McGill Makes Strategic Inroads in Bong -Rolls out women empowerment loan scheme; woos citizens to join Weah-2023 caravan

The Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel Fallo McGill, says the government of Liberia is committed to empower rural women, evidenced by the Government’s allotment of US$2 million in the 2022 Fiscal budget to support businesswomen in rural Liberia. Making the statement on behalf of the government while addressing thousands of rural women in Suacoco over the weekend, Minister McGill said as a show of government’s concern towards empowering women with substantive measures to address their plights, he had come to spread the good news to the women of Bong County who were among the strong pillars that ensured President Weah’s victory in 2017, a commitment he knows that will be repeated in 2023.

“The President has given us the mandate to go to the people to know their problems. We can’t stay in Monrovia and know all the problems; that is why I have made Bong County my home. I know you might have been asking why the President has not been stopping here to visit you, but I can assure you that once we have made Bong County our home, the President will always come here,” Minister McGill said.

Speaking about the empowerment scheme, Minister McGill said it is in the wisdom of the government that there is no way all the problems in the country can be solved at the same time, but there is a need to solve the most critical ones that affect the people, one of which is empowerment of rural women through the provision of loans to businesses being owned and operated by rural women. But he also cautioned that the women have to be organized as groups and well documented to avoid money going in the hands of the wrong persons.

“You have to be organized to receive this morning because that is how we will know if the money will end in the hands of the right people. I don’t want for people to come to me and say: Mr. McGill I have not received mine, or that the people you gave the money to did not give yours. Get to your chairlady in this town, write your names and she will bring the names over to us. I can assure you that when you organize yourselves and submit the names, after about four weeks, you will receive the money. The money is there, I can assure you on that one. Just organize yourselves,” McGill stated confidently.

He further informed the citizens that the loan scheme notwithstanding, he was making his personal commitment of LD$1m to women initiative project being embarked upon by Eugene Kollie, a representative aspirant of the Suacoco District, amidst cheers and jubilations from the crowd.

“I am making my contribution of LD$1m to Kollie’s project for the women and I am sure that the opposition will be vexed again but when they vex, let them burst. Bong County, that our pepper bush, that President Weah’s pepper bush”, McGill tauntingly remarked.

He praised Kollie for being a young and hardworking person whose desire is to help his people. “When you have a good son, you will get good things. Eugene has not even become a representative and he has started doing big things, bringing people in the District. I know the day he becomes a lawmaker, he will bring the President here, he will bring development here”, McGill said.

He said besides the loan scheme, the government has a scholarship program that covers students in grade schools, for which Bong County has benefited immensely from the scheme and will continue to do so as opportunities come up. He said the intent of the scholarship scheme is to remove the burden from poor parents who face difficulties in enrolling their kids in school, as well as to amplify government’s commitment to provide quality education to its citizens.

On the occasion that also turned out to be a political carnival, McGill also used the time  to call on the women to massively participate in the voters’ registration exercise so as to be legitimate voters and urge them if that is done, they should massively vote for President Weah in 2023.

“I want to tell you that the election is coming. I want to ask all the women to register and vote for President Weah. Let us make Bong County proud, plenty of development coming to Bong County. Let us unite and together we will make Bong County great, so that more development will come to the county. For those who are here, whether you are for the other parties before or not, everybody here now is for President George Weah”, McGill said as thunderous cheers erupted from the crowd.

He likened Bong County to a woman who gave birth to a child, but no matter her condition; she remains the mother of the child.

“So is the story of Bong County and the CDC. We want to thank you. I came and I saw a huge crowd, people from all over the place. I now know that Bong County people really love President George Weah. Since 2017, you have not abandoned the President, you know the President that talk and do President”, he said.

McGill’s outreach on behalf of the government to assist the people of Bong County has taken him to several towns and communities in the 13 electoral districts, which occasions he also used to promote the re-election bid of President Weah in 2023.

Referencing the loan scheme and the scholarship opportunities for grade school students in the county, McGill said: “When we were on campaign in 2017, the president made it clear that the issue about tuition wouldn’t be a problem during the CDC leadership. What I am doing here in Bong, Nimba, Margibi and other counties just validates what the president had said four years ago”.

Citizens’ Endorsement

As a result of Minister Nathaniel McGill’s forays into Bong County, some citizens have started to join the bandwagon to have President Weah reelected in 2023.

Emmanuel Tamatai is leader of youth-based group called “Disenchanted Opposition Youths”, and he believes that Minister McGill is making the right moves to win over even the opposition camp.

“While it’s true we came today to endorse President George Weah’s second term it would be unfair not to mention the role you played in convincing us to join ranks with the ruling party. Your personal assistance to us as an institution over the years can’t go unnoticed,” said Tamatai.

Receiving the endorsement, McGill who was visibly excited stated that his continuous assistance to the young people remains unwavering because the plight of the young people is one of major drivers of the Weah leadership.

Minister McGill further thanked the group for their endorsement, describing it as an indication of the firm belief in the competence and capability of President Weah to lead the country for the next six years.

“I thank our teeming youths from the opposition community for coming to declare this overwhelming support and endorsement for your great leader, President Weah, to lead Liberia for another six years. The endorsement you gave to our leader is one step towards realization of the Weah 2023 project. The most important step is to go out in villages and towns to spread the message,” he concluded.