BUCHANAN — The Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate has launched a scathing attack against former Representative Vincent S.T. Willie, questioning the quality of his six-year leadership of Wee Statutory District in Grand Bassa County.
Speaking at a voter appreciation rally on the Civil Compound in Wayzohn City on Saturday, July 13, 2024, Senator Nyonblee Kangar Lawrence criticized Willie’s leadership, alleging that the district under his tenure became a battleground characterized by hostility and disrespect.
“You know when Hon. Byron Browne was Representative for this district, I did not have to come here because we had a representative to work with. After Byron Browne, this district became a battle district, hostility, disrespect. I was a victim, especially as I am a daughter of this district,” Lawrence stated.
She expressed gratitude to Hon. Alfred Flomo for restoring dignity to the district. However, Senator Lawrence did not provide specific examples of how the district was a battleground or how she became a “victim” of the alleged hostility and disrespect during Willie’s tenure.
Between 2018 and 2024, when Willie was Representative, and throughout the 2023 election period, there were no reported instances of hostile confrontations between Willie’s camp and Senator Lawrence, who was then the Chair of the Senate Committee on Rules, Order, and Administration, and later served as Chairman for the UP Alliance.
Both Senators Lawrence and Gbehzongar Findley campaigned strongly against Willie, who was an independent candidate supporting former President George Weah. Flomo narrowly defeated Willie by less than 300 votes.
When contacted, former Rep. Vincent Willie stated he respects Senator Lawrence’s role as leader of the Liberian Senate and has no intention of engaging in any form of exchange with her. He urged Senator Lawrence to focus on addressing administrative inadequacies and the accusations of mismanagement of public funds under her leadership, which have tarnished her political standing.
“She’s hurt because we supported Weah and defeated her Rescue Team twice in Bassa. My efforts in sending young people abroad for studies have pushed her and others to do the same, something she never did in her first nine years of leadership,” Willie commented.
Willie added, “We are aware she is deeply afraid we might be an embarrassment to her Presidential or Vice Presidential quest in 2029, which is why she has initiated an early fight.”
Willie emphasized that his work in Wee District over six years speaks for itself. “Under my leadership, we built the first-ever bridge connecting Compound #3 and the LAC Plantation, constructed bridges across the district, and improved farm-to-market roads more than any other lawmaker.”
“We lobbied with ArcelorMittal to build the Kpu Town public school, secured budgetary allocations for the hospital, built markets, teacher quarters, and upgraded the Gardour Town Public School to a senior high. I also negotiated scholarships for students to study in China, Morocco, Ghana, and other countries, with some returning with master’s degrees,” Willie elaborated.
Meanwhile, former Rep. Willie challenged Pro Tempore Lawrence to produce evidence and speak with facts in public discourses. He stressed the importance of unity among all Liberians and urged leaders to speak with less emotion and back their comments with facts, especially someone like Madam Pro Tempore, who heads the House of Elders.
Discussion about this post