Petition Drama in Nimba
By: Obadiah Karnah, II
Forum
Monrovia, Liberia
Distributed by
The Perspective
Atlanta, Georgia
The disenchantment aroused over the weekend in Bahn at the close of a two-day development and consultative meeting, when prominent citizens of the district denounced Assemblyman Turay’s recent petition by those referred to as “a handful of individuals in Bahn” during the Christmas season.
The Chairman of the Bahn Sehwon Development Association, Peter Karmie said while the citizens were observing the historical reunion of the Dan and Mandingo elements for the first time since the bitter civil conflict, little did they know that Assemblyman Turay was manipulating to succeed himself come what may in October this year.
He accused the NTLA member of dishing out fifteen thousand Liberian dollars to a minority group headed by one Wusu Mahn to petition him for the House of Representative during the October 2005 elections.
Elders David Dunah, an Inlander, and David Kayah also expressed disappointment that the TLA member, despite being a son of the soil, would make a secret political arrangement without the involvement of the district’s opinion leaders. The set up, they claimed, would pave way for confusion amongst the citizenry if nothing is done for redress.
When contacted, the Turay’s Petition campaign committee chairman, Wusu Mahn, admitted receipt of said amount from Assemblyman Turay, but refuted claim made by the citizens that the petition was clandestine. Yet, he confessed that every arrangement geared toward the so-called petition was done without the consensus of the Zeogeh citizens.
Against this backdrop, Mr. Mahn is said to have apologized and disassociated himself from the arrangement and vowed to come to Monrovia upon the demand of the people of Zoegeh to retract the petition.
However, Assemblyman Turay’s Special Assistant, C. Dippa Gbarkamah said preparing one’s petition for such portfolio does not require the participation of every body.
