The former governing Unity Party concluded its hugely contested national convention last week in Gbarnga, Bong County, where a new set of leadership was put in place to steer the affairs of the party and lead the it to the much-anticipated 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections. Among those elected was Mrs. Cornelia Kruah-Togba, a brilliant, hard-working, trace-blazing, and accommodative young woman as National Vice Chairperson for Inter-Party & National Elections Commission Affairs.
Elected on a “white ballot” at the Gbarnga convention, Cornelia joined the Unity Party in 2011 as a young Liberian public servant and advocate for youth and women’s empowerment. She served as a founding executive of an auxiliary called the University Students for the Re-election of Madam Sirleaf (USROMS).
Since becoming a card-holding member of the UP in 2011, Cornelia has served the Party in various capacities including: National Assistant Secretary General for Press, Publicity and Outreach (Official Spokesperson), Secretary General of the “Wilmot Paye Investigation Committee” and Secretary General of the “2022 Unity Party Constitution Review Committee”.
She has also chaired several ad-hoc committees including the CPP Leadership Transition Team (LP to UP), the UP Headquarters Reopening Team and co-chaired the recent UP County Tour Committee.
While the Unity Party was a member of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Cornelia served as one of the Unity Party’s representatives on the CPP’s Secretariat and Chaired the Montserrado-Grand Bassa-Margibi cluster of the 2020 Special Senatorial Election’s VPS and Primaries Committee, and Endorsements Committee respectively.
Professionally, she has about six (6) years’ experience working in the public sector. She commenced her professional career in 2011 as the Youth Program Officer of the Angie Brooks International Centre for Women’s Empowerment, Leadership Development, International Peace and Security (ABIC), working on initiatives such as the Women’s Situation Room (WSR), and the UN High Level Panel in Monrovia.
In 2014, she transitioned to the public sector when she initially served as Program Assistant in the President’s Delivery Unit at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs during the administration of Mrs. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Occupying that portfolio, she followed up on various priority projects of the government. She then took up an assignment as Executive Assistant to the Minister of Public Works and subsequently as Chief of Staff to the Minister of Education, a position she maintained until her departure for graduate school in May 2017.
On January 21, 2018, because of her “enormous contributions to the cause of efficient and effective management [which benefited] Liberia”, she was admitted into the Order of the Star of Africa as an Officer by Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Cornelia is currently a graduating senior at the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law in Liberia.
She earned an MA in International Politics and Economics from Kingston University in London, United Kingdom. She also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the Stella Maris Polytechnic in Liberia and a certificate in Leadership, Entrepreneurship and African Studies from the African Leadership Academy in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In November 2018, Cornelia contested was as a candidate of the Unity Party and came 3rd of 11 candidates for Representative of District 13, Montserrado County. She is an inaugural member of the Amujae Initiative of the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf Presidential Center that aims at shifting the landscape for women in public leadership in Africa, moving from a culture of tokenism to one that truly valued woman leader.
Cornelia considers herself a representation of and bridge between two major segments of our society: the youth and the women. She is a proud daughter of Nimba County and attributes her tenacity, bravery, excellent leadership, passion and commitment to what her county of origin stands for.
The election of Cornelia Kruah-Togba as the youngest National Vice Chair for Inter-Party and NEC Affairs is being described by political pundits as a fruit of hard work, commitment, dedication, humbleness, and honesty to duty; and an excellent demonstration that good virtues accelerate recognition and elevation.
Scores of partisans of the Unity Party, friends, colleagues, allies, and other Liberians and foreign residents alike, have made the election of Cornelia a topical issue, using her example as a motivating factor for all young people who seek growth and development.
Speaking to reporters in Gbarnga, Bong County shortly after her victory was announced, pronounced, declared, and confirmed, Mrs. Kruah-Togba vowed a renewed commitment and dedication to duty as she takes on her new assignment, which she termed as a new, but insurmountable mountain that would be climbed rain or shine.
She commended her fellow partisans of the Unity Party and the convention delegates for their trust and confidence reposed in her.
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