MONROVIA – In the wake of their uncompromised civil disobedience for the supply of public electricity, residents of district # 17 in Montserrado County are expressing serious disappointment over the failure of their elected officials, particularly Representative Hanson Kiazolu, to prioritize their interest and wellbeing since their ascendancy to the National Legislature
By Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
Hanson Kiazolu is representing the people of district # 17 in the 54th National Legislature on the ticket of the opposition Unity Party.
Senators Saah Joseph and Abraham Darius Dillon of the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the Liberty Party (LP) are also representing the people of district # 17 at the Liberian Senate.
However, the locals are discouraged and disenchanted over the manner and form in which they have been allegedly neglected by those they elected to represent them at the level of the first branch of the Liberian government.
During a latest violent protest staged for the provision of electricity in their district on Monday, February 13, the residents complained of the lackadaisical behavior of their elected officials, especially Representative Kiazolu for playing “down care attitude” towards their security and betterment.
The protest, which was staged during the early morning hours of Monday, February 13, was also intended to display to the government and others residing in Liberia and abroad the primitive manner and form in which thousands of residents of the district are living in this 21st century due to the lack of electricity.
It paralyzed normal working; academic and commercial activities in the district for a while, making the entire Brewerville community and its surroundings to appear like a ghost town. The protest also prevented the free flow of traffic in the area.
The protesters were seen chanting anti-slogans against the government and holding placards with inscriptions: “No Electricity, No Vote; World Bank We Are Dying; District 17 Is The Darkest Place On The Planet; Power Has Lost From District 17; LEC is a Cemetery; We Are In Total Darkness; among others.
It turned violent when some of the protesters who burned tyres and set road blocks at the St. Paul Bridge and other areas were removed from the main road by the police. The protesters later began to throw stones, something which prompted the firing of few rounds of tear gas and the arrest of several persons by the police.
Those arrested were detained at various police stations in the district.
But the aggrieved residents have taken issues with their lawmakers for sitting supinely and doing nothing to ensure that they too benefit from the distribution of electricity by the government and its partners.
They claimed that despite spending months and days in the sun and rain to canvass for them during the campaign period of the 2017 general and presidential elections, their lawmakers have not done enough to ensure that they benefit from public electricity as compare to them and other citizens residing across the country.
They added that their elected officials, particularly Representative Kiazolu are “insensitive” to their plights.
They recalled that for many years they have made passionate pleas and wrote series of communications seeking the intervention of their lawmakers, but up to present, nothing has been done to seek their interest.
“Hanson Kiazolu who is the lawmaker for this district just passed in his car without making a stop to ask what is going on. We are his people and when he needed us, he came to our door stairs and asked for our votes. But we are here now and he didn’t even make a stop,” Estella Weah, one of the protesters stated
She cautioned President Weah against supporting incumbent lawmakers or aspirants who are not in the interest of their people.
She said though the Liberian leader will not be all over at the same time, those who are in leadership positions should give ears to their constituents and ensure that challenges they are faced with are addressed.
Hijacking
“I have been a victim before for this same darkness business. My phone was taken from me by criminals to this Bible College junction,” she noted.
Boakai Golafale disclosed that the crime rate in the district will continue to escalate if government continues to delay in providing electricity to the area.
“We have not gone too long yet and people are taking phones, bags and other things from people here every day.”
No trust
The aggrieved citizens appear to be losing trust and confidence in the government, through LEC to provide electricity to them in a prompt manner.
They made specific reference to the planting of light poles in their respective communities.
They noted that since the poles were planted in their respective communities, grid wires, tension lines and transformers are yet to be connected or installed.
“Other communities right beside us have current. But since they placed this light pole here, we can’t get current. It has been more than a year now. The lack of current in our community is really hurting us,” Golafale added.
He continued: “They told us April this year. But they been telling us April they will bring current for the past years and they can’t come. This is the only language this government can understand and that’s why we are here today. And we don’t trust them again.”
No electricity, no vote
“If we can’t get current, we will not register to vote in this district. And if anybody thinks they will bring people here to come register and vote for us in this district, you will see what we will do. We are citizens and it is our right to get current,” Felecia Nelson of Bible College Community stated.
She vowed to form part of the protest if it continues for the supply of electricity.
“We will not register to vote and we will not even allow voter register to take place here if this continues. For Christ sake, you can’t have electricity right here in Banjor and Hotel Africa and you can run lines to connect us here. See how Brewerville, one of the oldest cities in Liberia is looking? People have built their decent houses here but they can’t come to live there because there is no electricity,” Morris Fahnbulleh stated.
He continued: “The police and the AFL should be getting ready to bring their barracks in Brewerville because, this protest will continue. We made a mistake to announce this protest that’s the reason you see police arresting our colleagues and beating on this. But the next protest, you will just see our actions.”
The supply of cheap, affordable and stable electricity remains a challenge for post-conflict Liberia.
The latest protest stemmed from a failed meeting that took place between the citizens and authorities of the LEC over the weekend.
Abandoning constituents?
Representative Hanson Kiazolu has not been seen in district 17 for a protracted period of time, or reported to his constituents for more than three years now in keeping with the 1986 Liberian constitution.
He has been spotted in towns and villages in Grand Cape Mount County persuading the locals to prefer him for the senatorial seat in the ensuing elections.
He has informed some eminent citizens that he will not contest for the representative seat again in district # 17.
Representative Kiazolu is expected to contest for the senatorial seat in Grand Cape Mount against his senior partisan incumbent Senator Varney Sherman of the UP, as evidenced by the completion and undertaking of numerous projects in the county.
