Monrovia – The recent resolution of a serious feud between Nimba Point and Madina Town people in Madina Township, Garwula District in Grand Cape Mount County, which seems to have stall Madina Town being a factor as one of the projects affected communities in the database of Sime Darby Plantation has been settled.
Report by Throble Kaffa Suah, Freelance Journalist
This followed traditional and colorful ritual performed considered a sign of purity from the people of Nimba Point to the people of Madina Town brought chiefs and elders as well as ordinary people of both towns together in Madina Town on Sunday, 4 November 2018.
Kola nuts and the white chicken was presented to Madina Town by Nimba Point residents rendering an unconditional apology to their host (Madina Town) who been accommodating them for almost century now.
Making a presentation on behalf of the people of Nimba Point, Madam Nyamah Augustine, Chairlady of the 17 Project Affected Communities at Sime Darby Plantation in Madina Township, Garwula District, said they were being misled with unfounded information causing them to go loggerhead with their stranger fathers.
She stated among many things that Nimba Point people are squatters and not town owner wrong perceptions they have kept for years in their heads against Madina Town regarding the establishment of the town (Nimba Point) but that must come to an end.
Having realized that we were fed with half-baked information Madam Augustine continued: “we have no option but to come to our parent and grandparent to rendered them apology asking for forgiveness to enable us to live in Nimba Point without confusion any longer.”
She was buttressed by Francis Cooper, resident and spokesman of Nimba Point delegation said their presence at the talks is to make peace and live in harmony with their host community (Madina Town).
He stated that stranger(s) can never fuss with their host as anyone who does that then you seem not to understand custom and tradition of the people of that community.
Cooper, a classroom teacher at one of the schools at Sime Darby Plantation, believes living and working together as one people have been the wishes of the squatters in Nimba point.
He indicated how they did not know the past of Nimba Point but now they have understood same, they were appealing to the conscious of the chiefs and elders of Madina Town for peaceful co-existence.
In response, Madina Town welcomed and thanked Nimba Point for the effort to resolve the internal wrangling between the two towns having understood the facts surrounding Nimba Point coming into being in 1948 when President William V. S. Tubman declared his “Open Door Policy.”
Madina Town Chief Folley Sherman then commended Nimba Point for the gesture and now they have realized in the aftermath of their first position which deemed wrong from misinformation provided Nimba Point’s residents.
For Alieu Gbany Kiandole, Chairman of Madina Town Land Committee praised Nimba Point people to understand the truth on the matter that Madina Town give birth to Nimba Point.
In a strongly worded comment, Alfred Quayjandii, Lead Negotiator/Spokesman on Madina Town Land Dispute with Sime Darby Plantation for almost a decade now, first paid tribute to Nimba Point for taking the bold step.
He said Madina Town do not want any confusion with their strangers but emphasized the need to work together as one body for the common good of these communities and generation to come.
Quayjandii indicated that Nimba Point was considered as one of the projects affected communities because of the farmland and crops it had but that should not be the basis for the Plantation does not factor Madina Town into its database as one of the projects affected communities.
“Madina Town delisted and does not want a sour relationship with the Plantation they cool about things because our people have been deprived of job opportunities while Nimba Point residents who are strangers benefiting,” he noted.
In a short statement, Morris O. Dosii, 92 years old and dean elder of Madina Township, Garwula district appreciated Nimba Point for peace talk having realized having been heard the truth about the town establishment.
But before proceeding grandfather (Dosii) asked Nimba Point delegation as to why Town Chief, James Major, Sr. who stand accused of spreading fake information allegedly was not presence?.
This question was never answer despite their brainstorming among themselves to reply. However, progress was made in ending the differences between Madina Town and Nimba Point.
This aged old matter sprung up between Madina Town and Nimba Point is being used as bottom-neck by the Plantation not wanting to factor Madina Town as one of the project affected communities. Sime Darby Plantation since began operation almost a decade raised these concerns in numerous talks held with Madina Town.
In their last meeting held in Kon-Town, Madina Township on Saturday, 20 October 2018, the Plantation represented by Dao Metzger, Human Resource Manager; Zulu Seh, Industrial Relations Manager, and Samwar Fallah, Public Relations Manager commented about the perceived “scare-mongering” among the two.
They reminded Madina Town to have an in-house discussion with Nimba Point before any paperwork of recognizing them as one of the project affected communities can be respected.
The resolving the confusion between the two is a breakthrough and cardinal for the survival of the Plantation as well as the peaceful co-existing of these communities after years of internal wrangling.
Though Madina Township Commissioner, Stephen Perry, who been initiating these dialogues between Sime Darby Plantation and Madina Town on one hand, and Nimba Point and Madina Town, on the other hand, was absent during the ceremony no reason was given.
However, Nimba Point was represented by Abarku Goa, Zombon Dennis, Francis Cooper, Sekou Kamah, Emmanuel N. Yonkendeh, and Saah Joseph, Jr. Others are Joseph S. Fayiah, Mother Nyamah Augustine, Fallah Larmie, Tenekai Kiazolu, Hilton K. Porka, and Joshua W. Briggs.
While Madina Town made-up Morris S. Dosii, 92 years old and dean elder of Madina Township; Alfred Quayjandii, Lead Negotiator/Spokesman; Madina Town Chief Folley Sherman; Alieu Gbany Kiandole, Chairman of Madina Town Land Committee; Boima Freeman, Chairman Concerned Citizens of Madina Land, among others.