MONROVIA – Bong County Representative Marvin Cole has denied his involvement in an alleged conspiracy to overthrow President George Manneh Weah, terming the accusation as grave and has the potential to tarnish his reputation and poses an imminent threat to his life, his family and associates.
The allegation was revealed by a secret audio recording of Bong County Superintendent Esther Walker in which she was explaining her encounter with some top officials of government and how they perceived the traditional honor given to Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor.
In the recording, Madam Walker is heard quoting Minister of State Nathaniel McGill as saying, “Marvin Cole and Jewel Howard Taylor want to overthrow our government.”
Rep. Cole has labelled the allegation as malicious and lacking any iota of truth.
Below is Rep. Cole’s full reaction:
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen of the Press;
My Fellow Liberians:
On Friday, February 15, 2019, our Country and by extension, the whole World woke up to a wide circulated leaked audio recording with the purported voice of Bong County’s Superintendent and the Vice Jurant of our President, Madam Esther Walker. According to the recording, Madam Walker was angrily explaining her alleged encounter and conversation with Senior members of the Government, in the persons of the Minister of State, Honourable Nathaniel McGill; Minister of Finance & Development Planning, Honourable Samuel Tweah, Jr. ; the Mayor of the City of Monrovia, Honorable Jefferson Kojee; and the head of the Traditional Council, Zanzan Kawor. This occasion took place, according to the conversation, after the Annual Presidential Address to the Nation at the private resort called JAMAICA ; which is owned by the Liberian President George Manneh Weah on January 28, 2019. Superintendent Walker’s explanation touched on accusations of a recent tittle given to the current Vice President by her people in appreciation of her work in Bong County; a plot to punish those who had conferred the tittle and all those local officials of Government who were present at the ceremony; threats of revenge on the Vice President and myself for the honor given; accusations of Treason and an alleged conspiracy by the Vice President and I to overthrow the President.
I, as a Law abiding citizen and an elected member of the 54th Legislature; am constrained to speak to this matter because my name was mentioned in the recording as one of those accused of being part of the conspiracy and the fact that the accusation is most grave and has the potential, not only to tarnish my good reputation but also poses an imminent threat to my life and the lives of my family and associates.
Let me firstly, make it emphatically clear that these accusations are FALSE, MALICIOUS , lacks any iota of truth; has the potential to turn away investors from our National environment and send a very bad signal of insecurity and mistrust in this Government. Considering these and other negative implications, I believe it is my duty to make clarity on this matter to our people.
Let me say without fear; that I harbour no desire or intention whatsoever, nor have I ever been a party with anyone or any persons in discussions of such matters; nor am I interested in doing anything negative which will be a stumbling block to this Government; breed disunity and animosity amongst officials of Government or act in any way to increase the suffering of our people. This new trend of lies, undermining, threats and bringing disrepute to others MUST STOP.
In my explanation to prove the false claims, false; permit me to give an insight into the relationship between His Excellency President Weah and myself and between Vice President Howard Taylor and myself respectively.
I have developed over 11 years, a cordial working relationship with the Vice President to the point that I look up to her as family and Big Sister. As a result of the confidence gained, during this period I served as her Political Advisor, County Chairperson of Bong County and a member of the member of the National Executive Committee of the NPP. As a result of the dedication of many others and I; during this period she was elected twice to the Liberian Senate and subsequently as Vice President. In 2016, when the Country was preparing for political campaigns, during several consultations with many stakeholders Senator Jewel Howard Taylor, as ranking member of the Liberian Government and Standard Bearer of her party, The National Patriotic Party, considered several possibilities, including running for President. However, a final consensus was reached by our party, the NPP, to consider coalition options. As is now history, the decision was taken by the NPP, CDC and LPDP to form a Coalition. As a result of these negotiations, the then Senator Jewel Howard Taylor willingly gave up her ambitions and deferred to working assiduously with the CDC and Senator George Manneh Weah with a firm commitment to working for a resounding victory. As far as I am aware, since then she has remained firm in her commitment to working with His Excellency President Weah to helping his Government succeed.
