By Lincoln G. Peters
Residents from Nimba Senator Prince Y. Johnson’s hometown have threatened to reject the opposition Unity Party and any aspirants he supports in the 10 October 2023 elections.
Senator Johnson, who founded the opposition Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), supports the former ruling Unity Party’s (UP’s) bid for the presidency.
His kinsman Senator Jeremiah Koung, who now heads the MDR, is the running mate to UP leader Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai.
Over the weekend, residents of Gomplay, Buu-Yao, District #5 of Nimba County, said their reason to reject Johnson’s aspirants for elected offices is due to his alleged continued pay-for-play game.
They also accused Johnson of allegedly deceiving the residents and the district.
They claimed that they have been deceived and forgotten by Senator Johnson and all those he has brought to them for support, especially the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government.
The aggrieved Nimba residents disclosed that they currently lack better roads, healthcare center, senior high school, townhall, and other basic social services and opportunities for their children.
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Yet, they claimed, Senator Johnson has failed to cater to their needs since they supported him and all his candidates in the 2017 elections.
“We have decided not to vote [for] the Unity Party and anyone that Senator Johnson will bring here that he is supporting,” the residents said.
“Senator Johnson lifted the hands of President George Weah and we supported CDC. My brother, since we did that, our district has no road, healthcare center, and even good school,” they noted.
In an interview with this paper, the youth spokesperson Francis Douyseh said that it’s very unfortunate and disappointing that they will have a wealthy son and continue to listen to his political direction but he can’t give them what they want.
He further indicated that as youth of Gomplay, it’s heartbreaking for them that they do not have a single high school after supporting President Weah that Senator Johnson brought to them.
“My brother, we have our uncle who is a senator and anything he tells us to do is what we can [do]. But, now we don’t have a senior high school,” he continued.
Douyseh explained that an elementary school in the town has no teacher and the environment is bad.
“Before we get good education and better healthcare, we have to move to New Yorpie that is very far from us,” Douyseh lamented.
He stated that the rehabilitation of their road in the town is done by people that are involved in cocoa and timber business, adding that there is no hope for their future.
An elder of the town also noted that he and his colleagues have resolved to reject any candidate that Senator Johnson will present to them.
