Until the 2019 special senatorial elections saw opposition figure Abraham Darius Dillon massively winning all 17 districts to clinch the senate seat in Liberia’s most vote-rich county, Montserrado since 2005 was always considered the stronghold of Mr. George Weah’s Congress for Democratic Change which joined forces in 2017 with Madam Jewel Howard-Taylor’s National Patriotic Party and Mr. Alex Tyler’s Liberian People Democratic Party to form a Coalition bloc and defeated Ambassador Joseph Boakai’s Unity Party.
But as The Analyst has gathered, the December 8, 2020 midterm senatorial election now presents a paradoxical dilemma for President George Weah’s governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). If the CDC loses Montseraddo County again to the opposition, it portends a rockier road for them in 2023. As a result, CDC stalwarts and officials have declared Montserrado County a no-go zone for the opposition, splashing cash and rice to voters within the 17 districts in a bid to win at all cost. In the wake of these developments, Senator Dillon says he doesn’t mind CDC dividing rice and money on the electorates as it is their own money, but warned that if the CDC engages in cheating, the tenure of President Weah and the CDC will end abruptly after December 8, 2020.
Speaking in a rather serious mood during a radio talk show last Monday, Senator Dillon claimed that he has been hearing and observing that “people” want Montserrado County at all cost.
The Montserrado County legislator who is also in a sort of quandary to reclaim the slot he won in 2019, having spent less than a year to fully consolidate his power base, strongly believes that President Weah and his CDC are set to cheat against him.
“I hear all kinds of talk that people want this county at all costs. It must be democratic because that’s what the people want. Look, I am a lover of democracy. I believe in the people’s right to choose. But if anybody attempts to cheat in this election, including President George Weah, that will be the end of his time immediately before 2023. I am not saying they should not go on with their concoctions and their plots,” Senator Dillon warned, noting, “You can share all the money, you can take all the rice from the warehouses, you can wear all the new suits and fly all around”.
“George Weah and his gang will understand that we are not taking this for a joke. When the people wake up in the morning and go express their right for their choice, it must be respected. I repeat, any attempt will be the immediate end of the George Weah and CDC administration, from December this year,” Senator Dillon further warned.
He acknowledged that while some Liberians are not talking, they are only waiting to speak on December 8, but if President Weah and his CDC deprive the people, they will know what kind of fire “we all can warm ourselves with”.
Assuring his supporters that the opposition is also not leaving any stone unturned in ensuring that the process is transparent, Senator Dillon said the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) will religiously monitor the entire process.
“At every polling center, we will have the first tally sheets, and from our poll watchers we will begin the unofficial announcement of the results immediately from NEC’s own tally sheet from every room. We will win every room,” Senator Dillon boasted.
According to Senator Dillon, although all measures are being put in place by the opposition bloc to ensure victory on December 8, 2020, he will also respect the people’s decision once the process is transparent.
“I want to make it very clear; if it is the decision of the people for us not to be retained in the office, we will sit down home in Gardnersville and thank the people,” he promised.
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- Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Mines and Energy, has described as a serious violation of Liberia’s Mineral and Mining Laws, the constant interference and involvement of traditional people into the work of the Inspectorate Division of the Mines and Energy Ministry, when the Internal Affairs Ministry is a ranking Member on the special technical committee Government set up against illicit and illegal Mining. A press release signed by the Head of Public Relations at the Ministry of Mines and Energy, Richard Manuba said the Inspector-General for Mines, J. Obediah Z. Arku, told Journalists in Monrovia that the use of traditional practices against Mining Inspectors is robbing the Government of needed and required revenue which undermines national development and economic growth. IG Arku said, when his Inspectors are in the field carrying out enforcement of the Country’s Mineral and Mining Laws to ensure that Miners in Class ‘C’ category are in full compliance, they [Inspectors] are always scared away by local government authorities such as Town/Clan and Paramount Chiefs, and other traditionalists. “They willfully put out Country-devil which impedes the free movement of our Mineral inspectors, most of whom are not members of the traditional societies. This keeps our Inspectors indoor for number of days which practically stops them from working in the Mining Town/Site.” Mr. Arku lamented. From practical experience in the field, Mr. Arku disclosed that some of the Miners who are adamant to compliance with the Law, are shielded by people of the Towns and local government authorities he earlier mentioned. Expatiating further, Inspector-Genersl Arku divulged that the Miners [allegedly] pay out perquisites (money) in return for unlawful protection against the Law. “It would amaze you to know that in some instances, the Townspeople and even those in leadership pretend to be the owner (s) of the illegal Dredges these aliens [mostly Ghanaians] and Liberians alike are operating on our water bodies in Towns and Villages in the hinterland of our Country.” He explained that when the Inspectors reach out to a faraway/distant mining site having trekked several hours, almost all of the illicit Miners run into hiding due to tip-off their local hosts pass onto them. This, Mr. Arku said makes revenue collection difficult because there are penalties under the Law for illicit and illegal mining. He however reported progress that five of the Ghanaian illicit Miners, with assistance from State security were arrested in Feninken Town, on the outskirts of Barclayville City, Grand Kru County, and have been processed by Magisterial Court authorities for prosecution. They [Ghanaians] were found at mining sites without legal residency documents, have no mining and mineral right as they were not in possession of Class ‘C’ Mining License which costs US$150.00 per annum, and more interestingly, all of the illicit Miners expected to be prosecuted in Grand Kru were caught with Mercury which like the Dredge, is a banned substance declared by Government through a moratorium by Mines and Energy Minister, Gesler E. Murray. No Miner is supposed to use Mercury for mining of Gold or other mineral resources of the Country because of its dangerous nature. Recent enforcement efforts by the Inspectorate Division of the Ministry of Mines and Energy have received commendations from the Minister Murray who in December last year launched a fight against Dredge/illicit mining coupled with the use of Mercury. Minister Murray in the government’s moratorium, mandated Mineral inspectors to curtail the use of Dredges and Mercury for Gold mining and confiscate all materials and equipment being used by illicit and illegal Miners across the Country, levy fines enshrined in the Mineral and Mining Law, and prosecute violators through the Justice Ministry. Mines Inspector-Genersl Arku’s latest media statement comes in the wake of recent operational activities the Ministry’s Inspectors have been carrying out in the Southeast amid associated constraints he outlined earlier, plus logistical challenge of lack of vehicles to transport confiscated items to headquarters in Monrovia. He expressed thanks to German NGO GIZ for donation of six Honda Motorbikes which he says are significantly impacting the function of the Inspectorate. But, Mr. Arku is pleading with the country’s donor partners and other counterparts for additional assistance such as Motorola Communication devices, uniforms/protective gears, plus some more Motorbikes for effective Mineral inspection. During the recent Inspection activities, several illegal Dredges were disabled at illicit mining sites in Grand Kru, Rivergee, Maryland and the work was relaxed in Grand Gedeh County for administrative reasons. Mr. Arku assured the public that his Team of Inspectors headed by the Deputy Inspector-Genersl for Mines, Adolphus M.G.D Gleekia, will make a return to the Southeast within this February to complete work in untouched areas including Grand Gedeh County.
- The Liberian Legislature is notorious for sending officials to jail
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