PRESIDENT'S REPORT


ON

HIS TRIP TO LIBERIA.

 

To: Chairman and Members, Board of Directors
       Local Chapter Heads of UNIBOA

CONTENTS OF REPORT

    1. Releasing of seven (7) people from LAC charged and jailed for murderer since December 2005 from Jail

    2. Held meeting with Task Force Committee on Human Rights chaired by the Minister of Agriculture

    3. Held meeting with senior senators from Montserrado, Margibi and Grand Bassa

    4. Held meeting with the Industrial Relation Officer of Firestone

    5. Held meeting Grand Bassa County Superintendent and acquiring of building from the Grand Bassa County Officials for Community Center.

    6. Held meeting with Sister Barbara of Mother Patern college of Nursing

I am pleased to inform you of my return from Liberia where I paid a private but working visit. I had the opportunity to visit my relatives and friends. The trip was a busy one but I am happy that I was able to transact business on UNIBOA’s behalf. This report reflects our accomplishments and challenges during the visit. Let me start off by thanking Vice President Steve Zeogar, Chairman of the Board Greenfield, Board members, Chapter Heads and the entire membership of UNIBOA who kept the organization functioning during my short but fruitful visit to Liberia.

Prior to leaving for Liberia on March 28, 2006, I contacted Rep. Gabriel Smith, Methodist Bishop John G. Innis, the AMEU President Dr. Levi Zangar, Senator Clarice Jah, Senior Senator of Margibi, Senator Nathaniel Innis, Junior Senator of Grand Bassa, Rev. Dr. Abba G. Karngar, Mr. Emmanuel Bryant, Mrs. Estella Kilby-Pailey and Counselor Alfred Brownell concerning the situation at the Liberia Agricultural Company (LAC). I would like to extend to these patriotic people my thanks and appreciation for taking away from their busy schedules to help me while in Liberia. A special thank to Methodist Bishop, Dr. John G. Innis for making transportation and his home available to me during my visit.

I arrived in Liberia on March 29, 2006 and the following day I met Counselor Alfred Brownell at Roberts International Airport where he briefed me on the case with LAC. He gave me a copy of a letter from Solicitor General of the Republic of Liberia, Cllr. Taiwan S. Gongloe requesting Grand Bassa County Attorney Karvin Zogan to drop murder charges against 7 poor people from # 3 , #4 and #5 Districts of Grand Bassa County. He indicated that after reviewing the case, there was no reason to charge them for murder and ordered their immediate release.

On April 4, 2006, I went to Buchanan and joined the Concerned Citizens of Bassa, the local advocacy group assisting our people with the human rights situation in LAC. We drove to the County Attorney’s Office and surprisingly the 7 people were still in jail. When we asked the County Attorney Karvin Zogan why the people were still in jail, he told us that this was due to his busy schedule. He told us to go back around 2 PM and by that time the release document would be ready for the County’s Judge Signature. When we went back there around 2 PM he said the clerk had left for the day therefore we should meet him 9:30 the next day. We went back to his office the next day but we met a different problem. The document needed to be copied on legal size paper and there was no paper. While we were waiting we received a call from Monrovia inviting us to a Task Force on Human Rights meeting. We left the County Attorney’s office for Monrovia. When we were on our way back to Buchanan, we received a call that the County Attorney wanted $200.00 (two hundred US dollars) before releasing the 7 people. I sent $175.00 US by Mrs. Estella Kilby-Pailey and Rev. Dr. Abba G. Karngar. The amount was given to the County Attorney who failed to issue us a receipt. This was the only way the County Attorney Karvin Zogan released the 7 people without any condition.

In view of the deplorable and inhuman treatment of the prisoners, the released people were given $360.00 US dollars to buy clothes and to pay their way back to their villages. UNIBOA also gave the Concerned Citizens of Bassa and Counselor Brownell’s office the sum of $500.00 as token of appreciation for assisting our people. Additionally, I spent over $150.00(one hundred fifty dollars) on gasoline (transportation). Those released were: Marinto Boyah, Junior David, Moore J. Monya, Isaac Monjar, Nathaniel Begbon, J. Rufus Guther, and Mark Dehgar.

