Monrovia — Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson has said he failed to further discuss a potential political marriage with President George Weah due to the presence of "politically insignificant" characters in the meeting.
"How can I discuss a very serious political meeting in the presence of Eugene Nagbe, the Maritime boss and D. Maxwell Kemayah, the Foreign Minister"?
"Our meeting was unrelated to their respective portfolios, and as such, I could proceed with the president," Senator Johnson told the Spoon Talk.
President Weah has been reportedly fronting to make amends with Senator Johnson following his public condemnation of the Coalition for Democratic Change government.
PYJ-Weah relationship declining?
On Saturday, January 14,2023, Senator Johnson again threatened to dump President Weah in the pending general and presidential elections.
Speaking to scores of partisans from the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), during a program marking the distribution of motorbikes for 15 counties coordinators of Nimba Union across Liberia, Senator Prince frowned on the president for allegedly giving US$ 25,000 to a few people for the purpose of rallying citizens his visit in Nimba.
However, the visit of the president to the county didn't happen. It was expected that the president would have visited the county on Saturday.
Senator Johnson also accused the CDC-led government of vehemently refusing to remit the Social Development Funds from the concession of ArcelorMittal to Nimba County for nearly six years.
"No matter of monies you paid to bring crowd, I tell you this, if you f**k with me, I will dump you!" he said.
Senator Johnson told partisans of Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR) that apart from Nimba County, none of the three counties (Bong, Grand Bassa, and Nimba) targeted under the AML Concession County Social Department Funds has received a cent from the government.
The comments from the Senator comes days after He (Johnson) vowed to boycott a planned visit of President Weah to Nimba until the county is considered for "influential" jobs in government, and proceeds of the County Social Development Funds are remitted to the County.
Last evening Senator Prince Johnson and the chairman for the re-election of President George Weah in Nimba County, former Superintendent David Dorr Cooper, called on Nimbaians (residents of Nimba) to shun the program, expected to take place in Saclepea.
The pending program dubbed, "Nimba for Weah," has brewed tension among Nimbaians and has divided the once united county for Weah.
According to the aggrieved Nimbaians, their decision to boycott the "Weah for Nimba" pending program in Saclepea was based on what they said is "disrespect" the President has shown their county.
According to them, President Weah had promised them that based on their support in 2017, Nimbaians would have been given more top ministerial posts and they are yet to receive such job opportunities from the Weah Administration.
There is only one notable presence of Nimbaian in a top ministerial post, Cllr. Cooper Kruah, Sr, who is the Minister of Post and Telecommunications.
Why Sen. Johnson remains key to Weah's re-election
It's inarguable that he made Weah win the 2017 numbers in vote-rich Nimba County. Senator Johnson, who most Nimbaians look up to as the 'godfather' of the county, told Nimbaians that President Weah is not someone to trust and as such no Nimbaians should support his re-election bid.
"President George Weah is not someone to trust; the boy fooled us. So, this pending program in Saclepea, I will not go there and no Nimbaians should attend such program," Johnson urged his county men and women.
He disclosed that he along with Senator Jeremiah Kong, who is now the political leader of MDR, attended a meeting with the seniors in government, but the meeting ended in disarray.
The Nimba County self-proclaimed 'godfather' urged Nimbaians not to even line the streets to neither await the Liberian leader nor even attend the program in Saclepea.
Also speaking, the chairman for the President's re-election, former Nimba Superintendent David Dorr Cooper also joined Senator Johnson and called on Nimbaians not to support and attend the Saclepea program.
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Cooper added that Nimbaians are poorly represented in Weah Administration.
Weah stalling Justice Gneisay seat?
He further accused the President of stalling Associate Justice Yamie Quiquei Gbeisay of taking a seat on the Supreme Court Bench, even though the Associate Justice has been confirmed by the Senate.
According to the former Supt., it has been more than 60 days now since Gbeisay was passed by the Senate and President is yet to do his confirmation, which has created an imbalance on the nation's highest court's bench. He added: "Nimbaians are not happy with the Liberia Leader."
Further expressing disappointment and frustration in President Weah, he accused him of not being supportive of Nimbaians working in his government, but rather only to people from the Southeast, while Nimbaians who voted for him continue struggle for government jobs.
"Southeastern Liberia comprises of five counties but all of their votes put together can't reach the number of voters in Nimba County alone. How we will be happy when Nimbaians are not happy and not working in ministerial positions," former Superintendent Cooper stressed.
