After months of bickering and confusion over who to represent Maryland County in the National Transitional Legislative Assembly (NTLA), citizens of that county have resolved to allow Mr. Samuel T. Wilson to fill the one slot in the assembly.

Making the disclosure to this paper over the weekend, NTLA’s Representative Adolphus Wallace said after days of heated arguments and arms-twisting, Marylanders finally reached an agreement at a well-attended meeting held at the Executive Mansion on December 26, 2003, to give their blessing to Mr. Wilson as the county’s representative to occupy the one slot in the NTLA allotted to Maryland County under the Accra Peace Agreement.

Rep. Wallace said his compatriots’ decision was based upon the spirit of unity, forgiveness, reconciliation and oneness, noting that Mr. Moses Jarbeh who was elected in Monrovia and other aggrieved parties have affixed their signatures on the document sent to ECOWAS informing it about Mr. Wilson’s nomination to represent the county in the NTLA.

The Maryland County lawmaker paid special homage to former Chief Justice Gloria M. Scott, former senators Willie Ragland, Lomax cox and NTGL Chairman C. Gyude Bryant for their intervention in making sure that Maryland County is fully represented in the NTLA, adding "these sons and daughter of Maryland County have exhibited a high degree of patriotism for the common good of their county".

Mr. Wallace also commended the Barrobo Progressive Youth Association for withdrawing its protest against Mr. Wilson, while at the same time called on all Marylanders to forgive Mr. Wilson for the sake of rebuilding the county through oneness.

Meanwhile, the Union of Maryland University Students Association has also commended Mr. Jarbeh for steps taken to relinquish his rights in the interest of the county.

The group speaking through its Vice Chairman, Elton K. Elliott called on Marylanders and Liberians not to see Mr. Jarbeh’s action as weakness but something that was done in the interest of his county and people.