- By Ishmael F. Menkor
As several chiefs seek ‘vote of no confidence in Chief Sehnean
The refurbishment of the Sanniquellie Airstrip faced obstacles as some individuals, claiming ownership of the land due to their properties on the runway area, refused to vacate. Allegations suggest that Chief Robert Sehnean, a prominent traditional leader in the area, sold parcels of land in the area to these individuals, leading to the current dispute.
This has led to the dispute over the ownership of the Airstrip to intensify, with allegations and counterclaims between Nimba County Superintendent, Kou Meapeh Gono, and Chief Sehnean. The conflict has now escalated to the point where some chiefs have reportedly signed a ‘vote of no confidence’ resolution against Chief Sehnean.
In response, Chief Sehnean emphasized that the land in question was not within the original boundaries of the airstrip and clarified that airport expansion was not feasible due to topographic challenges. However, he faced accusations of mismanagement and other allegations from some paramount chiefs, leading to the vote of no confidence against him.
During the newspaper’s visit to the airstrip, occupants claimed to have bought the land from Chief Sehnean. Chief Robert Sehneah acknowledged selling some portions of land in the area but disputed that it encroached on the original airstrip boundaries.
He mentioned previous studies advising against expanding the airport due to the challenging terrain, specifically a mountain that could obstruct safe takeoffs.
The Chief clarified that plans for a mini airport were abandoned, and his family kept 22.5 acres untouched. He asserted that he never indicated the airstrip would extend beyond its original limits.
Chief Sehneah reported facing accusations from Supt. Gono on radio and in official meetings, alleging the sale of government land without considering his ownership of the untouched land. Amidst the dispute, he opted to procure a copy of his deed from the National Archives in Monrovia to validate his ownership status.
“There’s a mountain on the eastern side that poses a serious danger for plane takeoff. That’s why engineers advised against extending the airfield,” Chief Sehneah said.
“The idea of building a mini airport was abandoned, and my family retained 22.5 acres of land untouched. I never told anyone the airstrip would expand beyond its old line,” he added.
The authenticity and circumstances surrounding this vote of no confidence remain contentious, with Chief Sehnean attributing it to external influence and disagreements over the airstrip controversy.
Chief Sehnean said he returned from Monrovia with his land deed and supporting documents from the National Archives, only to discover that some of his chiefs were influenced by Daniel Zekpeh to sign a vote of no confidence against him.
Despite not being served with copies of the vote, he expressed that he had been monitoring discussions on local radio and social media platforms regarding the matter.
In the vote of no confidence, signed by less than ten out of over thirty paramount chiefs in Nimba, the chiefs accused their boss misusing around L$200k provided by Vice President Jeremiah Koung during a farm visit, discussing cultural matters on local radio, taking ownership two motorbikes from AML, and accepting funds from President Boakai while in Sokopa. Another allegation was that Chief Sehnean used his house as his office.
Chief Sehnean refuted all claims and attributed the vote of no confidence to Daniel Zekpeh, the County Administrative Officer, acting under instruction from Supt. Kou Gono regarding the airstrip conflict. He acknowledged that as a leader, there were times he apologized to chiefs for any misunderstandings to move forward.
On the other hand, Daniel Zekpeh denied orchestrating the vote of no confidence, stating that the chiefs acted out of their dissatisfaction with Chief Sehnean’s leadership and urged against blaming the county leadership.
Notably, no chief independently addressed the vote of no confidence, which took place on July 24, 2025, at the Superintendent Compound in Sanniquellie during a celebration for Supt. Gono’s Golden Award from the Baptist organization.
During the event, paramount chiefs led by Saye S. Kordoe, Sam M. Wonyen, Moses M. Tonlah, and Frank Mendin signed the document, while slots for Gbehay and Gborplay Chiefdoms were left unsigned, and the final signatures for Duo Chiefdom and Gbehye Chiefdom were signed by unidentified individuals.
Efforts to clarify the situation have been complicated by conflicting accounts and the absence of Supt. Kou Gono during visits from media outlets seeking further insight into the matter.
