Margibi Caucus boycotts Superintendent induction? 

The visible absence of members of the Margibi Legislative Caucus at the induction Superintendent Victoria Worlorbah Duncan Tuesday, is raising concern in the county.

By Ramsey N. Singbeh, Jr.

Margibi, Liberia, May 8, 2024—All members of the Margibi County Legislative Caucus were conspicuously absent from the official induction ceremony of the county’s new Superintendent Attorney, Victoria Worlorbah Duncan, in what is being described as their non-support of her leadership.

The situation is breeding serious tension in the county with many believing that it is due to the fact that lawmakers of the county are both CDCians and supporters of the CDC, while Superintendent Duncan is from the ruling Unity Party.

The county authorities are made up of the legislative caucus and local administration with appointees from the executive working together for the forward match of Margibi.

Madan Duncan, first female superintendent of Margibi in 38 years, is also a strong supporter of President Joseph Nyumah Boakai.

She officially took the oath of office in the presence of traditional leaders, former lawmakers, Deputy Minister for Urban Affairs from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and other stakeholders, but in the absence of lawmakers from the county, raising serious concern among locales.

According to county information officer, Joe Benson Josiah, the lawmakers were written as a body through a single communication to the chair of the caucus to grace the occasion but the caucus chair, who is currently in the United States, is said not to have received copy of the letter.

The Co-Chair of the Caucus, Clarence G. Gahr, said aside from Senator McGill, he spoke to all other members of the caucus and they did not receive invitation from the superintendent and some of his colleagues also said that they did not even know that her induction was scheduled for May 6, 2024.

He challenged Superintendent Duncan and her team to prove that the caucus was invited through returned copies of letters written to them.

According to Rep. Gahr, who provide clarity on behalf of the caucus via cellphone, citizens were misled by the action of Madam Duncan and her team to believing that they (lawmakers of the county) absented themselves from her (Madam Duncan’s) induction program deliberately.

He described the insinuation of people blaming the Margibi County Legislative Caucus for not attending the program as wrong. He noted that the caucus will play its leadership role in calling on the superintendent to tell them rationale behind their actions.

The lawmaker stated that they will also ensure that Madam Duncan clarify in her first major press briefing to the county that the caucus did not shun her induction.

Gahr said those who are attributing their absence to CDC-UP politics, are not saying the truth.

Meanwhile, Superintendent Duncan clearly ignoring the absence of the caucus from her induction in her speech, pledged her unflinching support to working with them for the betterment of the county. Editing by Jonathan Browne