By James Kokulo Fasuekoi|JNB Foundation Communications Director
A lingering family-clan feud that has existed in lower Bong County’s Bonkumu
and Lorla clans over who should control the township’s ferryboat business and
proceeds, came to a head in September, resulting in the temporary halt of the ferry
operation, desperately needed by citizens of the area.
Amid the conflict, the boat capsized one night, leaving a middle-aged man who
lived on the banks of St. Paul River dead! The victim is said to be the elder son of
one elderly man in the area accused of single-handedly running the boat and
allegedly pocketing the proceeds. The “death” occurred under mysterious
circumstances, villagers told this writer.
The boat had capsized at, or near the David & Gunta main crossing point, west of
Kelebei, Sanoyea Dist., Bong County. It’s located along the dirt road that leads to
the gold-diamond belt of Gbarpolu County and the once infamous-forested
Liberian maximum prison town of Belle Yellah.
The body of the ferry victim remains at large as of the time of this writing and it
was still not clear whether the boat had additional passengers, or heavy loads
onboard, although its operation rules, accordingly, forbids it from operating at
nighttime apparently due to safety reasons.
The incident is reported to have further escalated the feud to an extent it left people
divided along family-clan lines, regrettably in absolute contrast to the expectation
or purposes for which then Liberia’s Vice President, Amb. Joseph Nyuma Boakai
Sr., donated this ferry in 2017, to citizens of the region.
The decision to halt operation there was reached by the executive director for JNB
Foundation, the donor, in collaboration with local citizens groups in the area
following the September mishap. The boat had been given out by the charity to
benefit citizens, and bring development to the area.
Now, the abrupt halt to the ferry operation west of Kelebei, the major town in the
area, appears to have grave consequences on citizens plus traders who travel this
route daily and conduct business such as gold and diamond, aside of trading
agriculture goods or products.
Lately, the citizens said, at least two women died of childbirth due to lack of a boat
to cross the St. Paul River in the region and seek timely medical emergency help.
St. Paul is a tributary of the Atlantic Ocean. They said, the ferry absence has also
affected school children living on both sides of this river who have to commute
back and forth daily to attend school.
In a statement presented Wednesday, February 19, to Hon. Jackson George,
executive director at JNB Foundation, citizens spoke of how they’ve also
experienced significant losses of business incomes lately, due to ferry absence
since September accident. They therefore pleaded with Hon. George to resume the
ferry operation soon in order to alleviate the suffering of the people.
The township of Kelebei (otherwise spelled as “Kelebi”), has an estimated
population of some 3000 people, and the ferry business there has boomed, making
up to US $1.6 million (far higher than the rest of five ferries the foundation
deployed across Liberia) since deployment in 2017, according to Hon. Jackson
George.
The JNB Foundation altogether has six active ferries it donated to local citizens
and deployed across Liberia at the time Amb. Joseph Nyuma Boakai served as vice
president of the Republic of Liberia, or after. Bong and Nimba Counties have two
each, while Grand Bassa and Rivercess got one each.
Hon. Jackson George and party were welcomed in Liberian-Kpelle Traditional
style and presented with white rice (Liberia’s main staple food) and kola nuts. The
white rice symbolizes purity. The bowl containing these elements was passed from
one hands to the other, with each man or lady, breaking and eating a piece of the
kola before it finally reached Hon. Jackson George.
