By Bill W. Cooper
Former House Speaker, Alex Tyler has refuted claims made by Bomi County Representative, Edwin Melvin Snowe that he (Tyler) along with his supporters precipitated the recent violence that led to several persons sustaining severe injuries in the county.
Rep. Snowe who is also an aspirant in December 8 Senatorial Election in Bomi County, in an interview with this paper, alleged that his supporters were attacked by supporters of Alex J. Tyler who is also a candidate for the December 8, 2020 Senatorial Election of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) ticket.
“I entered Tubmanburg by 7 P.M. Monday evening to a rousing welcome amidst jubilation from my supporters and upon reaching our Campaign Headquarters in Tubmanburg, we were attacked by supporters of former Speaker Tyler who were opposite our headquarters,” Rep. Snowe explained.
He said that the police was contacted via mobile phone with no response at all. He stated further that he drove to the Police Station in Tubmanburg to have them informed about the riot, but was told by the Police that they did not have enough manpower to handle the situation.
Rep. Snowe lamented that seven of his supporters were wounded during the altercation Monday evening, but said that they are currently receiving medication at the Liberia Government Hospital in Tubmanburg.
“I will remain a law abiding citizen and I want to call on all of my supporters to remain law abiding during the electoral process,” he concluded.
But in reaction to Rep. Snowe’s claims via mobile on Truth FM morning show, Mr. Tyler intoned that the allegation by Rep. Snowe is false, misleading and far from the truth, thereby alleging that it was the Bomi County lawmaker and his supporters who instigated the violence by throwing stones at his supporters and other peaceful citizens late Monday evening upon his arrival in the county.
According to him, the action by Rep. Snowe and his supporters during Monday’s incident that led to some of his supporters and other peaceful citizens being injured is not something for a lawmaker, alleging, “This same Snowe is on record of going to radio stations telling people to burn cars as well as encouraging people to commit crimes in the county.”
He added that he is a violence-free individual as well as respecter of the laws of the country, and as such, violence will be the last thing he will ever resort to, stressing, “This election will come and go and the people of Bomi and the county will remain. I have not and will never instigate or encourage my supporters or anybody for that matter to cause chaos in the county just for political power.”
“One thing I am aware of is that, it is very difficult to cover lies. In the first place, I was not even in the county during the incident, but how possible is it few of my supporters would start throwing stones at over 3,000 of his supporters and not much persons got hurt,” former House Speaker Tyler wondered.
Mr. Tyler further stated if his supports were around in their numbers and be the first to throw stones at Rep. Snowe’s supporters? He believed that the situation would have been more chaotic than what is being experienced or explained.
Meanwhile, the CDC Bomi County Senatorial aspirant has called on the Liberia National Police (LNP), the media and other relevant security apparatus to speedily conduct a free, fair and transparent investigation into the Monday’s saga in order to establish the fact and that those responsible be made to face the law, as well as publish the outcome of the investigation to the public.