District #9 candidate presents agenda

An independent candidate for electoral district #9 in Montserrado County, Mr. Emmanuel Wru-Pour Cooper, has reiterated his determination to bring development to the district within three years, if elected.

Addressing crowd of supporters and well- wishers at his campaign office in Lakpazee, Airfield Sinkor recently, Cooper vows that if elected, he would introduce free and mandatory education for all youths in the district from primary school to 12th grade in partnership with private schools there.

However, he did not explain how this could be achieved, whether there are plans to subsidize learning institutions. But Cooper continues that empowerment, development, health, sanitation and education are among his prime objectives for the district, saying that his team is raising funds in the United State of America to ensure realization of his dream that the district would provide full scholarship to college students through granting of loans that beneficiaries will repaid after completion of their studies.

According to him, on several occasions he had met with residents from some of the 21 communities in the district, including Fiamah, Lakpazee, New and Old Matadi, Gbangay Town, Wroto Town, Central Matadi, Fanti Town, and 12th Street, respectively to discuss developmental issues, adding that in his educational program, emphasis will equally be placed on vocational and adult literacy to ensure that people, especially market women, learn skills on which they can survive for their livelihood.

Cooper says his team is exploring scholarship opportunities by writing foundations, donors and universities in America to enable college graduates in the district pursued graduate studies in American Universities in collaboration with his NGO.

The district#9 candidate, who holds a Master’s Degree in Political Economy from New School for Social Research in New York, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Liberia, has already begun fulfilling his promises by providing over 40 benches to a school in 20th Street community upon request.

He says as a guarantee of confidence between him and the electorate, he plans to sign a tripartite contract with voters on one hand, and the government through a lawyer on the other hand, asking to be petitioned out of office as lawmaker, if he failed to implement his promises to the district within three years.

He further vows to reduce unemployment, especially, among the youths and women in the district by introducing a loan scheme and matching the unemployed with businesses that will be willing to accept them in exchange for tax and other incentives.

Cooper continues that he plans to introduce communal farming in all available swamp lands in the district for the cultivation of swamp rice three times a year, and that workers would receive a monthly wage of US$100 or more, citing as an example, the remarkable success of one Anthony Yarkpawolo, a farmer in the district.

The independent candidate re-affirms his determination to create vacation jobs, by engaging businesses in the district to grant vacation jobs to students during the long vacation periods, noting that in the past, government mandated companies to employ students during vacation, and to create a micro credit scheme for residents interested in self-employ businesses such as market women and commercial bike riders.

By Emmanuel Mondaye-Editing by Jonathan Browne