Wainsue — It's been six years since Marvin Cole made a string of promises during his long 2017 campaign to be the next lawmaker of Bong's District Three.
Many of the promises made headlines - from constructing a hospital for motorcyclists in his district to ensuring that the auditorium of the Dolokelen Gboveh High School is fully air-conditioned.
But other promises went a little under the radar, like his pledge to construct a library for students of Gbarnga School District and to construct a modern town hall in Gbarney Town.
Six years later, FrontPageAfrica weighs in on how the "ears of the president" done in keeping his promises?
The Promises:
Construction Of Motorcyclists' Hospital
As a candidate who was petitioned by motorcyclists in Gbarnga following his sacking as city mayor of Gbarnga, Cole set his initial goal to construct a hospital for motorcyclists in his district in his first one hundred days as a lawmaker.
According to him, a hospital would be a much-needed necessity for motorcyclists in his district to respond to the rising cases of accidents cases. Six years later, the lawmaker has failed to fulfill his promise, FrontPageAfrica can confirmed.
His failure to construct the hospital during the promised period is angering motorcyclists, with many expressing regrets about electing him in 2017. One motorcyclist expressed his anger to FrontPageAfrica: "Marvin Cole is a classified liar. He makes promises without doing anything to implement it.
Ahead of the 2023 elections, Cole still has a chance to make amends, but the question is whether the completion of the project would be enough to convince those regarded as the "strength" of his political success in the district.
The Modernization Of Gboveh Auditorium
Before becoming a lawmaker, Cole said the auditorium at the biggest government-run institution of learning would be fully equipped with air-condition in the first three years of his six-year tenure.
"I understand the constraints students of Dolokelen Gboveh High School are facing when it comes to the issue of the auditorium. I promise to modernize the auditorium and make it fully air-conditioned. All I want is for students of this institution to elect me as your next lawmaker," Cole told the cheering students during the campaign.
But up to date, nothing has been done on the building. His pledge seems to be turning out to be one of the major headaches confronting his re-election.
Six years into his tenure, nothing has been done. And he faces hurdles in persuading the students about his failure to achieve his promise. In fact, he seems to have forgotten about such a pledge to the students. The lawmaker is yet to commission a project out of a whopping 15 promises made before and after elections, and it remains unlikely as to whether he will accomplish those pledges before 2023.
Reconciliation
The Coalition of Democratic Change lawmaker's mantra of change during the campaign focused mainly on reconciliation, promising to unite a district that was embroiled in hate, particularly among the young people. But early into his tenure, he reportedly began to witch-hunt opposition figures who were local officials in the county by replacing them with his supporters. The likes of former Bong County Inspector William Kollie, Wesseh Zorzor, principal of the Dolokelen Gboveh High School, are a list of a few people who the lawmaker reportedly influenced their dismissals.
Six years into his tenure, the lawmaker appears to have grown into a "monster", betraying his promise of reconciliation, by targeting people of his own party who differ with him on policy issues using his proximity with the presidency, as a shield. One classic example is his reported recommendation of Madam Susannah Lorpu Martor to replace Esther Walker as superintendent.
Cole has never hidden his desire to influence the removal of Walker, the Women Wing Chairlady of the National Patriotic Party - a constituent party of the ruling party. FrontPageAfrica gathered that his recommendation last year was rebuffed by Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor.
Cole's behavior in recent years in the county of being "the only CDC lawmaker in the county" seems to be hurting the image of the party in the county. Many feel if the party is to succeed in the county in the pending 2023 presidential and legislative elections more needs to be done in reconciling aggrieved partisans who have lost their jobs or are being targeted by the lawmaker.
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Cole's Re-election Hurdle: A fight from Within?
The plot to deny the re-election of Rep. Cole appears to be thickening within the Coalition for Democratic, with Mulbah Morlu, the party's national chairman and Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor appearing poised to resist his re-election through proxy candidates.
In Sayblee Weyea, the CDC Bong County chairman, Morlu appears to have found an aspirant capable of defeating Cole. Morlu has been reportedly bankrolling Weyea.
FrontPageAfrica gathered that Morlu reportedly gave Weyea LD$1.5 million last week to fund his voter registration awareness campaign. The reported amount has angered Cole, who has reportedly threatened to contest on the ticket as an independent candidate because of the "internal crisis" within the party.
