MONROVIA – FrontPageAfrica has obtained a leaked audio recording of a horrible conversation between Bong County Superintendent Esther Walker and some top officials of government bordering on what President George Weah considered as an attempt to overthrow his presidency.
Report by Lennart Dodoo, [email protected]
The conversation was centered around the President’s displeasure with the bestowment of nation’s highest traditional honor on Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor – a ceremony that led to the dismissal of the county’s Dakpanah (heads of chiefs in the country)
Chief Moses Suakollie, the Dakpanah, and Arthur Kulah, native superintendent in Bong County (head of chiefs in Bong County) lost their jobs, following a high-level traditional meeting headed by Assistant Minister of Culture at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Joseph B. Jangar, and Chief Zanzar Karwor, chair of the chiefs and elders of the National Traditional Council of Liberia in the county.
The leaked audio reveals that President Weah is taking the matter beyond the dismissal of the chiefs. Many heads are likely to roll, the Supt. Walker insinuates in the leaked audio.
In the leaked audio, the Bong County Superintendent is heard explaining that she had attended a party organized by First Lady Clar Weah after President Weah delivered his second Annual Message where she was lashed at by some close lieutenants of President Weah.
She narrated: “…McGill was sitting down and he put a chair down for me. He said, sit down here and I sat down. The next person to me was Finance Minister Samuel Tweah; right now this government that we’re running – it’s three people running the government. They’re the ones that tell the President what to do – Jefferson Koijee, Samuel Tweah and Nathaniel McGill. I was sitting between two of them. He said, ‘What happened to Bong County? So, y’all took the Dakpanah title that belongs to the President and gave it to the Vice President? Melvin Cole and the Vice President want to overthrow our government? We’ll revenge.”
She quoted Minister Tweah as saying “We’ll revenge to the letter.” “He said the God that bless – you work for all of us to have job, 2) you’re in the middle. If you’re in front of it, you would have been the first to take the heat… If we’re bad government don’t you think we would execute all of you?”
She said Minister McGill interjected by saying no one would be executed but everyone would be removed from their respective offices.
According to her, McGill was very furious and blasted. “Why two people will want to overthrow our government? They know how we came to this point. It’s the same reason why we didn’t want to carry her as first lady [vice president],” she quoted the Min. McGill as saying.
“McGill said we’ll never take that nonsense. What Jewel wants to overthrow our government for?” she added.
She narrated that she was saved by the wife of Minister McGill, who was visiting from the United States and begged that the Superintendent should not be held responsible entirely for what happened.
She said Pres. Weah initially accused the head of the National Traditional Council Chief Zanzan Karwor of bestowing the honor on the Vice President.
According to her, Chief Karwor had told President Weah that he was unaware of the ceremony which was organized by the Dakpanah.
She further narrated that Chief Karwor reminded the President it was his decision that Chief Moses Suakollie be coronated as Dakpanah. At that point, according to her explanation, Pres. Weah gave the order for Chief Suakollie to be dethorned as Dakpanah.
“Samuel Tweah turned to me and said ‘If I hear that you carried news to Gbarnga that we’re coming to dismiss people you’ll see that we’ll do… They started giving Zanzan instructions. The President [was] sitting down looking. When Zanzan turned to the President, he said listen to those people. The people giving you instruction, listen to them.”