By: H. Richard Fallah
CENTRAL LIBERIA: Liberia`s former Vice President, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, commonly known as “JNB,” and his Rescue Team received a rousing welcome over the weekend by a mammoth crowd of his supporters in Margibi, Bong and Nimba Counties.
The Rescue Team, headed by Ambassador Boakai (“Rescue 1”), Senator Jeremiah Kpan Koung (“Rescue 2”) and Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence (“Rescue Mother”), started visitation to the various counties on Thursday, 6, July, 2023.
The visitation began from Kakata City, Margibi County, and moved to Gbarnga City, Bong County. The Team later landed in Nimba County over the weekend.
In each County visited, the JNB Rescue Mission attracted enormous crowd of supporters and well-wishers.
The Team was welcomed in the various counties with gifts as the citizens chanted political battle cries and sang songs of praises, as they dance with JNB and his entourage.
In Bong County, Ambassador Boakai thanked the people of Bong for the show of support received while in the county.
As women and young people chanted slogans against drugs addiction in Bong County; Boakai assured them that his administration will work to eliminate the use of illicit drugs (KUSH) and focus more on developing Liberia again, if elected President.
Speaking Friday July 7, 2023 at the David Kuyon Sport Stadium in Gbarnga, Bong County, the Unity Party Leader said it is a sad thing to see the young people of the county and Liberia at large continue to move in streets corners without hope for a better future.
Boakai told the residents in the county that he was impressed to have witnessed the number of people who turned out to welcome the rescue team to Gbarnga.
He promised the people that his government will elevate and make the famous KPATAWE-water-fall attractive for tourism purpose where investors can come to build modern hotels and other recreation centers which will also create jobs for the young people who are in the county.
JNB: “Bong County is a passing point for many of our counties, but sadly, we are not giving it attention; Look at the KPATAWE-WATER-FALL, don`t you think we should develop it and make it look good for you and also investors, so we can be able to generate funds for the county and country.
“My government will develop Gbarnga, and Bong
County will be the conference center of Liberia, and our people will live a civilized life,” Boakai maintained.
Ambassador Baokai frown on the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led government headed by President George Manneh Weah, for ignoring unfinished national development projects to include: The Sirleaf`s Market, the County’s Technical College, the abandonment of the Presidential Palace, among several others which were initiated by the former ruling Unity Party.
He ended his tour in Bong County by presenting a modern Ultrasound machine to the Phebe Hospital in Suacoco, and later broke grounds for the construction of modern training facility for the Bong-Mande Muslim Women, a project that was sponsored by Bong County Senator Prince Kemo Moye.
While doing the ground breaking, Boakai told the Muslim Community in Bong County that they are good examples of religious tolerant.
He said that peace is what matters to Liberia, whether a Muslim or Christian; everyone should see Liberia as the bigger picture and not self-interest.
“Whether you are a Mandingo or Muslim in general, or from the Christian community, we are all Liberians,” JNB maintained.
The Unity Party Standard Bearer also used the tour to present his running-mate, Senator Jeremiah Koung, to the people of Nimba County; and he expressed gratitude to the citizens of Nimba for turning out in their numbers to receive their own son.
Ambassador Boakai noted that he chose to take his Vice Standard Bearer from Nimba County, because Nimbains are peaceful people, and with their peaceful nature, the entire country would be united once again.
“I selected Nimba, and Not Koung; I know that the people of this county are peaceful people, and we can use that to reunite our country where everyone of us can once again live happily as one family,” Boakai asserted.
The UP Presidential hopeful maintained that the people of Nimba should not allow this moment passed them, as the chance to bring a new Liberia is in their hands.
He promised that with the entrepreneur spirit he sees in the County (Nimba), his government will make Nimba an epic center for more young people to become entrepreneurs, and to help in building their county and create more jobs.
“I am extremely proud in the people of Nimba, most of you are entrepreneurs; especially the young people, that is what we all need to do, and we will make sure we empower you in order to make more of you to help develop this country,” JNB opined.
Meanwhile, responding to Ambassador Boakai, the Nimba County Elders who referred to themselves as the “Original Traditional Leaders,” thanked Ambassador Boakai. They Elders presented several traditional gifts to Ambassador Boakai for selecting a son of Nimba County as his running-mate for the crucial October Presidential and Legislative elections.
The Elders promised that they will not sit until Ambassador Boakai and Senator Jeremiah Koung are elected President and Vice President of Liberia respectively.
“For too long, we have not had this opportunity, so we will protect this one and not allow it to slip off our hands; consider Nimba delivered to the Rescue Team, and we will do only one round victory,” the Nimba elders assured Boakai.
The Unity Party’s Political leader also visited several churches in and around Ganta City, where prayers were offered for him and his running-mate Senator Koung and including other leaders of his team.
JNB and Koung departed Ganta for Saclepea, Tappita and other nearby towns and Villages outside of Ganta City, Nimba County.
The Unity Party first partisan (Boakai), has been accompanied on his central Liberia counties` visitation by some influential political actors and leaders to include: Grand Bassa County Senator and National campaign chairperson, Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence, Senator James Biney of Maryland County and National campaign vice chair for administration, Senator Prince Moye of Bong County and national campaign manager, Madame McDdella Cooper –national campaign vice chair for finance and political leaders of Movement of One Liberia; Senator Botoe Kanneh of Gbarpolu County.
Others include: Senator Steve Zargo of Lofa County, Cllr. Cooper Kruah national chairperson of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), Senator Prince Yomie Johnson, who is also political God-Father of Nimba County, and Montserrado County District #10 tough-talking lawmaker, Yekeh Kolubah, lately joined the team in Ganta, Nimba County.
Boakai and his team are however expected to end their Counties` visitation and depart for Monrovia on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, except for Senators Jeremiah Koung and Prince Johnson who have confirmed that they will remain in the county for two extra weeks to reach out to all of the towns, including districts to explain the rescue mission to their people.
