Barrobo District

Location of Barrobo District in Maryland County

Barrobo District is a district of Liberia, one of the three located in Maryland County.

Barrobo is the largest of the various Grebo sub-tribes in Maryland County, Republic of Liberia. In the days of tribal wars they fought surrounding tribes to secure a large portion of land. Their military strength in those days enabled them to wipe out the entire tribe of Gbaylo. The land previously occupied by the Gbaylo tribe is currently a property of the Barrobo people. To control their warlike nature, President Edwin Barclay of Liberia built a military barak among them. The soldiers of Camp King used suppression, hard labor and intimidation to keep them in check. Besides, they were subjected to smaller tribes in the administrative arrangement of the Liberian central government. First, they were part of the Webbo district. When Grand Gedeh county was established and Webbo became part of Grand Gedeh, the Barrobo tribe was subjected to the smaller tribe of Boah. The most prominent paramount chiefs during the chieftaincy period were Peter Brooks of Feloken and Sunday Karmanue of Rock Town. On September 18, 1980, the Liberian legislature passed an act creating Barrobo as a statutory district, with Paramount Chief John Togba becoming the first district superintendent. Since then, September 18 has been celebrated annually by the citizens of the district. As of 2012, the superintendents of Barrobo since it became a district have been:

• John Togba – 1980–1981
• Ralph Clark – 1981–1986
• Fred D. Goe, Sr – 1986–1990
• None (a period of civil war and anarchy) – 1990–1997
• Joseph Weah – January – April 1997
• Victor Carngbe – 1997–2005
• William B. Nagbe – 2005–2010
• Samuel Sorwleh – 2010–2012
• George Geefie – from 2012-2018
• Gbajulu Toe Sorkpa, 2018-

Districts of Barrobo:

• Nyonken District
• Gwlekpokeh District
• Whojah District

Among the prominent citizens of Barrobo Statutory District are the following: Hon. Paul Jeffie, former Governor of the National Bank of Liberia; Honorable Harry Carngbe, former member of the House of Representatives (representing lower Grand Gedeh County) during the administration of President William V. S. Tubman; Honorable J. Barney Taylor, former Senator of Maryland County during the administration of President Samuel K. Doe; Rev. Dr. Jimmy B. Kuoh, Former General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God of Liberia; Hon. Samuel Tweah, Minister of Finance during the administration of President George Manneh Weah; Hon. J. Tiah Nagbe, former Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Director of Liberia National Identification Registry during the administrations of Presidents Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and George Manneh Weah; Hon. David Gwiah Saydee, former Member of the House of Representative during the administrations of Presidents Taylor and Johnson-Sirleaf; Hon. Betsy Kuoh Toe, former Superintendent of Maryland County during the administration of President Johnson-Sirleaf; and Hon. William K. Godfrey, former Deputy Minister of Justice during the administration of President Doe.