By P. Clarence Jackson, latifahkpah172@gmail.com, 0886458902/0777464050
Amidst the introduction of a Bill seeking the creation of another County out of Bong County, to be called ” Bong Range County”, former Superintendent Ranney Banama Jackson has expressed shock over the submission of such a Bill at the Senate.
“Fellow citizens of Bong County, I am shocked to hear about a bill to divide the county. Does the Senator know that Bong County comes #6 among the 15 counties in terms of size and population ahead of Gbarpolu, Lofa, Grand Gedeh and some other counties?” Mr. Jackson said.
The former Bong County Superintendent, who is currently perusing his Doctorate degree in the United States, wrote on his official Facebook page, expressing fear that the passage of the bill into law would hurt the coexistence of citizens and further impedes the numerical strength of the county.
Mr. Jackson wants Senator Henry Yallah, the sponsor of the Bill not to pursue this action. As an alternative, former superintendent Jackson said a significant portion of County Development Fund can be given to Lower Bong to develop the region, if he thinks that region is not developed.
“I feel that instead of the Senator hurting the entire county let him sponsor a bill that would give significant portion of development funds to Lower Bong to develop that part of the county”. Mr. Jackson said.
Mr. Jackson, a one-time Deputy Minister for Operations at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, dispelled rumors that lower Bong has been looked down upon over the years.
He said for example, several other officials were drawn from lower Bong including his special assistant, the personal director, budget director and procurement director when he served as Superintendent.
“During my regime as Superintendent, I ensured most of our qualified songs and daughters from lower Bong held strategic positions and I did that to promote peace and unity among us,” the former Bong County Superintendent said.
“I think this is an attempt to divide us and every well meaning citizen of this great county need to rise up and oppose this,” Mr. Jackson noted.
Our www.newspublictrust.com Reporter in Bong County said citizens in the County are seriously divided over the submission of the bill at the Liberian Senate.
There are some who believe that the passage of the Bill and subsequent signing into law would provide Jobs and other livelihood opportunities, because there will be two Senators, a Superintendent, Assistant Superintendents for development and fiscal Affairs, as well as other employees of various ministries and agencies. Others think that the with the exception of pro viding jobs for a few elite, there will be absolutely nothing new and that such move is not in the best interest of the County terming it as divisive.
Already, there are good number of young people from across the county including both lower and Upper Bong County who have established themselves into a group called’ The One Bong Campaign’.
These young people, comprising professionals from different backgrounds have embarked on a massive awareness campaign on social media to ensure that this Bill to establish Bong Range County does not receive support from prominent sons and daughters of the County.
One of its founding members, Bill McGill Jones said ” This attempt by Senator Henry Yallah is a deception and we will go all into the bushes to tell our people how harmful it is.
“I wonder why Senator Yallah did not propose this when he was elected in 2011, but only at the time, when the 2020 special Senatorial election is at the corner, we say no to any division because we are stronger together.”
Another youth of Bong County, Joseph Carter who is in support of the bill said, ‘ we will support the bill because we from lower Bong strongly believe it is in our interest”.
‘For too long we have been marginalized and I think standing on our own will in no way divide us,” Carter said.
Former Bong County Rep George Mulbah
For his part, former Bong County Representative George Sylvester Mulbah, who appeared on a local Radio Talk Show in Gbarnga over the weekend challenged current Lawmakers of the County to state their respective positions on the debate instead of remaining silent.
‘I don’t think it is a good thing for any Lawmaker of this County to remain silent on this because they are the people who will make decisions at the Legislature and they need to be clear”.
“For me, I strongly believe that we are stronger together and there is no reason why we should be talking about creating a new county, the former Bong Caucus Chair said”.
Former Representative Mulbah said, instead of talking about dividing the county or creating a new one, it was not important for leaders of the county to firstly concentrate on reconciliation which is seriously dividing the county and how they can work together for the benefit of their people.
“If I were still in the Legislature, I have made my position clear long time, instead of remaining silent.
“I don’t know why our brothers from lower Bong continues to talk about marginalization when our first Superintendent James Yarkpawolo Gbarbea came from lower Bong, Superintendent Vinicious Vorkpor came from lower Bong, and just recently the last Superintendent under former President Sirleaf Madam Selena Polson Mappy is also from lower Bong.”
Senator Henry W. Yallah, Bong Caucus Chair
Bong County Senator Henry W. Yallah recently submitted the bill to the Liberian Senate and said the creation and/or the establishment of the proposed Bong Range County will not cause conflict among members of the dominant Kpelle tribe.
“The Kpelle are decent people, our conflict doesn’t last because we understand each other very well; our issue is not dividing us, and there is no seed of conflict except for us [politicians] who want to use that land and population in one bulk for power. In fact, reconciliation will be moving smoothly,” Yallah said prior to the submission of the Bill.
According to him, the creation of the new county is not intended to import different tribes from other counties to occupy Lower Bong, and maintained that there are only slight differences in the Kpelle dialects.
Yallah said that the journey that is nearing realization started as far back as the regime of now jailed former President Charles Taylor, and paid special tribute to late former Representative of Bong County Martin Kerkulah, and some Paramount chiefs in the county who give birth to the idea.
According to the bill, the geographic area commonly known as Lower Bong is comprising Yellequelleh, Sanoyea, Salala, and Fuamah Districts, five Chiefdom, 20 Clans, and has approximately 200,000 inhabitants, and a land space of 3,920 square miles.
The boundary description contained in the bill shows that the imminent Bong Range County will be separated and bounded on the South by Nyanfur River, running down stream and bordering Margibi County, running on the Southeast with the existing boundary with Gbarpolu County, and on the East and Northeast with Grand Bassa County, and on the North with the original Bong County.
Meanwhile, the bill, following its reading, was sent to the Senate Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights, Claims and Petitions, and Internal Affairs, Reconciliation and Good Governance, to report to plenary in January 2019.