By: Leroy M. Sonpon, III

— Says the lawmaker has abandoned him

Seventeen year-old Jamel Koiwood has complained of his father, Gbarpolu County District #1 Representative Alfred Koiwood, to House Speaker Bhofal Chambers, accusing the latter of abandoning him since he was born.

Jamel, in a handwritten communication to Speaker Chambers on Thursday, a copy of which is with the Daily Observer, appealed to the Speaker to intervene. “I have the honor [to] express the behavior of my father, Representative Alfred G. Koiwood, since I was born up to this time, [there has been] no support at all from him to my mother, Bendu Fumbah. “In this view, Mr. Speaker, I am kindly appealing to your good offices to look in the situation I found myself,” the communication states.

Jamel continued, “Since he does not want any relationship any more with my mother, I want him to fully support me as a child, educationally, medically, including feeding and living place as my mother is not in the position to underwrite the responsibilities now. “He does not want to undertake these responsibilities, therefore let him make me know my grandmother so she can support me.” Rep. Koiwood chairs the House Committee on National Security and has been a member of the House since January 2012.

Rep. Koiwood did not deny nor confirm the allegation, but told journalists, “I am not speaking to that, until later date.” Rep. Koiwood’s Chief of Staff, Samson Cisco, in a telephone conversation confirmed the boy being the son of his boss, but said, “Jamel is lying, because at some point, he extorted money from his father.”

Source: Liberia Daily Observer