Monrovia – Two members of the Lofa County Legislative Caucus seem to be in war of words over funds intended for the construction a Polytechnic in Foya District. Representative Nyumalin Francis Sakila District #1 Lofa County and Senator George Tengbeh have made claims and counterclaims over a US$50,000 allotted by the Government of Liberia for a project.
At a press conference Monday, August 12, Rep. Sakila termed as unfortunate allegations made by the Lofa Senator, who accused him of forming a committee in collaboration with the Commission on Higher Education to squander money under the project.
The Lofa District#1 lawmaker told newsman that as part of the polytechnic, the Commission on Higher Education represented and crafted an interim committee to oversee the setting up of the management team and to lay the ground work for the construction of the Polytechnic and not his making.
“Senator Tengbeh went to the Ministry of Finance obtained copy of checks, he didn’t return to the committee, he didn’t ask me, but choose to go to the county and informed my people that I have formulated a committee and stole several thousand dollars.
“Sen. Tengbeh who has been a strong supporter of this regime, his intention is to intimidate me because of my strong stance at the national level. One thing I can promise the Senator is that I will not continue to be the kind of Legislator he has been in this legislature representing Lofa County. I will continue to stand tall for my people and the people of Liberia at large.”
Sakila further boasted of playing a major role in the elections of George Tengbeh as Senator and because Sen. Tengbeh is preparing to go for re-election in 2020 and knowing that he (Sakila) and others are not supporting him he is looking for ways to take others down the drain with him.
“Senator Tengbeh cannot get my support because he has proven to be a disappointment to the county and from the district I represent where he is from as far as his performance is concerned and to the point that if Lofa were to field 10 candidates in 2020, he will take the 10th place. He is like a dying horse and wants to take others with him,” Sakila stated.
Earlier Senator Tengbeh had raised suspicion over the withdrawal of monies intended for the polytechnic project by the interim chair of the committee established by the Commission on Higher Education and called for an audit by the General Auditing Commission.
He accused Representative Sakila of taking unilateral decision and leaving members of the caucus out of the whole project claiming that other caucus members are not aware of the polytechnic. In response to support in the pending 2020 senatorial elections Tengbeh said; “I don’t care about his support, I don’t need him let him keep on his lane.
“We want to see where the funds are; I don’t know why the lawmaker is leaving the main issue and discussing how he supported me in elections, that is not the issue here.”