Nimba County’s district #5 Representative, Samuel G. Kogar, has accused President Joseph N. Boakai of masterminding the AFL men wives’ protest against General Prince C. Johnson’s appointment as Defense Minister. The Nimba lawmaker alleged the protest, which led to the resignation of Minister Johnson as Defense Minister, was a complete plot organized by the Unity Party government in order to deny a son of Nimba County from occupying such key position in the government.
Representative Kogar, through a phone-in program on a local station in Monrovia, said Prince C. Johnson, a trained military man, was retired by the President in order to be appointed as Defense Minister. Knowing that Johnson cannot any longer go back in the military, Representative Kogar alleged that he was appointed as Defense Minister, and was later plotted against not to serve in that position. He wondered how possible could the wives of army men protest without the consent of their husbands, which he said needs to be investigated because their action is a crime under the law.
The Nimba legislator emphasized the role played by Nimba in getting President Boakai elected as President. According to him, Nimba played a cardinal role in the election, and so the people of Nimba’s interest should not be tempered with. He alleged that the President “cajoled” Prince C. Johnson to resign in the name of “for the sake of peace” after being early retired from his previous military post. He called for investigation into the protest that led to his kinsman’s resignation. He described the protest on Monday as a complete plot against Nimba’s interest.
At the same time, Representative Kogar has cautioned those within the UP government undermining the interest of Nimba to stop, noting that Nimba deserves better. He further claimed that Johnson’s resignation was not independently done by himself; instead, it was influenced by the President.
Regarding the Justice Minister-designate, Cllr. Cooper Kruah, who was withdrawn with no established cause and reappointed to another position, the district #5 lawmaker claimed that it was another game not to allow a Nimba person occupy the Justice Minister position. According to him, if Cllr. Kruah is unfit to be Justice Minister due to the allegations against him, why appoint him to another ministry without investigating him in court to prove the allegation.
The Nimba lawmaker underscored that the President is yet to inform the public about what led to the withdrawal of Cllr. Kruah’s nomination as Justice Minister. Kogar claimed that all the allegations that were against Cllr. Kruah in the media were not proved, and so the President should tell the public why Cllr. Kruah was withdrawn and subsequently reappointed. He wondered what qualifies Cllr. Kruah to be Labor Minister when he cannot be Justice Minister.
However, the Presidential Press Secretary, Kula Fofana, has refuted the allegations made by Representative Kogar against President Joseph N. Boakai.
