Published: July 24, 2026
PAYNESVILLE – Tension is mounting in Neezoe Community, Montserrado County Electoral District #3, after scores of young people staged a protest against Representative Sumo K. Mulbah, accusing the lawmaker of interfering in community affairs by directing that the current elected leadership be disregarded.
The protest, organized on Wednesday, July 22, under the banner “Conscious Youth of Neezoe,” followed a July 13, 2026, communication in which Rep. Mulbah instructed that the recently elected Neezoe Community leadership “shall not be recognized” by his office until further notice.
Instead, the lawmaker directed that the previous acting leadership, headed by Chairman Saydee, continue serving in an interim capacity pending fresh community elections scheduled for December 2026.
Carrying placards reading, “The Conscious Youths of Neezoe Say No to Dictatorship Sumo K. Mulbah,” “Sumo Mulbah Is a Confusionist!” “The Leadership of Neezoe Community Is Very Proactive!” and “The Conscious Youths Stand with Neezoe Community,” the demonstrators condemned what they described as political interference in a democratically elected community administration.
Speaking on behalf of the protesters, Daniel G. Zleh alleged that the Representative’s action came shortly after community leaders met with a humanitarian organization to discuss flooding that continues to threaten residents of Neezoe.
According to Zleh, the community leadership expressed dissatisfaction with what they viewed as inadequate intervention from the Representative’s office, a move he believes triggered the directive.
He argued that the lawmaker has no authority to invalidate a leadership elected by the community.
“Rep. Sumo Mulbah himself knows that he was elected, and because of that, one person can’t undo his leadership, so I don’t know why he’s trying to do something of such to a leadership that was elected by eleven sub communities,” Zleh said.
Chairman of the Conscious Youth of Neezoe, Thomas Wleh, accused the Representative of acting out of political insecurity.
“Seeing that this chairman is relating to the people and people relating to him, he feels his political ambition is temporary,” Wleh asserted.
Another protester, Lina Mulbah, who said she contested in the last community election, questioned why the Representative is now rejecting a leadership he had previously supported.
“When we lost, we decided to work with the individual he supported. Then why is he coming back to tell us something different? We don’t agree. We have decided to support this same man, so the lawmaker should focus on his job and stop interfering into our community matters,” she said.
The protesters vowed to resist any attempt to remove the current leadership, insisting that the will of the community must be respected.
Responding to the allegations, Rep. Mulbah dismissed the demonstration as politically motivated and described it as “political crying and noise-making.”
In a statement directed to members of the opposition in District #3, the lawmaker defended his development record and accused his critics of becoming uneasy over ongoing projects in the constituency.
“For the first time in the history of District #3, a lawmaker is constructing a massive, three-story college building. We have only just completed the first floor, and you are already panicking. If the first floor alone is causing this much distress, one can only wonder how you will survive when the entire structure is fully completed,” Mulbah said.
He highlighted several initiatives undertaken in Neezoe, including scholarship opportunities for secondary and university students, technical and vocational education support, sustainable employment opportunities, and the annual provision of materials through his businesses to assist community drainage projects.
“Keep crying on the internet while we continue to transform District #3. Just see our works and wait for 2029,” the Representative added.
The standoff has intensified debate over the extent of lawmakers’ involvement in community governance and leadership matters, with the dispute now pitting Rep. Mulbah’s office against the elected leadership of Neezoe Community as residents await the next phase of the controversy.
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