Tension is said to be brewing amongst Muslims in Margibi County as the result of the indefinite suspension of the Chairman of the Margibi County Muslim Council by two groups of Muslim organizations in the County.
The two Muslim groups under the banner “Preaching Union of Liberia Margibi County chapter and Islamic Community”at an hastily arranged press conference on Monday, June 25, 2018 announced that their organizations in consultation with the National Muslim Council of Liberia with immediate effect announced the indefinite suspension of the Chairman Owandar M. Dunor while calling for his unconditional resignation.
Vandi D.S. Koroma, the Acting Secretary General of the Preaching Union of Liberia, Margibi County branch alleged that Mr. Dunor is being indefinitely suspended for the duplication of an official receipt issued by the Kakata City Cooperation.
Koroma accused Mr. Dunor of intentionally adding the name of the Margibi County Muslim Council on an official receipt dated June 15, 2018, earlier issued to one Abu Konneh by the Kakata City Cooperation for the release of a musical set seized by the authorities of the Corporation.
He said the act by the Margibi County Muslim Council Boss to add the name of the Council in parenthesis before the name of an individual that was paying a fine of L$2500 levied against him for public disturbance is highly criminal, diabolical and has the propensity to mislead and bring Muslims to public ridicule.
“Such action is not only insidious but also exposes Mr. Owandar M. Dunor as a treacherous person and a clever attempt to mislead and incite the Muslim Community against the City Major Emmanuel Goll” Koroma noted.
The Muslim groups alleged that Mr. Dunor voluntarily admitted his wrongdoing at a reconciliation meeting held with Mayor Goll at his office in Kakata, but he has since refused to make an official apology to the City Cooperation as agreed upon.
The groups said as the only registered Islamic organizations in Margibi County, they are warning all Muslims and non-Muslims, the Margibi County Legislative Caucus, the Superintendent and the public not to do any transact with Mr. Owandar M. Dunor in the name of Muslims of Margibi County, as by doing so will be at their own risk.
When contacted, Mr. Dunor said he is unaware of the existence of those groups in the Muslim Community of Margibi County, terming their action as illegitimate because they aren’t going through the right procedures and guidelines that lead to the suspension of the Chairman and other officials of the Council.
According to Mr. Dunor, he can only be suspended through a vote of no confidence for wrongdoing with the collection of five hundred members’ signatures channel through the Imam Council which constitutes the board of the council and not through some unknown organizations.
He, however, consented to the allegation that the council name in parenthesis was placed before the name of one Abu Konneh on a receipt that was issued by the Kakata City Cooperation, but clarified that he did so because the musical set in question is owned by the council and is operated by Konneh.
He argued that his action was in no way intended to duplicate the receipt as is being insinuated by the group, but was only to indicate that the fund was provided by the Council for the sake of audit.
Mr. Dunor disclosed that the Kakata City Cooperation concern about the receipt grew when a member of the Margibi County Muslim Council allegedly photographed the receipt and posted it on social media (Facebook).
The Margibi County Muslim Council embattled Chairman admitted to voluntarily agreeing to his action during a reconciliation meeting with the Office of the Kakata City Mayor but denied claims that he has since refused to write a letter of apology to the Mayor.
He told newsmen that in the spirit of reconciliation he wrote an official letter of apology to Mayor Goll on behalf of the Council, but said the letter was rejected by him on grounds that it was not from him (Mr. Dunor) as an individual.
For his part, the Kakata City Mayor, Emmanuel Goll when contacted via mobile phone Tuesday, June 26, admitted turning down Mr. Owandar M. Dunor’s Communication because it was not from him as an individual, but the Council. He has however vowed to take Mr. Dunor to court if he refuses to write a letter of apology on his own behalf.
But, the Margibi County Muslim Council Chairperson, Owandar M. Dunor has rubbished the groups’action, terming them as illegitimate.
