PHOTO: Barsigiah making commitment over the weekend
By King Brown, sarwahking@gmail.com
BUCHANAN, Liberia- The dismissed former Manager of the Buchanan Port, Charles MacArthur D. Gull is currently a fugitive, after a big corruption scandal was discovered, but he has since been claiming from exile that higher-ups were involved.
But over the weekend, a new Manager of the Buchanan Port was inducted.
Mr. Siokin Civicus Barsigiah has promised to be a good leader who will fulfill, uphold and execute his duties and responsibilities respectfully to the best of his ability.
He made the statement on Friday, September 3, 2021 during his induction ceremony held at the Port in Buchanan City, Grand Bassa County, which was witnessed by cross- section of citizens including the Bassa Legislative Caucus, Local leadership; Student Community; Youth Organization; ArcelorMittal and Equatorial Palm Oil Companies; Government officials, Traditional Council and others.
Mr. Barsigiah replaces Charles MacArthur D. Gull former Port manager of Buchanan who is the subject of a criminal investigation at the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) in Monrovia.
At the induction ceremony, Mr. Barsigiah, called on everyone to put their political differences aside whether from the ruling or opposition block and work together to solve some of the hard problems the entity is faced with, emphasizing peace at the port of Buchanan to achieve the goals and objectives of the institution.
The newly inducted manager who was serving as Executive Management Consultant to NPA Managing Director before taking over the port expressed gratitude to President George Mannah Weah and Dr. Bill Twehway for his appointment and confidence reposed in him as a young man to occupy the position.
NPA MD Bill Twehway
“I am grateful to President George Weah and Dr. Bill Twehway for trusting me to serve as Port Manager of Buchanan. I was serving as Executive Management Consultant to Bill Twahway but now appointed as Port Manager. I called on everybody to work together and cooperate. It is only when we coexist; we can solve the hard problems. We need peace because only in the presence of peace we focus and in the absence of peace there will be no better,” Mr. Barsigiah added.
Promising friendly working relationship, Mr. Barsigiah said: ” I am aware that there may be opposition but I’m here for us to work together, I want to thank all those who have been working hard to bring the Port to where it is today.”
During the induction program, National Port Authority Managing Director Bill Twehway, who claimed to be a son of district five, Grand Bassa County noted from his childhood days up to present, he has never seen a typical Bassa person to become a Port Manager.
He described the appointment of Mr. Siokin Civicus Barsigiah as the first of its kind in the county’s history for a typical Bassa man to manage the affair of the Port in Buchanan.
Speaking further, the NPA boss, who is himself caught up a an alleged conflict of interest/corruption racket, urged the newly appointed Port Manager that the People of Bassa expect far better of him to ably represent them diligently at the entity, advising him to work together with everyone at all levels.
“I don’t want confusion at the port but total peace, you should open your arms and work with everybody even if you heard any negative news about somebody act like nothing has happened and tell everybody that you have come with clear heart to work with them in making sure the port gets what is needed under your watch,” NPA MD Twehway said.
For her part, the Former Acting Port manager, Madam Oretha Z. Myres welcomed the decision of the Managing Director to appoint Siokin Civicus Barsigiah as the next head of the entity and thanked MD Twehway for the confidence he reposed in her to act as a Manager in the absence of Charles MacArthur D. Gull former Port manager of Buchanan.
“I was mandated by the Port Managing Director on 14 of July 2021 to clean and give the Port a face lift which I did and later he authorized me to serve the position as Acting Port Manager until the rightful person is chosen, so I’m happy to turned over the mantle of leadership back to our boss Bill Twehway for onward presentation to our newly appointed Manager who has selected to manage the affair of the port”.
Apart from the induction program, NPA MD Bill Twehway also broke grounds for the construction of a nurses and teachers’ quarter intended to accommodate government assigned employees in Wayzohn, Wee Statutory district, Grand Bassa County.
The Managing Director said his intervention is part of the Gbehkugbh housing project that is taking place in Rivercess and Grand Bassa Counties.
The NPA boss presented 200 bags of cement and 40 bundles of zinc to start the project; adding the money used came from the fundraising dinner that was recently held at Hotel Buchanan.
The 10 housing units captured, five will be for nurses and five will be constructed for teachers.