Published: July 29, 2025
MONROVIA, Liberia – The Elders Council of Killepo in River Gee County, based in Monrovia and surrounding areas, has strongly condemned what it calls “false and damaging” allegations made by Washington Toe, a staff member in the office of District #1 Representative Jeremiah Sokan, against County Superintendent Mike T. Swengbe.
In a statement issued Thursday, July 24, the elders, denounced claims by Toe that Superintendent Swengbe and some traditional elders were refusing to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the local community and a mining company for personal gain.
The elders—Jerome Nyan, Jarcatus Nyan, Jackson Gbey, Jackson Nyanpan, and Ambrose Swen Kambo—accused Toe of suggesting they and the superintendent had been bribed to block the deal. “There is no iota of truth in what Toe has published,” they declared, calling on him to retract his statement within 72 hours or face unspecified action.
The elders clarified that Swengbe declined to sign the MOU because it lacked critical provisions benefiting the community, such as roads, schools, and health facilities. “That MOU was intended to deny the town people of immunities,” the elders said.
They emphasized that past mining activities in River Gee have left communities with little to no benefit and vowed to prevent a repeat. “We demand immediate benefits for our people from every investment,” the statement added.
The Council further accused Toe of acting as a “paid agent” for the mining company and warned that his claims could undermine development efforts led by the Unity Party government through Superintendent Swengbe. The elders urged community members and public officials to view Toe as a “troublemaker” leveraging his political ties to spread misinformation and cause division in Killepo.
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