MP Bility's flag celebration takes on tragic proportions | News

— Former township commissioner drowns, several others killed after canoe capsizes

A joyous Flag Day celebration that Nimba District 7 MP Musa Bility held with some of his constituents ended in tragedy. One man was killed, another is missing. A former local councillor drowned and another person, said to be the MP's bodyguard, is presumed dead after a canoeing accident.

The body of Mr. Morris P. Williams was found after a search while Lawrence Yeyea, the bodyguard of Rep. Bility, remains missing after their canoe capsized in Yar Creek on August 24, 2024. Rep. Bility and his team were returning from a Flag Day celebration in Kpai Tiapa when the incident occurred.

The people of Kpai Tiapa had invited Representative Bility to participate in their Flag Day celebrations and had also asked him to build a bridge that would connect Districts 7 and 5.

On the return journey, eyewitnesses reported to the Daily Observer that the overloaded canoe carrying the former Township Commissioner and the bodyguard had run into difficulties due to the strong current of the stream.

Tragically, the two men disappeared into the water. Efforts to find the missing are ongoing, with traditional divers assisting in the search along the creek banks. Although the body of the former municipal commissioner has been recovered, the whereabouts of the district clerk remain unknown.

There are fears that more people may be affected by the incident, but the exact number is unclear.

“When the canoe reached the middle of the stream, the current was too strong for the paddler, so the occupants had to jump into the water for safety reasons. Unfortunately, the former municipal commissioner and the employee have disappeared and have yet to be found,” said an eyewitness to the Daily Observer.

Yar is one of the major water bodies that drains from Mount Nimba in Yekepa. The other is St. John River in the south of Nimba.

The residents of Tiapa communities usually face difficulties during the rainy season when the Yar River overflows its banks. At this time, the entire community is cut off from the rest of the county and has no way out.

However, the road from District 7 in central Nimba through Tiapa could be one of the shortest routes to Sanniquellie if it were not for the threat posed by the overflowing Yar River.

MP Bility's initiatives to improve feeder roads in central Nimba have been a focus of his political work, with the Bility Foundation actively involved in road rehabilitation projects throughout the region.

The latest tragedy highlights the challenges faced by communities like Tiapa during the rainy season when water levels in Yar Creek rise sharply.