-Sen. Tokpa blasted over his denial of campaign promise
By G. Naway Gumeh,gumehnaway@gmail.com
Reports say the Bong County Legislative Caucus, consisting of seven Representatives and two Senators, is currently fragmented ahead of a heated midterm senatorial election in the county.
Insiders have hinted that Henry Yallah who is poised for reelection has on his team, Electoral District #5 Representative, Edward Karfiah, Electoral District #1 Representative, Albert Hills, Electoral District #3 Representative Marvin Cole, Electoral District #7 Representative, Joseph Papa-Kolleh. At the same time, Electoral district #2 Representative and Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Prince Moye who is poised to contest for Senate in Bong is rumored to have on his team, Senator Henrique Tokpa, Electoral District #4 Representative, Robert Womba and Electoral District #6 Representative, Moima Briggs-Mensah.
This Reporter has also gathered that, with the current fragmented legislative caucus, tension is brewing amongst supporters of these lawmakers as well as citizens in general.
Ordinary citizens are said to be living in misery as a result of the political bickering, something that continues impede development in Bong County.
Legislative Caucuses in some other counties are also being rocked by internal wrangling, which has also been undermining the developmental drive in those places.
Meantime, former Bong County Senatorial Candidate, Fairnoh Gbilah has termed as deception and wickedness, Senator Henrique Tokpa’s denial of ever promising in 2018 to lead a process to reconcile his kinsmen if elected.
During the 2018 senatorial election created by the ascendency of then Bong County Senator, Jewel Howard-Taylor, it is reported that Henrique Tokpa, the former Cuttington University president who has a background in economics and development studies, outlined education, agriculture, health, and reconciliation as priority pillars in his manifesto.
But at a huge gathering of citizens in Suakoko district, Bong County recently, Senator Tokpa said “Reconciliation was never my campaign promise. I never made any promise like that in the campaign”.
Senator Tokpa rejected ever promising to lead a reconciliation drive aimed at ending the aged-old disunity triggered by elections in the county, arguing that reconciliation was a suggestion from his supporters and other prominent citizens to him dispelling claims that it was he who promised it to the citizens.
But the candidate on the ticket of Vision for Liberia’s Transformation Party in 2018, Fairnoh Gbilah told this paper, “I think that the senator’s statement suggests that he is deceptive, wicked and evil”.
Mr. Gbilah noted that it is unfortunate that Senator Tokpa would suddenly deny his promise to the people after boasting at several debates during the campaign period in 2018 of being a reconciler who has the pedigree to eliminate the longstanding disunity among citizens if elected.
Mr. Gbilah obtained 5,556 constituting 9.4% of the total votes cast in 2018.