–Says, “That’s My Resolution for New Year”

IPNEWS-Monrovia: Ahead of the 2023 presidential and legislative elections, River Gee County Senator Jonathan ‘Boye Charles’ Sogbie says his resolution for the year 2023 is for Liberians to replace what he calls an ‘Irresponsible Government’ with a ‘Responsible Government’.

According to the River Gee Senator, if Liberians vote for a ‘Responsible Government’ comes the 2023 presidential and legislative elections, it will put the country back on paradigm shift in efforts to make Liberia better and be on par with the comity of nations.

The River Gee Senator made the statement on Monday, December 2, 2023 in Paynesville City during the celebration of his birthday, where government officials, friends, family and well-wishers had gathered.

Senator Sogbie’s statement may have come from the standpoint where Liberians have consistently said that it is no secret that the present realities they are faced with are daunting, as their lives are spiraling downward instead of growth.

The Coalition for Coalition for Democratic (CDC) government headed by President George Weah made many promises to the Liberians, including providing with better opportunities to invest in their own economy, creation of jobs, good health care, and education among others.

But political pundits say those promises made by the CDC government are far from becoming a reality evidenced by the harsh economic situation Liberia is currently faced with.

Senator Sogbie is noted to be harsh critic of the CDC government headed by President Weah, despite him and the president reuniting in March of 2022 following rumors that they were at loggerheads as politicians just as it was in the 1980s – 90s when they played club football for Invincible Eleven (IE) and the national football team, the Lone Star.

Senator Sogbie Differs With Pres. Weah for Personalizing Gov’t Projects –But Dispels Notion of Any Rift between Him and the President

It can be recalled in February 2022,  River Gee County Senator Jonathan ‘Boy Charles’ Sogbie differed with President George Weah for reportedly personalizing government projects undertaken by tax payers money in Liberia.

Appearing on local radio, Ok FM 99.5, Senator Sogbie said it was unfortunate that the President would personalize these projects when in fact there are budget allocations for Presidential Interventions for the good of the Liberian people.

The River Gee Senator made reference to the donation of vehicles (pick-up trucks, ambulances and motorbikes) to chief and traditional leaders at the SKD Sports, a day following the President’s State of the Nation’s Address (SONA) in 2022.

It can be recalled the premises of the Samuel K. Doe Sports Stadium came to light on, January 25, 2022, when chiefs and other provincial leaders representing the 15 counties lavished praises on President Weah who had flooded the grounds of the sports pitch with a plethora of critical logistics ideal for boosting local governance.

There was a lineup of 30 pickup trucks, two for each county, and 150 bikes, 10 for each county. There were also 15 ambulances for use by county health officers.

The Chiefs, some claiming being in government service for over fifty years, said they had never seen nor heard of a president in their lifetime making such a huge, all-encompassing one-strike donation of that kind. Intoxicated with joy, the local officials poured praises and blessings upon the President and pleaded for his lifelong presidency. The donations were in fulfilment of promises he had made while visiting with the rural chiefs during his nationwide tour.

President on Tuesday, January 25, 2022, received unending streams of praises and the invocation of blessings from Chiefs and other traditional leaders from the 15 political subdivisions of the country.

From one traditional speaker to another, the chiefs and local leaders described as an “unprecedented intervention” President Weah’s donation of 30 pickup trucks, 150 motorbikes and 15 ambulances.

The presidential intervention which is intended to improve local governance by increasing the mobility of the traditional leaders and spread government policies to every nook and corner follow repeated requests by the chiefs for logistics to enhance their work.

The lack of logistics to move around their areas of control was a refrain amongst the tribal chiefs as there were request from administrators of health facilities for ambulances during the President’s county tours.

Superintendent Janjay Baikpeh of Grand Bassa County, who spoke on behalf of what he called the National Council for Superintendents of Liberia on Tuesday, January 25, 2022 thanked the President for the donation and said with the speedy execution of projects and other development initiatives undertaken in the country, the course will be clear for him in 2023.

The Bassa Superintendent asserted: “Mr. President on behalf of the National Council of Superintendents of Liberia, I want to assure you that come 2023, your re-election is assured. We want to publicly endorse you and will be in the forefront of the campaign.  We are going to work with the chiefs who are leaders of the people to make this happen.”

As for Senator Jonathan Sogbie, he differed on grounds that by personalizing government projects intended for every Liberian, President Weah is indirectly campaigning for re-election come 2023, indicative with the statement made by Superintendent Baikpeh.

He disclosed that presidential project being undertaken by the President’s Office have all been budgeted for, so there is no need for President Weah to personalize them since it is tax payers money that are used to fund those projects.

