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Civil Rights activists in Moyamba are urging the Ministry of Local Government and Community Affairs to launch an investigation into the recently unveiled tribal authority (TA) list for the 2024 Paramount Chief Election in Kowa Chiefdom.
The activists contend that the list, presented to the people on January 12, 2024, is marred by allegations of fraud and irregularities.
Among the grievances raised by the activists are claims that the revision of TAs purportedly took place in Kori Chiefdom rather than in Kowa, with allegations of chiefs being mobilized to Taiama without proper notification to the community. It is also alleged that the current Regent Chief is favoring a specific candidate from the Tibbie ruling house, namely Amie Tator Kallon Tibbie.
Furthermore, the activists point to discrepancies in the signing of the new TA list, asserting that seven out of eight section chiefs in Kowa did not sign, and those who did allegedly signed on behalf of chiefs who were unaware of the process. Notably, there are concerns regarding misspelled or altered names on the list, such as the transformation of Chief John Laggaoh to Chief Joseph Laggaoh.
The issue extends to the partial distribution of 2022 local taxes in Kowa, with reported irregularities in the Ngabahun, Kpadabu, and Mousumana sections. Despite previous reports to authorities, there has been no substantial action, leading to fears that the absence of key sections and TAs in the current list may compromise the fairness of the paramount chieftaincy election.
In light of these concerns, the activists are calling on the government to establish an independent body to investigate the tribal authority list. Failure to address these issues, they argue, could jeopardize the peace and stability of Kowa chiefdom, as a significant portion of the population expresses vehement opposition to the contested list.
