PHOTO: Supt. Janjay Baikpeh on the defensive
By King Brown, sarwahking@gmail.com
BUCHANAN, Liberia- Grand Bassa County Superintendent, Janjay Baikpeh is battling claims linking him to threats against the lives of three local Journalists, over 190 kilometers from Monrovia.
Supt. Baikpeh, who is a stalwart of the ruling CDC party, has now taken a legal action against a resident of Buchanan, Mr. Chaney Davis for allegedly accusing him of being behind the alleged death threats of three journalists of Magic Radio in Bassa.
Mr. Davis is the Secretary of a pressure group called, ”the Concerned Citizens Movement of Harlandsville”, and he has been a critical voice in the county advocating on several issues that he claims are illegal.
Chaney Davis
The three journalists who reportedly received the threats on their lives are Station Manager Christopher Yarwoe; Zahn Dehdyugar; News Director and King Brown, Reporter.
Magic FM Station Manager Chris Yarwoe
According to our impeccable source who informed to our correspondent on Monday night stated that the three journalists have been targeted to be killed because of their critical and always in the habit of unearthing issues to the public.
The source, who is troubled with the situation, added that it is disappointing for such a plot to be planned against workers of Magic Radio who are performing their professional duties in disseminating news and information services to the public.
L-R, Journalists King Brown and Zahn Dehdyugar;
It is said that because of their consistent critical and impartial broadcast on issues happening in the count, which and are believed by some not in the interest of others in the county, they have been targeted.
But is it not exactly clear as to who is behind such a plot to get rid of the station’s workers in the county.
Police begins probe
But the Crimes Services Division (CSD) of the Liberia National Police in Grand Bassa County is investigating the alleged death thread issue against Magic Radio workers. On Monday the three Journalists were invited at the police headquarters in Buchanan and their written statements were taken.
According to the CSD commander in Grand Bassa, Superintendent James Papa Yekeku said they decided to investigate the matter, because it links to death thread and those allegedly targeted are not arm to provide protection for themselves against any bullet or dangerous weapons.
According to a communication from the office of the County Attorney Cllr Aloysious Allison dated April 14 in the possession of our correspondent, Superintendent Baikpeh filed a formal complaint on Tuesday, April 13, 2021, stating that Mr. Chaney Davis publicly declared that, he, the superintendent, should be held responsible if anything happens to the journalists.
The communication says that Mr. Davis was invited to a conference meeting on Thursday at 3:30PM in the office of the County Attorney at the Administrative Building in Buchanan to address himself to the complaint against him by Superintendent Baikpeh.
The County Attorney has however advised Mr. Chaney Davis to stay away publicly from discussing this allegation until the outcome of the conference.
This is the superintendent second times taken legal actions against members of this pressure group since he got appointed by the president of Liberia to serve the people of Grand Bassa County.
The first legal action the superintendent took landed them in jailed at the Owensgroove police station and later they were forwarded to the Buchanan central Prison compound in upper Buchanan. There, they spent couple of days behind bars after they stopped a 40-foot container truck loaded with scraps from leaving Grand Bassa County in root to Monrovia on grounds that the transaction was allegedly not legal.
But, Mr. Davis and several others have been demanding for internal audit committee to conduct audit on the county’s scrap money, funding allotted towards education foundation, over 1-hundred thousand United States dollars allegedly raised from the county equipment, recent 2- hundred thousand United States dollars. The money was given to the ac-hoc scholarship committee by BCM mining company, the missing tractor worth about 93- thousand United States dollars.
He has also been calling for a written report on the usage of 1-hunderd thousand United States Dollars received by the city Mayor from UMARCO shipping company, 60-thousand united states dollars used by the Bassa Sports Association and among others.
According to the pressure group, 99% of the local leadership including some national leaders lacks transparency and accountability and as such the usage of these separate funding should properly be investigated and bring people who mismanaged or misappropriate public monies and hold them accountable to the citizens.
Mr. Davis has also threatened to petition President George Weah upon his arrival in the county on April 21st, 2021 calling for the resignation of Superintendent Janjay Baikpeh, Mayor Moses Hynes- Chairman of the Coalition of Democratic and Mayor of the Buchanan City Cooperation, Representative Thomas A. Goshua chairman of the Bassa legislative caucus amongst others for what they termed as bad governance introduced by them in the county under the CDC led administration.
However, those accused have denials all allegations levied against them by the pressure group on grounds that they are not preceding in the right form and manner and call on them to dialogue in order to give the president a pretty welcome in Bassa.
When contacted, the secretary general of the Concern Citizen Movement of Harlandsville Mr. Channey Davis, he refuted all allegations levied against him by Superintendent Janjay Baikpeh and said at no time he ever accused the county superintendent of allegedly being responsible if anything happens to the three targeted Liberian journalists.
He mentioned that the group remain focus in their advocacy and are not deterred by court action or fear but promised to stop any allegedly illegal transaction in the County.