MONROVIA – Senator Prince Johnson of Nimba County has told his kinsmen and women who are complaining of lack of job under this Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) administration to join his Movement for Development and Reconstruction (MDR) political party if they want to be employed in government.
The Nimba County lawmaker made the statement Monday, July 1, at his party’s Congo Town headquarters when he pledged support to the CDC candidacies, Ms. Paulita Wie, who is the senatorial candidate on the ticket of the CDC and Mr. Abu Kamara, a candidate for the House of Representatives in District #15 in the Montserrado County by-election.
Residents with voting cards in the county are expected to go to the polls on July 8th to elect a new senator and a representative for one of the electoral districts.
In his statement, the Nimba Senator, who has on many occasions boasted of being the godfather of the county, allayed the fears of Nimbaians that the George Weah-led administration has no intent to include people from Nimba in his government especially those from the previous government.
“In conclusion, there is a rumor going around that this government does not intent to include Nimbaians who worked in the Ellen’s government for the past 12 years. This is not true because when they go to the President he tells them to go to the senior senator of Nimba because he’s the one we are collaborating with.
“I invite all former GOL officials from Nimba to come and join ranks with us in the MDR and definitely we will consider recommending you for a job. You cannot come with UP vest and want to get a job. Go join CDC or come to us.
“People carrying wrong propaganda in Nimba are on the wrong side of history. There are no quick fixes to the problems we have. We all need to put all hands-on deck. So, if you are from a different party and come to us, you firstly have to join us before we can seek your interest.”
As he boasted about being part of the parties that are in charge and running things, he mocked the former ruling UP of being dead.
“Your party is dead and we are now in charge. Our support for CDC is unwavering,” he added.
Jewel Scenario
In 2018, Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor made similar statement in her native Bong County few months after the CDC government was elected. At a program marking the instillation of local officials into office in the county for which she served as Senator for 12 years before becoming Vice President. Madam Howard-Taylor said it is impossible for the government to work with people who she does not share the same political ideology with.
The Vice President, who is known for making controversial statements, said similar actions were taken during the Unity Party regime where people were made to join the ruling establishment at the time.
“Y’all will join because other people joined the Unity Party so I’m waiting for y’all to travel to your districts and tell me you’re joining the ruling Coalition,” she said.
Further fine-tuning her speech, Madam Howard Taylor said she holds nothing against the officials who are members of other parties, as had that been the case, she would have ordered their removal of all non-CDC officials, but maintained that trust is paramount and she would not be confident to express herself in the midst of non-members of the Coalition.
“The fact that some people sitting here, they’re not members of the Coalition, y’all know we have nothing in our hearts against y’all, because I would have said, ‘Remove everybody’; what would you have done to me? Nothing, it’s my time,” she said.
Prince Johnson Nimba Factor
In 2017, the CDC relied heavily on the support of Prince Johnson to win vote-rich Nimba County. Nimba has the second largest population in terms of registered voters, according to the National Election Commission.
Johnson abandoned the Unity Party, which he supported in two run-off elections during the Presidency of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
He abandoned former Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai for George Weah.