I would like to extend my personal thanks to Philadelphia, South Jersey, Texas, and Washington chapters for making your $200.00 contribution each as requested in January 2006 for the LAC project and wish to appeal to those chapters who have not honored my request to send in your donation. There is a dire need to assist the lawyers and concerned citizens who are running after the LAC case especially for transportation.

On April 5, 2006, members of the Concerned Citizens of Bassa and I held a meeting with a Task Force on Human Rights setup by the President of Liberia and chaired by Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Chris Toe. Those from Bassa present at the meeting were: Rev. Dr. Abba G. Karngar, Estella Kilby Pailey, Emmanuel Bryant, and Baron Brown. After that Rev. Dr. Abba G. Karngar presented the situations at LAC to Task Force on Human Rights Committee. During this meeting, the Minister of Agriculture informed us that the Agriculture Ministry had ordered LAC to stop expansion until after a careful reviewing of all concession agreements are completed.

In order to establish a cordial working relationship with the County leaders, I held acquaintance individual meetings with Senior Senator of Montserrado, Margibi, and Grand Bassa and also extended invitations to all senators from the four counties to attend UNIBOA’s 16th National Convention in Texas. I also briefed them on UNIBOA’s goals, objectives, and the two major projects that have been approved by the Board of Directors. They all expressed interests in working with UNIBOA and we look forward to some representation at our Convention this year.

On April 12, 2006, I held a meeting with the Chief Industrial Relations Officer of Firestone Rubber Plantation concerning the possibility of helping UNIBOA to ship some books to Liberia. He requested that we send a formal request and indicate our contacts in Liberia. I promised to send him the request as soon I returned to the United States. Therefore, I am pleased to inform you that I have sent him the request as promised and await some response by the time we meet in May.

On April 13, 2006, I had meeting with newly appointed Superintendent of Grand Bassa, Hon. Julia Duncan- Cassell in Monrovia during which I asked for space in Buchanan for a Community Center. She scheduled a meeting with me and Superintendent for Development Mr. Ballah Togba in Buchanan. During that meeting, the County leadership agreed to provide UNIBOA with a building on the Fair Ground for the Community Center. The Superintendent of Development Grand Bassa County, Mr. Ballah Togba, Former Superintendent for Development Mr. Davis, Mrs. Estella Kilby-Pailey, Mr. Emmanuel Bryant and I inspected the building. The estimated cost to renovate the building will be about $25,000.00 (Twenty five thousand dollars.) We hope our Capital Campaign Drive will be able to raise that money for this project. I also extended an invitation to the Superintendent to be UNIBOA’s 16th keynote Speaker on Saturday, May 26, 2006.

On April 14, 2006, I met with Sis. Barbara Brillant, FMM, Dean of Mother Pattern College of Health Sciences. During the meeting, we discussed the possibility of the college training some nursing students for UNIBOA. She welcomed the idea and promised that after selecting students we will sign agreement of understanding of how to pay the school. It will be important to establish the criteria for selection of the students and the modalities for payment to the school.

It is also my pleasing duty to inform you that in order to ensure coordination of our projects and programs in Liberia and proper representation of our interests, I have asked Counselor John Josiah, Mr. James Logan, Mr. Emmanuel Bryant and Mrs. Estella Kilby-Pailey to serve as UNIBOA’s Coordinators in Liberia. I have no doubt that these individuals will truly represent our interests in Liberia faithfully.

Again let me appeal to all of you to support the LAC project as well as our approved programs. I am happy to be back and look forward to seeing all of you in Texas. Please feel free to contact us if we can be of any assistance to making this one of the most successful Conventions. Kindest regards, Respectfully yours,

Submitted by:
Joseph D. Sinyan
National President, UNIBOA