Liberia: 'Even If You Cannot Do What Up Did, Just Clear the Mud From the Road' - Maryland Senator James Biney Expresses Disappointment in the CDC Government Over Deplorable Road Condition to Southeast

17 May 2023
FrontPageAfrica (Monrovia)
By Henry Karmo

Monrovia — The Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government seems to be disappointed in the results of what it put together in 2017 and has made dispiriting comments about the George Weah style of leadership. James Biney, the chairman of the National Patriotic Party of the three political parties making up the coalition for Democratic Change, says that the George Weah style of leadership over the past six years is not what he signed up for, with little or no impact made on the lives of the people from the southeast, the very region the President is from.

According to him, unlike the Unity Party Government of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Vice President Joseph Boakai, who made efforts to pave some roads, the CDC government under George Weah has done nothing to ensure that there is road connectivity to the southeast for six years of his leadership.

James Biney stated, "It is not because we (Lawmakers) are not exercising our oversight, it's either negligence or lack of capability. Life in the southeast is dependent on the road. Everything about the southeast is tied to the road - health, education, and economic empowerment. Teachers are refusing to take up assignments at the university because they are afraid of being cut off from their families. We are not saying do what the Unity Party government did. They (UP) since Tubman Presidency paved the road between Harper and fish town. All we're saying, just remove the mud so people can pass easily. For six years, you failed to do that. If that's not gross incompetence, what is it? And people sit here and say bad road medicine."

Speaking during the resumption of lawmakers for normal working activities, he also claimed that women and children who want to get to their counties in the southeast are stranded along the road due to the deplorable road conditions.

"We have women and children sitting by the roadside stranded fighting to get home. The budget originates from finance presided over by someone from the southeast, the House of Representatives appropriates the budget and it's presided over by a speaker from the southeast and a deputy speaker from the southeast. It comes to the senate president presided over by another southeastern. The overall presiding president is also from the southeast."

Biney appears to have gone rogue on the CDC government due to an inner fighting in his National Patriotic Party between him and the standard-bearer Madam Jewel Howard Taylor, who happens to be the vice standard-bearer of the CDC.

NPP suspends Biney

In March 2023, the National Patriotic Party (NPP), a constituent member of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Congress (CDC), announced the suspension of its National Chairman, Senator James Biney of Maryland County for "acts incompatible with his status as National Chairman, including his failure to honor the instruction of 2/3 majority of the NEC by not signing the Coalition Framework Document authorized by the NPP National Executive Committee (NEC)".

According to a press statement issued by the party and signed by Gus Knowlden, Assistant Secretary for Press and Propaganda, the decision was reached on Saturday, March 4, 2023, at a called National Executive Committee meeting in which 2/3 membership of the National Executive Committee signed said resolution.

"The refusal of Senator Biney to sign the Coalition Framework Document after being mandated by 2/3 majority members of the NEC of the Party is in violation of section 8.7 (a) & (e) of the 2004 Constitution.

"Meanwhile, Chairman Biney has been ordered by the National Executive Committee to submit himself to the Grievance and Ethics Committee in three working days to show because of his acts of insubordination and disrespect to the National

The National Executive Committee has ordered Chairman Biney to appear before the Grievance and Ethics Committee within three working days to address his acts of insubordination and disrespect towards the committee. Failure to do so will result in automatic expulsion from the party. As a result, Hon. George S. Mulbah, Vice Chairman for Administration, has been appointed by the National Executive Committee to oversee the affairs of the NPP until the investigation is concluded.

It is worth noting that during the first framework document signed by the party alongside the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) and the Liberia People's Democratic Party (LPDP), which brought the three parties into a tripartite agreement and formed the ruling CDC, Senator Biney had expressed reservations about signing another agreement until issues related to the NPP not benefiting from the arrangement were addressed. He also argued that Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor, who currently occupies the position of political leader and standard bearer of the party, had already served the mandatory two terms and could not be renewed.

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