By Charles Gbayor,charlesmenlor@gmail.com
Harper, Liberia-There is increasing anxiety amongst citizens in Maryland County, as their Legislative Caucus and local officials have failed to hold County Sittings for three years now, with this southeastern county said not to be benefiting from County Development Funds.
Senator J. Gbleh-bo Brown has promised to fight for his County, Maryland to benefit from the County Development Funds just as other Counties are doing.
“I pledge that I will continue to pursue every positive course of action that will ensure that Maryland benefits from the County Development Fund, Land rentals and other budgetary allocation. This is where I will urge all of us to direct our energies,” Sen. Brown said.
He claimed that during his Administration as Chairperson of the Maryland County Legislative Caucus, he reconciled the Caucus members and tried on several occasions to encourage other members of the Caucus to come back home and conduct the County Council Sitting but to avail.
Senator Brown, the Senate Statutory Committee Chairman Internal Affairs, Good Governance and Reconciliation, in December of 2018 last year openly apologized to the people of Maryland County for failure of the Lawmakers to hold the County Sitting.
The Senator was expected to lead Marylanders and Members of the County Legislature Caucus to the County Council Sitting after three years, but could not be held because two third of the Majority was or were absence .
Senator Brown’s statement comes weeks after three Representatives of the Maryland County Legislative Caucus had an Election and Elected new officials to steer the affair in absence of the County two Senators and Caucus Chairman Gbleh-bo Brown and Senator H. Dan Morias, the www.newspublictrust.com has gathered that the two lawmakers were on the Easter Break in the County when the Election was conducted .
“According to a Communication in position of this that paper it is a little over a week now when I Senator Brown returned from the County. On the day I departed Maryland, rumors began to circulate that the three Representatives had an Election that put in place a new Caucus Leadership.
Upon My arrival in Monrovia and in Office ,I read two flying sheets of what is said to be meeting minutes with no name or signature of the one who may have taken the Minutes ,the first is dated April 30, 2019 when the Liberian Senate was still on Easter break,the second is dated May 2 2019 ,day the Senate officially re-opened .
Let me made it Crystal clear that the purported Election of a new Leadership of the Maryland County Legislative Caucus is a shame and the one perambulating in our Corridors as the New Chairman lacks the legitimacy to preside over Caucus.”
The Communication added: this is about the Maryland Legislative Caucus and not the Maryland Representatives Caucus, it is rudimentarily understood that the term Legislative Caucus implies that both Members of the House of Representatives and the House of Senate from Maryland must jointly decide the matters of the Caucus .
The Representatives, though in the majority, are or will be in serious error to arrorgate to themselves exclusive powers to decide matters pertaining to the Caucus.
The Communication noted that Senator J. Gbleh-bo Brown will no longer avail himself for any position within the Caucus. “I’ m quite satisfied with the mandate given me by the people of Maryland to serve them as Senator .All I now desire is that the process of the New Leadership should be legitimized so that whoever emerges as Chairman will enjoy the respect and confidence of all Members.”
As for the county sitting it is so frustrating ,disgrace and shameful that as a result of inability of majority members of the Caucus to come to Maryland and preside over the holding of special County Council sitting in line with the Budget Law of of Liberia.