The County of Nimba is in the grip of a fast escalating tension which appears to be very far from over as newly inducted Representative Kortor Kwagrue of Nimba District #5 has weighed in on the growing discordance between Vice President Jeremiah Koung and Senator Samuel G. Kogar, saying that the Senator is undermining the Vice President in an attempt to weaken his political position.
Tension is at a heightened proportion in the county since Senator Kogar took to the media to express his displeasure over what he called Vice President Koung’s handling of affairs of the county.
It is believed that the tension centered around the political godfather status for the county. Senator Kogar made it clear that VP Koung needs to allow him to function as properly as possible as Senator of the county, playing the role played by the late Senator Prince Johnson.
Rep. Kwagrue who replaces Senator as District five Representative claimed that the issues between the two political heavyweights that have reached a scaring proportion started during the 2023 legislative elections, though he did not provide details on the reasons.
The Representative said he is of the belief that Senator Kogar is unhappy with his (Kwagrue’s) election, thinking it was supported by the Vice President.
Senator Kogar, in an interview recently expressed concerns over Vice President’s heavy-handed involvement and support of a candidate he was not aware in the District Five Bye-elections, which he (Sen. Kogar) represented before his election to the Senate to replace late Senator Prince Johnson.
The Nimba 5th District lawmaker also alleged that Senator Kogar has refused to accept him as an equal and sees his independence as disrespect.
Despite the challenges, Kwagrue says he wants them to work together and hopes for better understanding in the future.
Kwagrue also mentioned that their disagreements include matters of transparency in development projects. During the campaign, he questioned the lack of visible results and asked for project details, which led to more conflict.
He described Senator Kogar as someone who expects full loyalty and dislikes being questioned. Even with the tension, Kwagrue says he has strong local support, including backing from over 175 commercial motorcyclists. As the situation continues, many people in Nimba County are watching closely to see how the conflict will impact progress and leadership in the area.