MONROVIA: Despite the criticism he received from the opposition for initiating programs and policies that give Liberian students greater access to quality education, President George Manneh Weah may be reaping the benefit from his government’s investment as some first time voters, majority of whom are fresh high school graduates and young university students, have taken on the mantle to deliver victory to him during the ensuing general elections where the President is seeking the renewal of his mandate for the next six years.
The decision to support the reelection bid of President Weah was made on Monday, September 11, 2023, when the young electorates, speaking through their colleague, Miss Cumin G.T.G. Zabay delivered a brilliant and thought provoking speech cataloguing the achievements of the President since his ascendency in various sectors that have spurred the development and have in no small way impacted on the citizens of the country at the political rally held in Totota City, Bong County.
“Mr. President, any attempt at enumerating your contribution to our district in particular and Bong County in general would be an extremely difficult task as the luxury of time wouldn’t permit us. We see this historic visit, however, as a moment of pre-celebration of your victory at the polls not for anything else but for the enormous contributions you have made and continue to make in your first six years as the arrow head of the masses party – The Congress for Democratic Change – led government.
“I have come to fulfill the yearning of the first time voters like me, youth and student populace, alongside all our fathers and mothers of our district who have longed for this visit as a contact point to fulfill the dream of having a direct access to you; and today, heaven has made this day a dream come true for our young people whom I embody to behold our hero in person of the World Best, Europe Best, Africa Best, Liberia’s Best, Bong County’s Best, Salala District’s Best, the Young People’s Best, All students’ Best, Dr. Dr. George Gbekugbeh Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia”, she said amidst cheers from the audience.
Miss Zaybay who held the audience spellbound throughout her presentation said history will forever be grateful to President Weah as a thoughtful and visionary leader who has proven beyond reasonable doubts that Liberia reminds the main focus of his leadership and that if given another term, he will transform Liberia to a worthy country that will be the toast of the world. She then went on to list some of the achievements of the President, thanking him for what he has done in the last 6 years.
“Mr. President, Yes, thank you:
“For the continued payment of WASSCE fees at both Junior High and Senior High levels throughout the Republic – giving breathing space in our quest to move forward to tertiary institutions. In my last year in high school, Sir, you paid for study classes for us, provided calculators as you are still doing, your concern for the development of the youth of this nation is overwhelming.
“Thank you for the renovation of 156 senior secondary schools throughout the Republic of Liberia – three of which are in our district, thus creating such a conducive academic environment such as we have never known in our lives.
“Thank you our Daddy and leader for the electronic libraries in all our public high schools, a feat which will now afford us the opportunity to learn computers first hand in our localities and be part of the global academic developmental surge.
“And for infusing 2,800 supplementary teachers onto the government payroll, giving the opportunity to remove the mess that once existed in the system, I say thank you.
“Thank you Sir, my friends have asked me to come and say thank you for the tuition free regime at the University of Liberia making it a possibility for the market woman’s child like me and many others colleagues of our district to walk into the University of Liberia with pride and dignity – something which I know won’t have been possible before now, I tell you, this makes your retention a compulsion”, she said while receiving thunderous cheers from the audience.
She also used the occasion to thank the President his approval of USD900k for the completion of the Bong Technical College, which she described as an academic pride of the county, the construction of a new market structure in Salala City, the headquarters of District #1, the low cost housing estate in Mashanshu, a thoughtful measure by the government to remove the people from the hamlets to a befitting home, as well as the enactment of the land right act which will now afford women to voice in land ownership, asserting that the regime made the definition for the Pro – Agenda very simple as ABC.
“Thank you for the roads you keep building in your fight to connect every Liberian to urban life.
“Thank you, you are truly the light, connecting our cities to electricity and making darkness to gradually disappear – this is worth mentioning among your several initiatives to move us from nowhere to somewhere in terms of electrification of the nation.
“Mr. President, you have moved our recreational life to a phenomenal new dimension by the construction of amusement parks throughout Montserrado – we can see us having one in Bong very soon and it’s because of the concern you have shown over the years by surrounding your administration by many of our sons and daughters. As we go to the polls, we cannot show any ingratitude, God forbid.
“Bong County remains a darling of your regime, we are home to the regional Central Bank hub, and a modern medical center is also a pride of our county. Thank you, our pledge is to tell you that the first round victory is a must, yes we can.
“Thank you for the erection of health facilities e.g. the 14th Military Hospital, the Emirate Hospital, etc . We can rest assured that there is hope because the change truly has come and must be allowed to continue till 2029.
“Thank you for many of our youthful citizens whom you have sent abroad to study in various areas of endeavor to partake in the development of the new Liberia you are building.
“I would have continued naming several developments you brought had I the possibility to exhaust the list, but Mr. President, we can’t go on now – for it’s time to dance with you, stand with you, run with you, sing the song of victory with you, for we know that victory has been won before this day. It is all due to your hand marks everywhere – the young, the old, the boys and the girls, the women, the men, your touch is just everywhere. We in Salala District will join you to paint the entire nation blue on D-Day”, she said.
