MONROVIA – Any serious political party or candidate vying for the Liberian presidency, knowing fully well that Nimba County holds the trump card to getting elected, would always prioritize Liberia’s second vote-rich region in their politicking. The opposition Unity Party, perhaps in forbearance of this fact, during the week took its political caravan to Gompa City (Ganta) to kill two birds with one stone: install officials of a local ‘Joseph Boakai 2024’ auxiliary, and most importantly, to woo the Nimba County votes in a bid to unseat the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change at the polls in 2023.
Making his case to the citizens of Nimba County when he visited Ganta City during the course of last week, former Vice President Joseph Nyumah Boakai received a rousing welcome from citizens and residents of the nine districts who converged on Ganta City and lined the streets in appreciation of Ambassador Boakai’s entourage visit to Ganta, as traditional dancers entertained the guests, and the elders of the land presented Ambassador Boakai with the ceremonial welcoming kola nuts.
Later, in the jam-packed administrative hall which hosted local government and traditional authorities, as well as citizens from the nine political districts who had converged to witness the induction of officers of the Movement for Boakai’s Election (NIMEBO), Unity Party’s Standard Bearer Joseph Nyumah Boakai used the occasion to call on citizens of Nimba County to do the right thing in 2023 and deliver the presidency to the Unity Party, because the foundation of the UP is built upon the hard work of illustrious sons of Nimba, including Jackson Doe.
“Even though in 2017, Nimba did not deliver the presidency as expected to the Unity Party, my trust and confidence in this County remains even stronger than ever before. 2017 is behind us, and 2023 is just ahead of us! So, my people of Nimba County, let us do the RIGHT THING this time to the memory of Jackson Doe and other great sons of Nimba County that have passed on!
“Therefore, in my current capacity as Standard Bearer of the Unity Party, I do declare, and let the record show, that the grand Unity Party also belongs to the people of Nimba County. And this why, we together, Nimba and Lofa, must lock arms and march with valor unpretending to meet the foe in October 2023 to finish the work that Jackson F. Doe, Edward B. Kesselly, Gabriel Kpolleh, and others started.
“We together must ensure in 2023 that Liberia is RESCUED from the shackles of Bad Governance, Corruption, Degradation, local and international Public Disrepute, and the Culture of Impunity, meted against the people of this great country by this current leadership and government.
“Consequently, it was not a surprise when LAP merged with UP in the 2011 Presidential and General Elections to usher in the second term of the Unity Party. That is why I would like to inform the people of Nimba County that the Liberia Action Party of Jackson Doe is still embedded in the Unity Party that I, as Standard Bearer, will present to the Liberian people again as we go into the 2023 general elections,” Ambassador Boakai stated to rapturous applause from the Nimbaians who had thronged the hall.
“No more guessing game with the presidency”
For his part, serving as induction officer, Unity Party Chairman Luther Tarpeh called on the citizens of Nimba to value the importance of their role in deciding who becomes president of Liberia, because this is one fact no one can take away from the Nimbaians.
According to Chairman Tarpeh, Nimba County has always played an important role in Liberian politics. “You are always the decider; you are the one that will make the president of Liberia. This is a fact that no one can take away from you. Today, we have come to Nimba to tell you that enough is enough. It is time to rescue Liberia through JNB. For a long time, we all have been experimenting with our national leadership. It is time for Nimba County to tell Liberia, no more guessing game.
“In these times of economic tantrums, JNB is the kind of leader that Liberia needs because of his vast political experience and his exemplary character. When JNB becomes president, investors will flock to Liberia.
“We do not want a buga dancer. We don’t want a musician who will leave the Executive Mansion to make music instead of running the country. He is happy over everything that is apart from government.
“It is time for Liberia to produce the kind of leader that we have been yearning for. We should stop playing guessing game with our future. We should stop mortgaging our children future for a bag of rice. Nimba County, join the Unity Party. Let us make 2023 our personal fight. If you have never fought for this country politically, it is time to fight for your country and your children future.
“Don’t sit there and say it’s their thing. It is also your thing. This change will start here in Nimba County. By 2024, Liberia will be turning the page from poverty to prosperity; from rampant corruption to integrity; and it starts with Nimba County,” the firebrand UP National Chairman stated emphatically, following which he inducted officials of NIMEBO into office.
NPP, ANC Local Chapter Heads Join UP
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects of the political gathering happened when a stalwart of the ruling Coalition National Patriotic Party constituent member openly pledged his support for the Unity Party and its Standard Bearer, and denounced his own NPP, because according to him, the issue of making Liberia better should not be limited to his personal benefit but the entire country.
According to Mr. Koung, who informed the gathering that he is the NPP Nimba County Secretary General and Labor Commissioner, he is resigning from the NPP and will register as a full-fledge member of the Unity Party.
“People will ask me why I am leaving the ruling Coalition to join the opposition Unity Party, but I now believe in Ambassador Boakai’s philosophy of ‘Think Liberia, Love Liberia, Build Liberia’.
This is not about me anymore. It is about our country Liberia. I believe Ambassador Boakai is the best person to more this country ahead.
As for Nimba University Pofessor Amos S. Dolo, who identified himself as Chairman of the Alternative National Congress Global Auxiliary Nimba County Chapter, they have organized themselves to support a JNB presidency in 2023, because they realized that they had taken the wrong route when they thought that Mr. Alexander Cummings would have been the better leader for Liberia.
“We have decided to organize ourselves to support Ambassador Joseph Nyuma Boakai. All of our members present in this gathering are professors of Nimba University. We have set up structures in the nine electoral districts of Nimba County.
“We organized ourselves under the ANC because we believed at the time that Mr. Cummings would have been the better person to lead Liberia. But after careful consideration, we knew that we had chosen the wrong path with the ANC.
“We are prepared to join forces with NIMEBO to ensure that Ambassador Boakai becomes the next president of his nation. Ambassador Boakai, we have come here to visit. We are here to work. Make us work,” the highly energized Dolo shouted amidst thunderous applause.
According to NIMEBO officials, the JNB support group was launched on April 7, 2022 by a group of former local government officials who decided to embark on a project to give the Liberian people hope by ensuing that Ambassador Joseph Nyumah Boakai becomes inducted as the next president of Liberia in January 2024.
The occasion was graced by the Unity Party Standard Bearer Joseph N. Boakai, Unity Party National Chairman Rev. Luther Tarpeh and other party leaders including Whroway Bryant, Cornelia Kruah-Togba, Amos Tweh.
Also in attendance were representatives from various political parties, including ALP Political Leader Benoni Urey; Chairman of the National Democratic Coalition and Organizing Chairman of the Democratic Alliance of Liberia Professor Alaric Tokpa,; Lofa County Senator Steve Zargo of the opposition Liberty Party; Dr. Jeremiah Whapoe, Political Leader of Vision of Liberia Transformation party (VOLT), as well as Unity Party’s Nimba County District 7 Representative Aspirant Roger Domah, among others who formed part of the induction program.
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