Margibi Superintendent designates holds consultations

Superintendent-designate Victoria Worlobah Duncan is said to be mending fences in America to consolidate position before her confirmation hearing.

Margibi, Liberia, April 16, 2024 – A report reaching the NEW DAWN says that while she is yet to be confirmed, the recently designated Superintendent for Margibi County, Attorney Victoria Worlobah Duncan, had gone to meet some top supporters and influencers of the Unity Party based in the United States, who oppose her appointment by President Joseph Boakai.

According to an insider speaking on anonymity, the purpose of her trip is to calm things down with individuals who also have a serious interest in and a say in who becomes the county’s next superintendent.

Rev. Alexander Bango Collins, a prominent Liberian from Margibi who currently lives and works in the United States, is the head of the folks Madam Duncan met with.

He contested the 2020 special senatorial election in Margibi but lost and subsequently supported President Boakai’s presidential bid.

Our investigation also discovered that he and others in the US had contacted a trusted person in Margibi to do background checks on certain individuals that they were considering recommending to the President, but their expectations didn’t work.

The person also recommended the name of the country’s gender coordinator to them as someone who is not controversial or associated with corruption in public service. 

Rev. Collins and his team clarified that anyone with a corruption record should not be appointed to the post. However, this paper has not discovered any corruption linking Attorney Victoria Worlobah, a former assistant superintendent for development.

The discussion, as gathered, was centered on how she and folks in America associated with the UP can cordially work together, considering their interests from both sides (Liberia and America).

The NEW DAWN also learns that she fears the same people will influence the President to withdraw her nomination.

Meanwhile, following their meeting, which was also attended by the former Mayor of Isanti City in the U.S., Jeff Johnson, who signed a sister city relationship with Unification City in Lower Margibi, Rev. Collins posted that the meeting was requested by Attorney Duncan, but provides no detail; instead, he describes their gathering as “Great, patriotic, development-oriented, and spirit-led conversations.”

On his official Facebook page, where he posted photos from the meeting, he writes: “Elder Rebecca and I honored Attorney Victoria Worlobah Duncan’s request to meet with us in our home. President Joseph N. Boakai has nominated attorney Worlobah Duncan to serve as Superintendent of Margibi County. 

We had Rev. Dr. Francis and Pastor Christine Tabla join us for the meeting. Also, Isanti City’s former mayor, Jeff Johnson, who signed a sister-city relationship with Unification City, Maribi County, attended the meeting. Great patriotic, development-oriented, and spirit-led conversations.” She has just returned to the country following the meeting in the U.S.

However, there have been so much of controversies and attacks among some of the folks who expressed interest in becoming superintendent, prior to her nomination as superintendent.

Madam Duncan is a former representative candidate, who once served as a magistrate in Margibi and as an assistant superintendent for development under former President Sirleaf.

She supported Boakai on one of the parties that collaborated with the UP in 2023.

She is criticized by some UPists in the county who accuse her of doing nothing during the run-off elections in Boakai’s interest but abstained completely from the campaign after losing.

There are currently folks in the county who have been expressing opposition to her appointment and threatening to protest.

She is yet to be confirmed by the Liberian Senate but still some Margibians think that her confirmation is delayed due to issues related to her that are being handled behind the scene.

Immediately following her nomination, there was debate about her temperament. Some said she may have a lot of people incarcerated for speaking against her, while others think she would not do such a thing. Editing by Jonathan Browne