The young lady who aspires to be a lawyer with the view of uplifting the society and protecting their rights, dwell in the local politics when she said stated that President and the campaign team of the county did a great job with the select Representative Edward Worman Karfiah and William Telebo Thompson as Senatorial and Representative candidates “to partner with us in pushing the party vision”.
“Our two sons – Hon. Edward W. Karfiah at the county level, and Hon. William Telebo Thompson at the District level; have asked us to stand with you; to remain sleepless, restless, relentless, Sundivided, unbending, unswaying and unmoving in giving you a resounding one round victory – and this we vow to do come October 10, 2023, the code is #18, our pass word remains – WKT: W for Weah, K for Karfiah and T for Thompson.
“Please remember our district’s premier senior high school, Mr. President – the E. J. Yancy High School- Bong County’s second largest public school, we need to fence that noble institution and to build an auditorium. Remember us when we shall have triumphed as we all are fighting to bring the victory. Remember our district leaders, it may interest you to know that we are the nation’s second oldest district, we cannot afford to be left behind.
“Thank you Mr. President for coming, no need for change sir, for indeed, the man of change we have been yearning for is here – and with the team our county has given you, from the vice president to our senator in waiting, Hon. Edward W. Karfiah, of the People’s Unification Party (PUP) teaming up with our own representative in waiting for the Mighty Congress for Democratic Party, Hon. William Telebo Thompson, our second term is surely sure.
“Long live President Dr. George Gbekugbe Manneh Weah and the First Lady, Madam Clair Marie Weah, Long live the Vice President, Madam Jewel Howard Taylor, the Superintendent and County officials, the representative, commissioner and district leaders including our chiefs and elders, long live the Mighty Congress for Democratic Change, Long live the Republic of Liberia. This glorious land of liberty shall long and forever be ours”, she concluded and received a standing ovation.
The endorsement in Totota City, Bong County by the first time voters is fast becoming phenomenal where young people who benefitted from the President’s policies on building the capacity of the future leaders of the country through education have been reciprocating for what he has done for them. Pundits are of the view that with the population of the young people constituting a larger portion of the voters, it will not be wrong to suggest that President Weah is likely to get a lion share of the votes from the young people.
Miss Zabay who is just 17 and already a third year student at the University of Liberia majoring Sociology and minoring English, was offered an instant scholarship to study at any institution of higher learning of her choice for the brilliance and eloquence in which she delivered the statement from the first time voters.
Born in the Oru Refugee Camp in Nigeria to the union of Augustine Zabay and ……young Cumin has exhibited a strong academic acumen right from the day she enrolled in school. Having gotten double promotions twice she graduated from elementary school at the age 8 as the valedictorian and her rendition of Maya Angelou’s poem, “Life Doesn’t Frighten Me made her the most popular kid among her mates.
Upon her graduation, she enrolled at the O’nance School at 72nd, Paynesvilled on a scholarship offered by the guest speaker during her graduation from the elementary school. She spent a year at the school and moved to Salala, Bong County to join her parents where her dad was a classroom teacher at the Martha Tubman High School and enrolled at the St.Louis Catholic School in 2015 in the 9th grade class and later changed to the Martha Tubman High School.
When her father was promoted as Principal of the EJ Yancy High School, in Totota, she moved with her dad and enrolled at the institution and graduated in 2019 before her 15th birthday even though the advent of the COVID 19 delayed the graduation until 2020.
While at EJ Yancy, she read several speeches, introduced several guest speakers at important occasions. She was spotted by then Senator Henry Yallah and went on occasions with the former senator delivering speeches. She was also once spotted by Nobel Laureate Leymah Gbowee for a possible scholarship but things did not materialize.
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NEC Davidetta Browne Lansanah
NEC Announces Arrival of Elections materials
MONROVIA: The National Elections Commission (NEC) informs electoral stakeholders that materials for the October 10, 2023 General Elections have started arriving in the country.
A press release names the materials as ballot boxes as well as yellow and gray precinct kits which have already arrived into the NEC Central Warehouse. Additionally, the NEC has received mock (sample) ballots for all categories of election, including President, Senate and House of Representatives for training purposes.
Tactile ballot guides for the visually impaired and assorted stationery materials for the conduct of the polls, the Commission said, have also arrived.
“Additional materials will be arriving in the coming days. Also, the Commission has produced and is distributing “Know Your Candidates” posters as part of its civic and voter education exercise,” the release indicated.
Meanwhile, packaging of training materials for the October 10, 2023 General Elections began on Monday, September 11, 2023 in the NEC Central Warehouse, according to the release. .
In a related development, a training of Trainers (ToT) for magisterial staff will commence on September 13, 2023 at NEC Headquarters in preparation for the October 10 Elections.
In addition, the NEC has commenced a series of Training of Trainers workshops for agents of political parties and independent candidates for the October 10, 2023 General Elections, the release signed by NEC’s Deputy Director of Communications Prince Dunbar concluded.
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