By Patrick Stephen Tokpah
The Chairperson of the disbanded group of the Armed Forces of Liberia, Captain Jerry Kerkulah Kollie, commonly known as VIP, has expressed serious disappointment in the continual fight between Jorquelleh District 3 lawmaker, Josiah Marvin Cole, and Senator Prince Moye of Bong County.
Captain Kollie believes the continual fight between the two county officials and their supporters tends to stall the county’s progress in terms of development and respect for its citizens.
According to Jerry Kollie, Bong County will remain underdeveloped in the next six years regardless of President Joseph Boakai, even in other governmental regimes to come, if this political fight between the two officials is not settled at this moment.
“The attitude of Rep. Cole and Senator Moye by attacking each other on public platforms can keep this county underdeveloped for more than six years. It has even made me feel very embarrassed and ashamed to Introduce myself nowadays as a Kpelleh man because Kpelleh as a tribe has been branded as a group of stupid people, so if our leaders keep insulting one another on public platforms, it shows that we are stupid for real,” Kollie expressed.
Kollie is therefore calling on the two officials of government to put away their political differences and seek Bong County and its residents’ interests, adding that it is necessary to put the interests of residents of Bong County ahead of personal egos, instead of bringing the county to public disrepute.
Meanwhile, Kollie, who is a former Representative candidate of the county, is calling on the leadership of Bong County, ranging from the Bong Christian Association (BOCA) to civil society actors, including eminent sons and daughters of the county, to organize a ‘reconciliation forum’ and invite the two county officials to find a lasting solution to the conflict between Senator Moye and Rep. Cole.
“This is a time that we need our county’s leadership, especially the religious community and civil society actors, to step out and have this matter resolved by organizing a peace forum between our two leaders to disengage from the immature and indecent behaviors,” Jerry Kollie added.
At the same time, Kollie has pleaded with supporters of the two lawmakers, especially elders and young people of the county, to stop intensifying the misunderstanding between their leaders by disengaging from negative Facebook posts and personal attacks on local and national radio stations.
He further told ‘Bongese’ that the two officials and their children have already succeeded in life, as such, they as struggling citizens should be interested in settling conflicts between their leaders, instead of making statements that have the propensity to deprive the county of getting the needed developments.
“Our older and younger people in this county need to disengage from personal attacks against one another in the name of supporting politicians because those politicians and their children are living better lives and attending renowned schools, so no need to spoil yourself for someone who will only need your support,” Kollie added.
Kollie’s call is attributed to a continual political fight that has intensified between Rep. Cole and Senator Moye, with both parties pointing accusing fingers at each other for alleged massive corruption and stealing of public funds.
The fight started at the time Rep. Cole announced the withdrawal of his membership from the Bong County Legislative Caucus for what he termed as an alleged political witch-hunt orchestrated against him and some eminent sons and daughters of the county by Senator Prince Moye, who is now serving as Chairperson of the Caucus.
