Restoring Women & Girls from Mental Illness – ‘This is Where My Salary is Going,’ Dillon Boasts

MONROVIA – It can be safely said that deafening public outcries against lawmakers in Liberia over fabulous emoluments are essentially out of context, and at times hypocritical, when one takes a sober reflection of two things: first, that the emergent “fourth cardinal responsibility of a Liberian legislator” – charity or “legislative social responsibility” – besides the traditional three that include lawmaking, oversight, and representation, is widely accepted by all citizens as most important. It’s in fact based on this fourth rather than the three original responsibilities, that a legislator in the eye of the electorate is more qualified for reelection and highly perceived to be popular. And second, failure to accumulate wealth while serving as a lawmaker is often a source of contempt, viewed by most citizens as failure in life. Yet, quite ironically, Liberians lament and decry huge emoluments to their lawmakers, and asking what justifies such handsome earnings.  Montserrado County Senate Abraham Darious Dillon is not immune to such questioning, which is why, as his center working to rehabilitate young girls graduates another batch of former drug addicts, he disclosed in apparent answer to such questions: that these are the kinds of efforts that his monthly salary is committed to. The Analyst reports.

“When I contested for the senatorial seat in 2019, I made a promise that any amount I would be paid as Senator, I would only take $5,000 and give the rest to Montserrdo County which I was doing until I built this Rehabilitation Center.”

Those were words by Montserrado County Senator Abrahma Darius Dillon in remarks over the weekend when his Center for Rehabilitation and Reintegration (CFRR) graduated its fifth and first-all-female batch of rehabilitated clients.

Dillon had come under the onslaught of public censure for what was considered his failure to meet the campaign promise of cutting his salary – criticism that persisted while the construction was ongoing and survivors were being worked on.

This fifth batch of graduates is first all-female batch to get rehabilitated and reintegrated into the Liberian society by the Center for Rehabilitation and Reintegration since it was established in 2021.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony held at the rehabilitation center in the Cooper Farm Community in Paynesville, Senator Abraham Darius Dillon said since the establishment of the facility in 2021, it has been exclusively sponsored from his personal earnings.

“Since 2021, when I built this rehabilitation center, I told the people of Liberia particularly Montserrdo County, that I was no longer spending the $3,000 from my salary on any other projects but on the rehabilitation facility to help our children,” he emphasized.

According to Senator Dillon, after the election, he started to use the 3,000 United States Dollar he personally cut from his salary as senator to carry on several initiatives as promised during his campaign period – initiatives that include renovation of markets, building water facilities, latrines, amongst others.

“When I contested for the senatorial seat in 2019, I made a promise that any amount Senator is paid, I will only take $5,000 and give the rest to Montserrdo County,” he recalled, adding, “This is what I was doing until I built this rehabilitation center.”

The Montserrado County Senator told the gathering of parents who turned out to witnessed the ceremonies of their rehabilitated children that a total of 30 girls were taken into the facility after all the medical screenings.

He said some of the those screened could not make it to the end, as they escaped, but there were others who stood the test of time, remained resolute and resilient until they gained their sanity and dignity after rehabilitation.

“I want you to join me to appreciate these girls who are graduating today, because they stood the test of time and endured the challenges,” he said, as the audience offered applauses to the graduates.

He further that it was not an easy job to rehabilitate individuals who were addicted to drugs and to sustain them with different kinds of prescribed meals.

Senator Dillon also used the occasion to thank Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Kanga-Lawrence who he said has encouraged him to do the first batch of girls and have also provided a space for another facility in Grand Bassa County to rehabilitate more addicts.

For his part, Montserrdo County District #6 Representative Samuel Enders thanks Senator Dillon for initiating such a unique project in his district and using the district as a base for the transformation of Liberian youth.

“Today, your intentional decision to save these girls will forever be remembered, and we the people of District 6 are grateful,” he added.

According to him, as a representative of District #6 in Montserrado, he would make available his services as the new batch of clients come in by providing two bags of rice plus some money monthly.

He also stressed the need for members of the Montserrdo County Legislative Caucus to support the Center for Rehabilitation and Reintegration.

“I’m also going to prevail on the Montserrdo County Legislative Caucus to ensure that we contribute to this project,” the District #6 lawmaker promised.

In separate remarks, some parents of the rehabilitated girls expressed gratitude to Senator Abraham Darius Dillon and his team of caretakers for the work done on their children.

“We the parents of these girls are very grateful to you, Senator Dillon, for your effort to bring back our children to their normal status,” one parent said on behalf of colleagues.

They intimated that some of them cried every day and had lost all hope of getting their children back from drug addiction, but that they were now glad Dillon did the unthinkable.

CFRR, an initiative of Senator Dillon, has been at the forefront of the fight against drug addiction, offering hope to young Liberians struggling with drug and substance abuse.

This latest graduation marks the center’s fifth batch of graduates but stands out as the first to consist entirely of women.

A total of 13 women successfully completed the rehabilitation program, receiving medical and psychological support alongside vocational training to help them reintegrate into society as self-sufficient individuals.

Many of the graduates shared emotional testimonies of their struggles and triumphs. One of the newly rehabilitated women, overwhelmed with gratitude, said, “Before CFRR, I felt lost and hopeless. Today, I stand here with a new purpose, ready to contribute positively to my community.”

As CFRR continues to expand its impact, Senator Dillon reaffirmed his dedication to growing the program and ensuring that more at-risk youth receive the help they need. “The fight against drug addiction is a collective responsibility. We will not stop until every young person battling addiction has a path to recovery and empowerment,” he vowed.

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