By Elijah Easter Kaykay/Grand Bassa
Four members of the Grand Bassa County Legislative Caucus were denied entry to the Fairground, the venue of the 179th Independence Day celebrations on Monday.
The lawmakers — Senator Gbehzohngar Milton Findley, Chairman of the Bassa Legislative Caucus; Representative Thomas Goshua (District #5); Representative Clarence Banks (District #2); and Representative Isaac Bannie (District #1) — were left seated outside the pavilion for nearly two hours as the official program unfolded at the Fairground in Buchanan.
The spectacle drew immediate attention from Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Senate Pro-Tempore Nyonblee Kanga-Lawrence, and Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Samuel Stevequa, who intervened personally. Their appeal on behalf of the lawmakers eventually secured entry, escorting them into the pavilion to join other dignitaries.
No explanation was offered by Executive Mansion protocol officers for the initial exclusion, and as of press time, no official statement had been issued. The silence has fueled speculation of political undertones behind the incident.
When approached by Jaadeh TV Bassa, the lawmakers confirmed they had been turned away but declined to elaborate. Senator Findley, speaking for the group, attempted to downplay the humiliation: “It is OK for us to sit here. There are others sitting here too. See the traditional chiefs and elders and other people sitting here too.”
Yet observers noted the stark contrast between the lawmakers’ exclusion and the eventual intervention of top national leaders, underscoring the gravity of the embarrassment. Jaadeh TV Bassa documented both the denial and the dramatic reversal that followed.
The incident, unfolding amid national commemorations of Liberia’s 179th Independence anniversary, has sparked debate over respect for elected officials and the integrity of state protocol. For many, the episode symbolizes deeper fractures in governance and the widening gap between authority and accountability.
As the nation reflected on its independence, the humiliation of Grand Bassa’s lawmakers became the day’s most talked-about controversy — a reminder that even in celebration, politics and protocol can collide with explosive consequences.
