In less than a month to the 2020 mid-term Senatorial and Referendum Elections, political tension has now begun to unfold amongst supporters of candidates across the country.One of the boiling spots for the 2020 elections is Bomi County where two former Speakers and the Seating Senator amongst others will be vying for that county’s single seat on December 8, 2020.
According to our reporter who visited the county last week, he said what appears to have been a joyous and happy moment for the supporters of Rep. Snowe turned chaotic when a scuffle started between the supporters of former Speaker, Alex Tyler and the supporters of former Speaker and now Rep. Snowe.
Robert B. Karpeh, a staffer in Rep. Snowe’s office in Bomi who spoke to the INQUIRER at Rep. Snowe’s District Office in Tubmanburg narrated that former Speaker Tyler’s Campaign Headquarters which is in Vai-2, has his supporters always gathering across the road opposite the political office of Rep. Snowe just to cause provocation.
“In fact, on that day they (Tyler supporters) provoked us. When Rep. Snowe came late in the evening, we gave him a rousing welcome and we paraded through the principal streets of Tubmanburg. But when we arrived at our headquarters, the guys across the road led by the City Mayor of Tubmanburg, Mr. Obadiah Varney instructed his boys to stone us. We have complained to both the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the National Elections Commission concerning this group’s provocation and nothing has been done to resolve it,” he explained.
Mr. Karpeh further said that even when the National Port Authority Managing Director visited Tubmanburg, he was again taken to that same spot instead of the Tyler Campaign Headquarters, stating that he doesn’t understand why the continuous provocation.
Giving his account, the Tubmanburg City Mayor Mr. Obadiah Varney said prior to the fracas on Monday, he heard Rep. Snowe on the Truth Breakfast Talk show on Truth FM early that morning making reference to where they normally sit across the road opposite he (Snowe) office to have social and political discussions as a ghetto and that he was going to get rid of it.
“So when the Representative arrived that evening and paraded through the street of Tubmanburg with his supporters, but to our utmost surprise, his supporters stated throwing water and stones at us. Since I am the mayor of the City and I do not want instability, I immediately ordered the boys not to retaliate. I even sent the President of the Forum Issa Kamara to tell Rep. Snowe’s supporters to stop what they were doing, but they did not heed to my advice,” he explained.
Mayor Varney further stated that Rep. Snowe hired some zogos from Tubmanburg and Gbah to attack and vandalize their place.
“How can Rep. Snowe say we attacked them; he has a glass building with a lousy lemon green paint, if it is true that his place was attacked, why is it that there no glass no broken glass and no mark on the wall of the building? The Representative is a liar and planner of tricks,” he asserted.
He argued that the seven persons Rep. Snowe said were wounded at the riot scene is a big lie and stated that six of the seven persons were involved in a motor accident in Clay, though he did not say when the accident took place.
For his part, the owner of the center (Sun Shine Business Center) Gebah Fofona refuted Rep. Snowe’s accusation that his place is a ghetto.
“My business center has been in existence since 2005 even before Rep. Snowe thought of coming to Bomi County. We are members of the Congress for Democratic Change and had always used my place for our social and political activities since 2005,” he stated.
He further stated that they were provoked by Rep. Snowe’s supporters and vandalized his business center and looted almost all of his goods.
Meanwhile, Police in Tubmanburg, Bomi County have arrested, detained and charged several persons from both sides to court on charges ranging from attempted murder, criminal mischief, arson, rioting and disorderly conduct.
Several other persons quizzed by our reporters in Tubmanburg said the situation started from provocation on both sides.
Rep. Snowe, in an interview with this paper last week Tuesday debunked all allegations made against him that his people attacked wounded several supporters of former Speaker Tyler.