Plunges The Nimba Citizens Group In Big Crisis
PHOTO: (L-R) Togba Porte, Board Chair and Isaac Dahn, President
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
A recent petition expressing support for President George Weah’s 2nd term bid in October’s election plunged Nimba Kwado Incorporated into crisis, something that is now deepening.
Nimba Kwado is a popular citizens group made up of Nimbaians across the Liberia and abroad.
Last weekend at Weah’s Jamaica in Paynesville Resort outside Monrovia, the Nimba Kwado Incorporated led by its President, Isaac Dahn, and its Youth Chairman, Ousman Vorlee, declared support for the second term bid of the President in this year’s elections.
The embattled President of the group, who was suspended for declaring support for the second term bid of President George Weah, has with immediate effect dissolved the board of directors of the organization.
On Monday, the board of directors of the Nimba Kwado Incorporated led by Togba Porte, suspended the President of the organization, Isaac Dahn and Youth Chairman, Ashmun Vonleh for unilaterally declaring support for the second bid of President Weah.
Mr. Porte disclosed that the pair will be forwarded for investigation before the grievance and ethic committee of the organization.
According to him, Ojuku Duo has been appointed as acting President of Nimba Kwado Incorporated following a consultation with the different segments of the organization.
Mr. Porte, the current the Chief of Protocol to Nimba County Senator, Prince Johnson, claimed that Isaac Dahn and Ashmun Vonleh, did not seek the opinions of the board before pledging support for the second bid of President Weah
Porte, a former Assistant Labor Minister for Trade Union Affairs, said Nimba County has several sons who are wishing to be President of Liberia and as such decision on which they will support has not been made because the organization is non-political.
But on Tuesday, the national executive committee through its Public Relations Officer, George Luogon announced the dissolution of the board on ground that the legal instrument used as a means of suspending the President and the Youth Chairman has not been adopted.
According to him, Mr Porte and others who were appointed as board of directors have not been inducted and as such the board lacks the authority to suspend any member of the national executive committee of the Nimba Kwado Incorporated who appointed them.
Mr. Luogon pointed out that the endorsement of the second term bid of President Weah does commit the entire county as it only represents the views of their members who gave them the authority and trusted what they have done.
Trikle-down effect. Political observers think that the split between the board and the national executive committee of the Nimba Kwado Incorporated will have a trickle-down effect, as it could widen political differences that have erupted between President George Weah and Nimba County Senator Prince Johnson on the 2023 presidential and legislative elections.
Nimba Kwado Incorporated Liberia is the largest organization of the people of Nimba County in Liberia founded a little over 25 years ago and around the world.
The organization comprises people from the vote-rich Nimba County, which the second largest county, with branches in the 15 political sub-divisions in Liberia.