The Secretary General of the Dugbe River Union, Aaron J. Manneh says, it’s time to create senatorial balance in the left and right banks of Sinoe County, noting that the two incumbent senators unfairly represent only the right bank.
According to him, this will balance true representation in the county by bringing two separate voices at the table and securing oversight of resource-matching needs allocation for both sides.
Mr. Manneh made the call recently in an interview at his residence in Brewerville, outside Monrovia. Hailing from the left bank of Sinoe, said he declared his intention to contest for the senate in the midterm elections to balance the senate representation of the county.
The current Senators of the county, J. Milton Teahjay of Tarjowon and Augustine Chea of Murrayville are both from the right bank. “This is unfair and unfavorable to left bank of Sinoe.” He said.
Mr. Manneh, a former Assistant Minister of Internal Affairs for Administration stresses, “We need to elect our own senator during this midterm election to give voice to the citizens and residents of the left bank.
He maintains that senators from the right bank cannot in any way claim to represent the people of the Left bank, saying, “I think enough is enough now because our people must have equal representation and development in the left bank.”
“And those within the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) should also understand that fair share is importance in democracy; equal representation, even distribution of wealth, powers and developments will ensure lasting peace and tranquillity within Sinoe County.”
He further argues that those citizens from the right bank usually cajoled the left bank people with their ill-fitted wealth for electoral posts only to later abandon the developments and growth in the left after they have been elected.
[bsa_pro_ad_space id=1]
Mr. Manneh alleges that the election that took Augustine Chea into the Liberian Senate was fraudulent and Chea sought a compromise with the people not to demand re-election in the county.
According to him, elders and citizens of both right and left banks had in the 1980s reached a consensus for each bank to produce its own senator, which formula during the 1985 elections also ensured the peaceful elections of right bank’s late Senator Fred J. Blay and Lawson Draper from the left bank respectively.
Mr.Manneh continues that similar formula in 2005 resulted to the peaceful elections of Mr. Maputo Nyanpan from the right bank and Cllr. Joseph N. Nagbe from the left bank. “When Senator Joseph N. Nagbe of the left bank got appointed to the Supreme Court, Mr. Augustine Chea from the right bank hijacked peaceful electoral process with his ill-fitted resources to deny the left bank people of their senatorial slot”, he claims.
He thanked Senator Milton Teahjay of the right bank for supporting the electoral formula in Sinoe County, noting that those other leaders who are coining, suppressing and keeping the left bank underdeveloped will soon face the wrath of the Sinoe people.
The senatorial aspirant promises to remain in the country to ensuring that his lone voice becomes clearer, stronger and to even reach to President George Manneh Weah himself for the emancipation of the Sinoe people from mental slavery in choosing their own leaders for peaceful co-existence and betterment of all.
By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor –Editing by Jonathan Browne