The Executive Secretary of Executive Secretary of Representative Kiazolu, Clarence Cole has declared his intention to replace his boss in the coming elections. However, it remains unclear whether or not he has received the blessing of his boss to replace him.
Agitating the locals
The kangaroo-style of politicking in which politicians abandon and neglect constituents in their respective districts to contest for elected positions in other counties is said to be a new phenomenon among politicians in post-conflict Liberia.
The move continues to agitate and compels citizens to regret the decision they made to canvass and vote for these individuals during past elections.
For sometimes now, Liberian politicians have been neglecting their constituents barely two years after they were given the mantle of authority to represent them at the level of the National Legislature.
In 2017, Representative Kiazolu surprisingly announced that he would contest for the representative seat of electoral district # 17 while serving as acting Comptroller General of Liberia during the dire minutes of the administration of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
He was pronounced the winner by the NEC after he obtained 7,924 or 20.23% of the total number of valid votes cast in a race which was contested by 23 persons.
Representative Kiazolu noticeable absence from the district for a little over two years continues to claim the attention of his constituents.
Moving to Cape Mount
Sometimes ago, a flyer portraying that the UP lawmaker would contest the senatorial seat in Grand Cape Mount against incumbent Varney Sherman during the pending 2023 elections surfaced on the social media.
Senator Sherman is also an executive member of the UP.
Representative Kiazolu has busied himself by engaging into developmental initiatives across populated towns and villages in the county, neglecting his constituents in district 17.
In multiple reports released by the Institute for Research and Democratic Development (IREDD), a renowned civil society organization operating in Liberia, Representative Kiazolu have scored failing marks in fulfilling their constitutional responsibilities as lawmakers, as well as attendance and participation during regular sessions at the House.
Representative Kiazolu termed has consistently justified that his move made to contest in Grand Cape Mount is a progressive one intended to forge ahead in his political sojourn.
“My kind of life has been progressive. To be representative for 12 years, I see it inappropriate and the lack of passion to progress. I cannot do more for district 17 more than what the national government can do. My desire to contest in any part of Liberia is a solely thing that I decided to do with the approval of my family and friends”.
Representative Kiazolu bragged that lawmakers of other districts across the country do not have anything to show, but as an opposition lawmaker, he was able to attract electricity and road construction in the district.
“It is under my watch that district 17 is being electrified and the Banjor Road project commenced. If they talk about my personal finance to develop the district, I don’t have such finance because my salary was harmonized”.
He said his desire to contest in Grand Cape Mount does not in any way imply that he has abandoned his district.
Representative Kiazolu has been under fire for failing to account for social development funds of US$20,000 from from China Union and the amount of US$15,000 given each lawmaker twice by the government for “legislative engagements” with their constituents.
The long-term representation factor
Senators in Liberia serve for the period of nine years.
As a result of the prolong stay in power, many Senators do not pay attention to improving the wellbeing or issues being raised by their constituents.
They are not pressurized most often by their constituents as compare to the manner and form in which representatives are under pressure to deliver to their constituents.
Many Senators in Liberia do not give ears or attention to their employers (the citizens) after being elected due to the longevity of their tenure.
These Senators do not easily honor communications requesting help from their constituents few years after their ascendancy.
They amplify a non-cooperative and non-compliance pouter until the dire minutes to the end of their tenure before identifying with their people.
At times, promises made are not fulfilled, making the locals to feel that their votes were wasted on an individual who do not care about their interest of wellbeing.
Failed promises
Residents of electoral district # 17 are claiming that they have not benefitted from monies deducted from the salaries of their Senator Abraham Darius Dillon.
In August 2019, Senator Dillon vowed to only accept a salary in full sum of only US$5,000.
“Any amount over $5,000 will be deposited in an escrow account and it will go towards social development,” he stated
Though a committee was setup by Senator Dillon to manage the portion of his salary waived to his constituents, nothing much has been heard about projects implemented from the deducted amounts by the committee.
“Our Senators are not even concern whether we get electricity or not. We are protesting and you guys are carrying this protest live, some of them have either heard about this protest or seen it, but up to now, none of them have even come here to identify with us. These are the kinds of people we mistakenly elected in 2017,” Samuel Mulbah stated.
Living on past glory
Residents of district # 17 have cautioned their Senator Saah Joseph not to continue to live on what they termed as “past glory” to retain his seat at the National Legislature.
Senator Joseph played a pivotal role during the outbreak of the deadly Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) through his “First Responder” ambulance service. He was honored and nicknamed “Ebola Hero” for his unwavering and sacrificial role played during the outbreak.
But citizens of district 17 have observed that it has been nearly a decade since Senator Joseph applied efforts to help prevent them from contracting Ebola.
However, they pointed out that, the CDC lawmaker has not been instrumental in ensuring that they have access to electricity and other basic social services since they elected him in 2018.
According to them, Senator Joseph also failed to engage them after receiving funding from the government to do so.
The aggrieved residents, however, appreciated Senator Joseph for the partnership to rehabilitate major roads in their district, but urged him to go a step further by mounting pressure on relevant authorities of the government to provide them electricity.
“Senator Saah Johnson should not continue to live on pass glories. The Ebola crisis has been contained in Liberia ever since and now is the time for him to directly engage his people by seeking their interest. We feel that we don’t have representation at the legislature and that’s the reason we stage this protest. He is going for re-election and Senator Dillon is not running; and so, he is the one that supposed to be by our side and doing things to convince us why we should elect him in the 2023 elections”, Marilyn Massaquoi noted.