Fact-checking Musa Bility's Claims on Nimba By-Election

 Full Text: Musa Bility, political leader of the Citizen Movement for Change, in a live radio appearance on Sacleapea radio, made these claims:

Kogar is one of the current eight senatorial candidates qualified by the National Elections Commission to participate in the by-election. 

The by-election that is expected to be held in Nimba on April 22, 2025, is due to a vacancy created by the death of Senator Johnson, who has served the county since his election in 2005. 

Verification: In 2015, the House of Representatives suspended three of its members for disgruntled behavior following a report by the Committee on Rules, Order & Administration.

Kogar was one of the three lawmakers suspended, including Roland Opie Cooper, Representative, Margibi County, for three months, and Montserrado County Representative,  Henry B. Fahnbulleh, for one month.

Therefore, Bility is correct that Kogar was suspended.

2. Kogar spent 13 years as a representative

Kogar is currently the representative of Nimba County District 5. He was elected in 2011, 2017, and 2023.

Since each term is 6 years, this means Kogar has spent 13 years as the representative of the county.

The claim by Bility is true.

We contacted Bility to respond to the inquiry, but he did not respond. When he does, the report will be updated.

To verify the claim further, we checked Facebook and found these responses to the claim here, here, and here.

We then contacted the names mentioned in the post above; Atty. Shem P. Blafouley, current Secretary General of the African Methodist Episcopal University (A.M.E.U.), confirmed that Kogar studied public administration as a major and sociology as a minor.

Blafouley said Kogar graduated with Margibi representative Ellen Attoh Wreh and former Bassa representative Vincent Willie.

He, however, disclosed that Kogar is the current alumni class financier.

Also, Francis Grant, another Kogar graduate, said, “The information about Kogar’s graduation is true." We graduated from AMEU the same year and in the same class. He even had classes with one of my good classmates, Mondartus M. Monday. Grant said, "I can confirm that Kogar and I graduated together in the same year and attended the graduation in 2009. He was very regular on campus and active throughout, including supporting some of the activities on campus.”

Therefore, Bility's claim that Kogar has no education is misleading. Kogar is a graduate of the AH-NUEN CLASS 2008-2009 at AMEU.

Gblinwon is the former county inspector of Nimba. Recently, Gblinwon was endorsed by the newly formed political movement of Bility, the Citizens Movement for Change, to contest on the party's ticket.

Our verification showed that Gblinwon was appointed in 2020 by former President George Weah.

Therefore, the claim that Gblinwon served as Nimba County inspector for 5-6 years is misleading. Gblinwon was appointed in 2020 and was replaced after the election in 2023. Gblinwon turned over the inspector position in April 2024.

Conclusion: Our research found two of the four claims made by Bility to be accurate, while the rest are not.