the return of China Union, which had an investment in the former Bong Mines in Bong County.
He also names additional investment from ArcelorMittal which is expected to be in the tune of US$800 million, noting those investments will create more jobs for Liberians.
On question whether the CDC is prepared to retain Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor as President Weah’s running mate in 2023, McGill says the CDC has a team and the team has been working together. But he quickly adds that decision lies with the President.
By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor–Editing by Jonathan Browne
