Ganta, Nimba County – A number of incomplete and abandoned projects, including radio stations, in Nimba County have come under scrutiny for alleged bad labour practices. Local media and citizens are criticizing Vice President Jeremiah Koung, Senator Prince Yormie Johnson, and Representative Dorwohn Twain Gleekia of Electoral District Number Six, all from Nimba County, for their involvement.
By Franklin Doloquee, [email protected]
Three radio stations, allegedly owned by these leaders, have been the center of attention. Over fifty workers from these stations claim they are victims of poor labour practices, with allegations that the leaders have abandoned the projects after using them for political gain during the recent elections.
Aggrieved citizens have condemned these projects as fraudulent, claiming they were merely designed to lure Nimbaians into voting for these officials in the last election. Allegedly, five radio stations, including The Voice of Nimba owned by Vice President Jeremiah Koung, Voice of Faith owned by Senator Prince Y. Johnson, and Radio La-Wehyi based in Tappita and owned by Representative Dorwohn Twain Gleekia, have been abandoned. They were used to promote these officials’ campaign agendas while denying access to others.
FrontPageAfrica’s correspondent in Nimba County has learned that only two out of the five radio stations, established by politicians during the elections, ensure regular payments to their workers. Though wages are ‘infinitesimal’, workers say once they are paid regularly, they appreciate it. These include Voice of Buu YAO Radio, owned by Representative Samuel Kogar (District #5), and Truth FM Radio, owned by Representative Musa Hassan Bility (District #7), both of whom pay their staff consistently.
The alleged abandonment of these projects, including clinics, schools, town halls, and radio stations, has sparked concern among citizens. They accused the Nimba County leaders of hypocrisy, as they frequently criticize other institutions for similar labour issues while engaging in the same practices.
VP Koung’s abandoned projects
Some of community Radio Journalists who left their respective radio stations to Work with VP Koung’s Voice of Nimba expressed disappointment and frustrations over the “manner and form they were fooled” by the VP whose radio station has been off the air for close to Five Months now.
The Voice of Nimba radio station, a notable venture by Vice President Koung, has reportedly been inactive for several months, causing concern among its workers who are yet to see the VP’s intervention in the restoration of the station hit by a damaged transmitter problem, and to compensate staffers for services they are rendering at said institution.
These workers who asked not to be named for fear of retribution, said they did not expect the VP station to be down for this long. Since the station went off the air, there is nothing to do. Some of us are embarrassed to go back to our old stations,” said one of the workers.
VP Koung is on record of abandoning several projects including those he initiated or promised to implement during the heat of the senatorial elections and the just ended Presidential and Representative elections. On the recent campaign trail, the VP, then as Senator, broke ground for the constructions of many projects Including schools, clinics, and maternal waiting homes across Nimba. However, these projects are yet to be completed.
Critics say this is one of his strategies he uses to lure voters.
All over the county, the VP has abandoned projects. Some of them, he doesn’t even remember. I think it is time that our leaders be sincere to us,” said a youth advocate in Ganta who asked not to be named.
Not only infrastructure projects that the Vice President has abandoned. He introduced a loan program for rural Women in Ganta, Nimba County. This program is said to be in limbo. In addition, the VP promised scholarships to many students, he is yet to deliver on those promises.
The office of the Vice President did not respond to an FPA inquiry. When contacted Joseph Wongbay, head of rural communication in the Office of the Vice President declined to respond after text messages and phone calls. Early on Wongbay had agreed to speak, but later rejected several calls from our Nimba County correspondent.
The Self-proclaimed Godfather
The Nimba County political godfather Senator Prince Johnson who was given additional nine years to complete his 27 years leadership told FrontPage Africa that he is not ready to conduct an interview. He asked to be interviewed another time. Workers are said to be underpaid at his Voice of Faith radio station.
Rep. Gleekia
The Nimba District Number Six lawmaker, responding to critics’ complaints about his abandoned clinic project in his district said, the project is his personal initiative, and is doing everything to complete it. “This is my own project, not a government funded project,” he said. I will complete it. You know I just came from a tough election.”
The building already has a roof. I Will take My own time to complete it. I did not place any time limit on those projects. They have to be patient, or they want me to steal people’s money to complete it so that they can call me a corrupt government official? I will not steal people Money to complete those projects. I will take My own time to complete them.
Rep. Gleekia’s radio suffered a lightning bolt, destroying the transmitter and other essential equipment months ago. He is yet to make the station functional.
