WHO IS THE REAL PRESIDENT?

WHO IS THE REAL PRESIDENT?
THE DALLAS METROPLEX SET TO GET 3 LCA PRESIDENTS
By: Ralph Henri, Zoebush.com
October 4, 2009
The Liberian Community Association of DFW is on the verge of having three presidents if members and leaders within our community do not step up and bring a halt to what is set to split this community into three different groups. No one wants to discuss the issues in public but secretly discusses among themselves. One would be blind or deaf not to see or feel the tension and division that are gradually becoming a reality in the Liberian D/FW Community.

The community can either allow this to foster and bring total chaos to the community which has the propensity to turn friends against friends by choosing sides or the community can get involve to bring an amicable resolution to the leadership crisis in the interest of all Liberians in the Metroplex and the community.
James V. Coleman

The main catalysts driving this crisis are:

1. The LCA –D/FW election

2. Dr. John David (election commissioner) …election committee is not a standing committee; according to the current LCA D/FW By-Laws; must be appointed by the sitting President.

3. COLOSUS, (the parent organization of Liberian Community Association in the Southwest)

4. Formation of a new LCA in North Dallas.

5. Mr. James Coleman (Current president of LCA & Leadership Team)

Accordingly, the LCA election of June 2009 elected Mrs. Lorena Diggs Travell, a non-member of LCA-D/FW, as President LCA- D/FW. The election was conducted by Dr. John S. David, a non-member of LCA-D/FW.

The election has been termed illegal and not valid. The results will not be recognized by the current President Mr. James Coleman and his leadership team. According to Mr. Coleman, he did not appoint Dr. John S. David as the election commissioner. The constitution & By-Laws governing elections and who is eligible to run for leadership were completely ignored and violated as stated by Mr. Coleman

Lorena Travell

According to the LCA by-laws, to be eligible to run for any leadership position, one must be a member of LCA, attend at least 75% or 9 LCA meetings and be current with their membership dues. According to Mr. Coleman; Mrs. Lorena D. Travell has not attended any LCA meeting in the past two years and according to Dr, David’s memo dated July 14^th, 2009, she did not pay her dues prior to being placed on the ballot; therefore she is not eligible to run for leadership. The same also applies to Dr. John S. David himself who has not attended any LCA meeting in the past two years since the Coleman’s administration dating back to 2007. According to the LCA bylaws provisions on membership and elected positions, both Dr. David and Mrs. Travell are not eligible.

On the other hand, according to some supporters of Mrs. Travell, she was the only person who applied for the position and since there were no other contestants for the position, she is automatically president and the community should accept the results of the election because this is how it has always been done in the past.

In the mean time, the Lorena’s Team has held an installation, fired the vice elected president, appoints Dr. David as Constitution Revision Committee Chairman and is planning an inauguration.

Mr. Coleman and Team has also accused the COLOSUS (Community Organization of Liberian Organization in the Southwestern United States) of using the election of Mrs. Lorena Travell as smoke screen or diversion of not paying back LCA/DFW share of seed money and profit from July 26, 2008 celebration held in Dallas; and Dr. John S. David for not reporting funds previously collected during the many LCA elections he has chaired, including that of Mr. James Coleman’s leadership team.

Since the celebration (almost a year and a half ago), LCA has not gotten their share of the money; even though pretty close to eight thousand dollars ($8,000.00) in profit was turned over to COLOSUS by Mr. James V. Coleman.

Up to now, there has been no response from COLOSUS on the money issue. According to Mr. Coleman, COLOSUS has used some of LCA share of the money without first consulting the leadership team for this gone July 26 celebration in Oklahoma City.

Mr. Coleman and some members of the community have asked ‘what benefits the community gets for being under COLOSUS?’ This has not sat well with some of the leaders of COLOSUS. Therefore one can clearly see the level of support Mrs. Travell is getting from past and present Secretary Generals of COLOSUS both of whom hailed from LCA/DFW.

Obviously, the election of Mrs. Travell will give COLOSUS the opening it needs to avoid talking to Mr. Coleman and Team about the money. Therefore, this whole spectacle is just a big smoke screen NOT to discuss the main issue (MONEY) according to Mr. Coleman.

Liberians living in North Dallas have decided to form a new Liberian organization that will meet the needs of Liberians in North Dallas who have ” been left out of the local Liberian Community Association/DFW.” According to one of the chief architect of this new organization, Dr. J. Christopher Wreh, “we need to do things for our members because over the years, Liberians living in Dallas have always been taken for granted and are never taken into consideration when planning for the community.” We do not feel and has never been considered part of LCA/DFW.

In act of full disclosure and fairness, it must be noted herein that several members of the Coleman’s Administration, including his Vice President, Public Policy Director and Webmaster, live in North Dallas.

Asked whether this new organization will be part of COLOSUS, Dr. Wreh said no. He said “if COLOSUS can show him some document from the Liberian Government that mandates all Liberian organizations in the Southwest has to be part of COLOSUS then he will reconsider it. Until then, the new organization will not have anything to do with COLOSUS. He also called Mr. Coleman a “fool for giving almost $8,000.00” to COLOSUS.

The new organization is still in the planning stages and they are moving full speed ahead in the interest of their members. Let it also be remembered that the soccer team broke up some years ago because players from Dallas were not given equal playing time; thus giving birth to the division being used to form a new LCA organization in North Dallas.

Finally, the Coleman administration has stated the following as it position statement:

The Coleman’s Team is still the legitimate LCA –D/FW governing body; we will take a stand and challenge anything or anyone who try to derail our community. We were elected to defend and protect the constitution and By-Laws of this community. We will use what ever means the constitution gives us to defend it. Mr. Coleman said, this is not the time to sit back and say “I do not care”; but it is time for everyone who cares and loves this community to stand up with us and put a stop to this once and for all.

Mr. James V. Coleman and his leadership team are thus offering the following to help resolute the situation in the True Interest of the community:

1. We are the legitimate leaders of LCA Dallas/DFW until a legitimate election that meets the current constitutional provisions is held. (See attachment or go to http://www.lcadfwusa.org or http://www.zoebush.com for your official copy of the LCA-D/FW bylaws).

2. We will accept an interim leadership appointed by our community’s religious leaders and the Mr. Coleman’s leadership team, until an election is held.

3. Appoint a new election committee either by the current administration, our community’s religious leaders or interim body.

In any case, all monies held by COLOSUS and Dr. John S. David (election fees and due payments) must be returned immediately the Mr. Coleman’s leadership team.”

In the True Interest of the community let us all get involve and bring a stop to any situation that will bring friction and further derailment in the community. Click here for the constitution of LCA

Dissatisfied Liberians Community President, Emmanuel Kumeh
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Embattled COLOSUS's Secretary General,
Willie K. Kakmara
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Embattled Elections Commissioner, Dr. John S. David
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Click here for the Constitutions

Ralph Henri
Zoebush.com