With this position firmly taken, our party( The National Patriotic Party) led by Senator Taylor and other party stalwarts plunged head on into campaigning for the ticket in Bong County, leaving no stone unturned. We overcame great odds from the then ruling party and its establishment to deliver Bong County to the Weah – Howard Taylor ticket, for which we are grateful to the Almighty God; our partisans and to the decent, hardworking, proud and peace-loving people of Bong County. Thankfully, during the first round the people of Jorquelleh District voted me the only elected CDC representation in the county as their lone representative in the House of Representatives. With this gavel under our belt, during the second round, we campaigned with equal zeal throughout Bong County; whilst the committed and faithful Vice Standard Bearer Jewel Taylor joined our visionary Standard Bearer Weah across the Nation, a journey which brought our coalition to a deserved, yet shocking victory.
I on the other hand, met then Senator George Manneh Weah in 2016, during discussions about the coalition; and I found him to be visionary, hard working, committed, open minded, patient, and easy to work with. After the Coalition was formed; our relationship deepened and we become like big Brother – small Brother. I grew to admire him greatly; and we have worked together closely and successfully since then. As a result of this relationship, which he has openly stated and for which I am grateful beyond words; I am considered a close confidant of the President; and a senior member of this Government. A position I treasure and hold with great reverence; and will do all within decent human standards to protect.
With this cherished relationship with the President, it is preposterous therefore that I or the Vice President could harbour any such ill will towards destroying that which we have laboured hard to bring to life; and which we are both committed to working to make successful. Truthfully; neither I or the Vice President; have any idea where these accusations are coming from and the motives behind them. But those who are bent on spreading lies and sowing seeds of discord amongst our leaders are doing so to the detriment of the Nation and denying our President a chance to seeing his dreams for our people become a reality; for United we stand; and divided we fall.
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen; let me clarify the issue of the honor bestowed on Vice President Howard Taylor by the people of Bong County during her recent birthday celebrations. Based on the fact that the Vice President is the First Female Vice President and the first Bong Citizen to ascend to this level; a consensus was taken to honor her for these and for her immeasurable contribution to Bong County and Liberia as a whole. As has been the practice with other high officials of government including senators, representatives and ministers; different segments of the population presented her with many gifts and gave her the traditional name ‘’Pono Falo’’ which in kpelle means ‘’Light cannot hide’’. The rationale was that she should stand by the President and work with him so our Nation will remain a Nation of light, peace and prosperity for all. We also took time during the ceremony to honor and thank the President for choosing one from Bong County.
Permit me to also clear the lie being spread abroad, that she was given the tittle of DAHKPANA . Firstly, this is a PORO Tittle which cannot be given to a female; and secondly the DAHKPANA tittle had been given previously to the head of the traditional leaders of Bong County, in the person of Chief Suakollie. Lastly, the traditional tittle given to the Vice President was from the Suakoko Clan by its elders, of which Chief Suakollie is not a clan member; who as head of the Bong County Chiefs and Elders, just ceremonially presented the title to the Vice President. A presentation which has caused him, undeservingly to have been humiliated and removed from his position by Chief Zanzan Kawor; without any investigation or without anyone giving him even a chance to give his side of the story. This is very sad and disturbing.
In closing; I want to assure our President of my continued unwavering support and commitment to this administration ; and state that I will do nothing, absolutely nothing to undermine the government or join any plot against him; not now or in the future.
It is also extremely important to remind those in positions of power, especially those around the Presidency, about the dangers of disunity, back biting and spreading lies intended to disenfranchise others who fought so hard to bring this government into being and damage people’s reputations for selfish motives. I want to send out an honest plea to all; our country has witnessed some of the worst and most gruesome political killings over the past 30 plus years; only based on lies and falsehoods, for wrong reasons and to deny others of contributing to the rebuilding of our beloved Nation by branding certain personalities as political enemies. This is wrong and must be stopped.
Let me thank His Excellency the President, for quickly taking seize of this matter and calling for an urgent investigation. It is my hope that those responsible for this investigation will do so in a timely manner to give redress to this matter, so that all concerned will be allowed to clarify these allegations. And that those responsible will be punished to the full extent of the law; which will serve as a deterrent to others who feel that the only way to keep in the good graces of the President is to spread malicious lies about others; instead in god working hard to help the President fulfil his promises to the people of Liberia.
THANK YOU