Lawmaker in tussle with a Chinese national

Representative Samuel Enders of Montserrado County has engaged a Chinese national over construction of an annex to a proposed town hall in his district.

By Emmanuel Wise Jipoh 

Paynesville, Liberia, May 20, 2025 – Montserrado County District #6 Representative Samuel Enders has engaged a Chinese National, Lee Yu Chang, in a fight over construction of an annex to a proposed town hall in his district.

Some unidentified Liberian contractors and engineers under the supervision of Chinese National Lee Yu Chang, are constructing a partition to the multipurpose-unfinished district town hall project when the incident occurred.

According to sources, the project was initiated by former Representative Edwin Melvin Snowe,  now Bomi County Senator, but it has been at a slow pace, which prompted the government, through the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) to construct a quarter for Chinese engineers that are expected here to construct an over bridge.

Sources explained that it was through an Assistant Minister of Public Works, only identify as Minister Kollie, who had instructed contractors to construct partitions for the Chinese, who are expected to begin work for the overhead bridge project. However, they alleged that the instruction was given without acknowledge of the District Representative, Samuel Enders.

The altercation, nearly leading to a fist-fight, and potential chaos, occurred when the aggrieved Lawmaker went to halt what is being considered an illegal construction.

“I asked everyone one to stop; who is constructing on the district hall, destroying this property we have spent on for the benefit of our people?” Rep. Enders was heard asking when he was engaged by an unidentified constituent.

“We will not stop our work, until our boss tells us to stop; it is the government that asked us to work and a Chinese man is the head of this”, a contractor replied.

In an annoying mood, Rep. Enders reiterated that all construction works should stop, until the Chinese man, Lee Yu Chang, arrives on the scene.

Upon arrival of the Chinese National, there were heated exchanges between Rep. Samuel Enders and the contractors, who resisted they will carry out their work until Police intervene.

“Who are you to stop us? “If you are a lawmaker, go back to the Land Authority or the same government that asked us to work here, a lead Contractor, arrested by the Police said.

However, still annoyed by the contractors’ resistance, Rep. Enders encountered a hostile Chinese contractor, as the lawmaker attempted to stop the ongoing construction.

“Who are you to trouble me? Why trouble me? Who gave you the power to come trouble me?” Chinese man Yu Chang questioned Rep. Enders on a video footage.

Meanwhile, viewers and the public in general have given mixed reactions to the altercation, with some terming the tone and nature of the exchanges as disrespectful and arrogant towards the District Representative.

They widely condemned the action by the foreign national, who they noted overstepped his bounds by challenging an elected Liberian official on Liberian soil.

Others frowned at Rep. Enders for pushing the Chinese man to the ground, something, they described as lawlessness. They called for a formal investigation into the matter.

At the same time, the Ministry of Public Works has failed to comment on the viral social media video, despite being implicated as masterminds of the altercation.

An effort to seek clarification from the Ministry’s communication department through Director Benjamin Myers proved unsuccessful. Editing by Jonathan Browne