President George Manneh Weah has described Montserrado County Representative Solomon George as a ‘father of zogoes,’ saying he lived with the lawmaker as a young man in those days.
“When I was young, I lived with the father of the Zogoes which is Solomon George. So he’s the original father of the Zogoes,” President Weah said Monday, 29 October during celebration of the 49th National Youth Day amid laughter from the audience in Paynesville.
Zogoe is an unofficial nomenclature identifying disadvantaged youths here or wayward folks in the Liberian society.“I’m surprised that my brother Solomon George is calling me Zogoe,” President Weah says, as he recalls that during the time of his youth, people were named after everything they did.He says once you were selling bottles, you were called “bottle seller.”
Zogoes are youths who take in drugs, steal and sleep in the streets, and many of them appear to give up in life.Earlier, Rep. George had himself called President Weah Chief Zogoe in a comical manner, claiming that the president collected items from dumpsite during his youth as part of his struggle.
He says today, those who go on dumpsite to collect materials to sell are zogoes.
“This man used to pick up bottles from the dumpart to sell to make living. Today he is the president, Republic of Liberia,” George says.The drama unfolded when Rep. George was invited to the stage to speak at the youth program, given his position as House Committee on Youth and Sports.
Rep. George apparently attempted to inspire young people to push further in desire to achieving their respective goals in life when branded the president as zogoe who struggled from the bottom to reach the peak.“SO don’t’ see your present condition to stop you from achieving your desired dream, and the best opportunity for you is education and determination,” he says.
Weah describes Rep. Solomon George
By E. J. Nathaniel Daygbor–Edited by Winston W. Parley
