GBARNGA, Bong – Bong County Superintendent Selena Polson Mappy has informed The Bush Chicken that she is not aware of a letter from the office of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf dismissing the mayor of Gbarnga, Josiah Marvin Cole.

A dismissal letter for the Gbarnga mayor bearing the scanned signature of Sirleaf spread on social media on Friday.

The letter, dated Dec. 14, 2016, cited destruction of real properties outside of the city ordinance as one reason for the dismissal of Cole.

“You are hereby dismissed from the position of Mayor of Gbarnga City,” the letter read.

The letter continued, “This is due to the several reports that have been forwarded to me regarding the continued practice of destroying real property in the city that are not covered by provisions of the City Ordinance and without the concurrence from the appropriate authority of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.”

Additionally, the letter thanked Cole for his government service and hoped that there would be other opportunities for his service in the future.

Bong’s Superintendent Selena Polson Mappy. Photo: Moses Bailey

However, Mappy says her office has not received any such letter from the Internal Affairs Ministry or the office of the president.

“I have no idea, no information. The only information I have is hearsay. It is not confirmed from Executive Mansion. Before such letter of appointment, suspension, or dismissal comes out from the Mansion, it has to come from the minister of internal affair’s office,” Mappy said.

She said Internal Affairs Minister Henrique Flomo Tokpa has also informed her that he has no knowledge of the letter.

Mappy noted that the leaders of the county are still trying to gather information surrounding the letter and maintained that it was not confirmed to have come from the Executive Mansion.

The aftermath of the demolition of structures in Gbarnga. Photo: Moses Bailey

Representative George Mulbah of Bong’s third electoral district, which includes Gbarnga, has also said that he has no knowledge of the dismissal letter.

Mulbah said while it is true that he has had some disagreements with the demolition exercises being carried out by the Gbarnga City Corporation, he has not complained about the mayor to Internal Affairs or the office of the president to warrant a dismissal.

He said for the mayor to carry out demolition in the city, there must be consultation with lawmakers to ensure budgetary support to compensate those affected by the demolition exercise.

“I have not seen the president for the past two months. Whosoever carried that complaint, I want to disassociate myself from that. Mayor Cole has put some dynamism in giving Gbarnga a facelift. The only area I have a difference with him – I said sit down with the lawmakers like Hon. Prince Moye and I so that we can see whether we can find budgetary support,” Mulbah told a local radio station in Gbarnga over the weekend.

His clarification comes following looming speculation that he was one of those behind the rumored dismissal of Cole.

Cole himself has informed The Bush Chicken that he has not received such letter of dismissal.

“It is only on social media and on local radio stations that I am reading and hearing about this letter. I have spoken to people close to the president, and no one has authenticated the information,” Cole said on Saturday at his Civil Compound Office in Gbarnga. “Even the minister of internal affairs has told me that he has no knowledge about this letter.”

He said he was not deterred by the letter and noted that his focus is to work with citizens and stakeholders of Gbarnga in clearing the city.

Gbarnga’s Mayor Josiah Marvin Cole. Photo: Moses Bailey

The letter spread on social media two weeks after the Gbarnga City Cooperation embarked on the demolition of makeshift structures along Suakoko Highway.

Cole told The Bush Chicken that the demolition exercise followed a series of consultations with citizens and residents of the nineteen zones in the city.

Cole said for too long, makeshift structures have hidden the beauty of Gbarnga and further posed threats to lives and properties.

He said the structures being demolished were marked two months ago and the owners of those structures were notified about the demolition.

“We will continue this exercise until we can see Gbarnga become a clean city for our people,” Cole said.

Since the start of the demolition on Dec. 3, 2016, there have been mixed views among citizens. While many say they want to see the city improve, others say the city should compensate those affected by the demolition.

The “dismissal” letter has provoked mixed reactions in the county.  Discussions on social media, local radio stations, and streets corners are diverse; some citizens have said if the dismissal is the truth, then the president does not support the development of Gbarnga. Others have said the president is right to dismiss Cole because he was acting outside of the law by demolishing structures.

Finally, some hold the opinion that the letter is a product of forgery and those responsible for forging the signature of the president must be prosecuted. Under Liberia’s Penal Law, forgery is a second-degree felony and punishable under the law.

Featured photo by Moses Bailey