It can be recalled upon his ascendency to the Presidency, President promised to re-roof the damaged roofs of houses in Gibraltar in the Clara Town area at his own expense, but later it was discovered that money was allotted in the National Budget to re-roof those houses.

Senator Sogbie said there was budget line for the Invincible Park construction beneath the runway of the James Spriggs Payne Airfield, a place that used to be a practice ground for Invincible Eleven (IE) Majestic Football Club back in the day. But the President publicly told Liberians that he undertook that project at his own cost to give back to the people.

“If the President uses money allotted in the budget for presidential interventions/projects, the glory will still go to his administration because he heads the government and thus any good thing that it does, the glory will go to his administration so no need to personalize projects being funded by tax payers’ monies. No need for the President to print his name on vehicles or any donation because the money comes from tax payers,” The River Gee Senator averred.

Dispelling of Rift between Him and President Weah

Meanwhile, Senator Sogbie dispelled public perception that there is a rift between him and President Weah.

Senator Sogbie noted despite him and President Weah not meeting officially since their respective ascendancies as President and Senator, they are constantly in contact via social media (WhatsApp) because they are good friends who played for the same football club and national football team, the Lone Star back in the day.

He noted they have met on many occasions informally to either exercise by playing football because they are good friends of many years.

Flashback: pres. Weah standing 3rd from left and Sen. Sogbie standing 2nd from right during their days as players of Invincible Eleven (IE)

“When I was elected Senator of River Gee County, and the Paynesville Old-timers Team decided to honor me, President Weah supported the program by sending US$3,500 by the current Commissioner of the Liberia Maritime Authority, Lenn Eugene Nagbe. We applauded the President for the gesture and I told Mr. Nagbe to inform the President that I would respond in kind to the President at the appropriate time. So let no one say that President Weah and I have a rift. In fact we call each other ‘Mozart’ because of his football prowess back then,” Senator disclosed.

In another development, Senator Sogbie revealed he is also in communication with James Salinsa Debbah, Liberia’s most celebrated soccer star, who is also a former teammate when they played for the Lone Star then.

The River Gee County Senator then assured to diligently work for the betterment and development of his country as well as his County River Gee as they serve their respective peoples and country.

President Weah and Senator ‘Boy Charles’ Sogbie Reunite

It can be recalled contrary to public perceptions that President George Weah and River Gee County Senator Jonathan ‘Boy Charles’ Sogbie are bitter rivals dating back to their footballing days for their former club Invincible Eleven (IE) and the national football team, the Lone Star, the two former teammates, who are now public officials reunited on a football pitch in Paynesville in March 2022 when Senator Sogbie was inducted as President of Paynesville Old-timers Association.

President Weah graced the occasion, accompanied by the Commissioner of Liberia Maritime Authority, Lenn Eugene Nagbe, former National Port Authority (NPA) managing director Bill Twehway among others, while River Gee Senator Conmany Wesseh also attended the induction program.

Flashback: Senator Jonathan Sogbie and President George Weah

President Weah and Senator Sogbie over the years have refuted public perception that they do see eye-to-eye but the public had never seem to believe them for reasons no one can say.

President Weah and Senator Sogbie were iconic star footballers for one of Liberia’s leading clubs back in the day, Invincible Eleven (IE) and the Lone Star. During their playing days IE won several laurels before both players sought greener pastures in Cameroon and Cote d’Ivoire respectively and further on to Europe in France and Switzerland.

Following their respective retirements from football they moved onto politics but found themselves on different sides. Weah became the face of the then opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), while Sogbie chose to support Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Unity Party. Ellen went on to win two terms, before Weah succeeded her in 2017 and became the first footballing president in Liberia.

As for Sogbie having lost two separate elections in River Gee, he was finally elected in the December 2020 Midterm elections and now serves one of the county senators along with Senator Conmany Wesseh.

Last year, Senator Sogbie while appearing on a local radio, OK FM 99.5 told Liberians that he and President Weah are not enemies as some Liberians think, because he and the President communicate most times on social media (WhatsApp) to keep in touch due to their respective busy schedules.

Senator Sogbie even stated upon election as lawmaker for River Gee County, President Weah congratulated him and they have a cordial relationship. He stated though he and the President are on sides politically, they a very good friends of many years.

Fast forward to the Paynesville Old-timers Association induction, President Weah, who is also a member of Alpha Old-timers Association wished Senator Sogbie well as he took over the leadership of the Association.

He called for togetherness in efforts to move Liberia forward for the betterment of Liberians.

Senator Sogbie also lauded the President for gracing the occasion and promised to work along with him as they all strive to make Liberia better for Liberians.

Senator Sogbie is a member of the opposition Alternative National Congress, while President heads the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC). Writes Siebo Williams, siebowilliams@yahoo.com; +231-770-217748 / +231-886-518129