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Sinoe
County Ass. in the Americas: Convention '08 Should Be
About Financial Accountability, Transparency and
Finding Lasting Peace
Saturday,
July 05, 2008
By
Tewroh-Wehtoe Sungbeh
In the beginning,
there was one Sinoe County Association in the Americas
representing the people from that part of Liberia
residing in the United States. Years later, it became
two associations with co-presidents, (Elijah Tarpeh
and LaVerne Jones-Williams), and two annual
conventions, a result of a bruising and almost
non-stop fight over money, which started many years
ago and continue to this day.
It wasn’t
like that in 1992, when the idea of a Sinoe County
Association became an obsession for Sandy Woodrow
Yancy and others, who dreamed in Minnesota of an
association intended to bring their brethren in the
United States together “to engage in social,
humanitarian and community programs” to help the
people of Sinoe County in whose name the association
was founded in the first place.
By 1994, the
idea of an association blossomed as the formation of
new chapters across the United States became a
reality. One of the chapters that was successfully
organized at the time was the Georgia chapter, still
functioning today and active in the association’s
activities despite the fact that the Sinoe County
Association in the Americas has lost it once awesome
clout and membership, and is drowning in an avalanche
of confusion, which is a detriment to its survival if
remaining members do not act quickly to save it.
Candidate Morris Koffa
Incumbent Elijah Tarpeh
Former Pres. Zack Major
As is the
case with this troubled association, there is no room
for civil discourse (subscribe to the onliberianmedium
listserv and read the insulting, condescending and
discouraging e-mails) to and from members, as
personalities so insecure and with bloated egos are
always in the attack-dog mode waiting to chew or
verbally assault anyone who openly challenges the
leadership and the where about of the association’s
funds, which in these many years of this spiraling
conflict has yet to be accounted for by the
individuals in the center of this conflict.
That kind of
attitude leave no room for honest and open debate
about the issues, does not motivate and inspire, does
not encourage the free exchange of ideas, does not
encourage backsliders to recommit themselves to SCAA
and its activities, and does not encourage new members
to come onboard either, since most people prefer to
rather stay away or be quiet than to speak out knowing
they will be insulted for no reason by another person
who don’t really know them, but will take the
sinister route, anyway, simply because the individual
asked about his or her hard-earned money and how it is
being spent.
However,
because the confusion over money has been going on for
too long, many decided to stay away because “it is a
waste of time to get involved with an association that
has no direction and no vision” a member said, and
also good reasons to remain involved “to effect
change,” another member said. A good way to effect
that change, according to one member is to attend this
year’s convention, as evidenced by this e-mail from
a die-hard supporter, Roberta B. Williams, who proudly
noted in this June 30, 2008 e-mail that “The Love of
Sinoe is taking me there – SCAA Convention 2008 in
Ohio. All Are Invited.”
With all the
infighting and negative publicity that has hindered
progress in the association, Sinoeans want us to
believe they are doing all they can to bring peace to
their organization, despite the fact that peace has
eluded them since 2004, when accusations of alleged
misuse of funds, $14,000 collected in Washington D.C.,
and “the other money raised in Detroit” in 2004,
continues to swirl around then-outgoing president
Zackery Taylor Major, who, together with his brother,
Gus Major, according to members were never audited, or
refused to be audited for a humanitarian trip made to
the county.
The
ascendancy of the embattled Klahn-Gboloh Jarbah to the
presidency in 2004, did not stop the infighting but
intensified the fragmentation of the association as
Sinoeans stubbornly promoted their talking points by
blaming the other side for the bad blood and the
decimation of a once promising association that once
held the key to possibly changing the landscape of the
county, in terms of helping to develop a badly damaged
post-civil war Sinoe County in this time of
nation-building.
The
unceremonious departure of Jarbah in 2006 did not end
the problem either, as the association, now noted for
its incessant squabbling, and for having two
associations and co-presidents drifted further into
self-flagellation, name-calling, a total and complete
breakdown of civility and hatred; as the leadership
setup at the time or the power struggle did not
resemble modern day democracy but was like a power
struggle taken from the playbook of a political crisis
occurring somewhere in an African country, which did
not bode well for the citizens and due-paying members
of the association.
After much
pleading from almost every respected elder and others
within the association, and even from some in Liberia
that the acrimony end so that the leadership will
begin to focus on the association’s mission and
goals, finally brought some sigh of relief to a
battered organization as members finally decided to
give peace a chance.
Sinoeans,
however, in 2008 decided to put the craziness aside
and meet in Columbus, Ohio from July 11-13, as a
singular and unified association ready to bury their
differences in order to move the association forward
despite the mistrusts, the personality differences,
the insults and charges of misappropriation of funds,
and counter charges that has become a rallying cry for
some who want financial accountability to be a center
piece of any peace talk that will take place at the
convention.
With a web
of individuals still pointing fingers at others and
demanding transparency and financial accountability
from the leadership; and a tainted and discredited
leadership still aspiring for a job he once held
jointly with a co-president, one would think Elijah
Tarpeh, who is seen as part and parcel of the problem
that plagued the association, because of his strong
and unwavering ties to former President Zackery Taylor
Major, would step aside in the interest of Sinoe
County and allow new leaders to move the association
forward and away from the era of confusion to a new
day of peace, tranquility, transparency and financial
accountability.
That dream,
I honestly want to believe is a far cry from reality
because Mr. Tarpeh is running for president. Mr.
Tarpeh, who is running for president cannot be
effective if he wins, because he is damaged goods with
no ounce of credibility left to generate enthusiasm
and steer this association to a promising future. This
is also an ego trip on his part, which will further
escalate the division in the association. Tarpeh is
however, running against a formidable candidate,
Morris T. Koffa, a son of Sinoe County whom Tarpeh's supporters believe is from Grand Kru County, a
reference to Koffa’s days as a student in Maryland
County before a section of that county became known as
Grand Kru County.
Even though
this is a fight over money, this is also a fight about
respect, civil discourse, trust and confidence. It is
also about questionable land deal apparently purchased
during the Tarpeh administration, questionable
articles of incorporation in Liberia, and questionable
“election laws,” with Emmanuel Wettee, President
of the Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas
(ULAA), who also serves as Chairman of the Election
Commission is being accused of favoritism and
“unilaterally adding some requirements that were
ambiguous to the membership of the SCAA,” and
“reneged on upholding his own rules,” said James
D. Barclay, Secretary General, Sinoe County
Association in the Americas.
Knowing
how divisive the Sinoe County Association has been,
and how contentious it is for members to agree on
anything, should have forewarn Wettee about his
questionable involvement in this controversy. Mr.
Wettee, as president of his own ineffective and
laughable ULAA should have shown leadership by being a
peacemaker, thereby recusing himself from the
controversy to save his name.
Wettee’s
electoral guidelines, according to Secretary General
James Barclay, “caused enormous confusions and not
help the process.” And
that “the people are demanding that those rules must
be revoked and those individuals who were
disenfranchised due to Wettee’s confused rules must
be given an opportunity to take part in these
elections. The commission must give an extension and
clarify the rules.” Mr. Wettee’s handling of the
elections “is intended to benefit a special few and
not the general membership,” (James D. Barclay’s
onliberianmedium listserv email 6/26/08).
At
stake also are huge amounts of money, $32,593.17;
it is believed the Chairlady
of the Board Victoria Gbojueh allegedly did not turn
over during the Zackery Taylor Major administration in
2004. In 2008, Victoria Gbojueh is once again
at the center of this latest financial tug of war with
allegations of her not accounting for a total of
$44,897.59 of SCAA funds, (Matthew Zarzar’s
onliberianmedium listserv e-mail of 6/29/08).
Let it be
known that when I decided to write this article, I
contacted prominent Sinoe County citizens via e-mail
including co-presidents Elijah Tarpeh and LaVerne
Jones-Williams, and presidential candidate Morris T.
Koffa, to join me in a conversation intended to set
the stage for this piece. However, Ms. Jones-Williams
and one “Sinoe Pekin,” responded to my e-mail.
“Sinoe Pekin,” on the other end was sarcastic, and
ridiculed me for even attempting to write about the
crisis in the Sinoe County Association. Apparently in
denial about a crisis in the association, LaVerne
Jones-Williams wrote the following:
“Thank
you for your concern. This association is united.
Whatever problems we have can be solved amongst
ourselves. Again, I say Thank you” (e-mail to The
Liberian Dialogue, www.theliberiandialogue.org, Wed,
08/06/25, 18:47).
The crisis
in the Sinoe County Association in the Americas (SCAA)
is like a bad dream one wants to forget but cannot
forget because of its powerful imagery and impact on
the person’s psyche. It is also like a nightmare
that haunts a person who’s in disbelief and wants
to know why would a once promising organization that
once embodied the strength; aspirations and
determination of a proud people cannot get its act
together to assist those people in need.
Even though I have had my share of "bad
dreams" and "nightmares" with the
association, I just cannot forget about Sinoe
County because of the unadulterated and unabashed
love I have for the people of that county - my people, which made
me to write this article to shed some light on the
issues. After attending one convention, Charlotte
2001, and visited the one in Atlanta in 2005, I
concluded like most people that it is a waste of time
and money to get involve with a group that cannot get
its act together, but would resume my involvement in
the future if there is financial accountability, and
if peace is ever given a chance.
With
convention 2008 looming, Columbus, Ohio is do or die -
the place where citizens of Sinoe County residing in
the United States will meet to possibly secure that
elusive peace needed to embark on its original mission
of humanitarian work, to help Sinoe County and its
weary people. Can it happen? Time will tell.
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