By Lincoln G. Peters
The newly confirmed Chairman of the Governance Commission (GC), Garrison Yealue, Jr, vows here to campaign throughout the length and width of Nimba County and beyond, for the re-election of President George Weah.
The Governance Commission (GC) is the Government of Liberia’s premier policy think-tank clothed with the mandate to promote good governance by advising, designing and formulating policies, including institutional arrangements and frameworks required for achieving good governance in the public sector.
Speaking during the launch of “Nimba for Weah 2023” rally at the Paynesville Town Hall in Paynesville City, outside Monrovia on Saturday, April 14, Chairman Yealue promised to campaign for President Weah and do everything in his power to ensure the President gets reelected in October.
“For me to see roads in my area and beyond, to see villages and towns that my father and great-grandfather established that he told me that we should fight for that district to be developed and see a man developing that district, it means that I must stand behind that man and I will campaign for him and do everything in my power ‘till George M. Weah is re-elected as the President of Liberia”, he pledges.
“Today, journalists are here, and they will say the chairman of Good Governance Commission was at a political rally and we see [saw] him. But I didn’t come here in my capacity as the chairman of Good Governance; I am here in my capacity as a son of Nimba County”, Mr. Yealue clarifies.
Dozens of Nimbaians under the banner “Nimba for Weah 2023″ over the weekend held a political rally and initial launch of the organization.
During the occasion, Nimbaians paraded through the principal street of Paynesville, particularly, from GSA road to the Paynesville Town Hall.
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The objective of the group is to ensure that President Weah and his Coalition government are re-elected in a one-round victory.
According to the group, the decision is based upon the numerous development programs President Weah is carrying out in Nimba and Liberia at large, including but not limited to, road construction and rehabilitation, infrastructure development, free and quality education, affordable healthcare service, human development and opportunity for all Nimbaians and Liberians generally.
The GC boss says he believes that today, Monday, April 17, 2023, political pundits and others will criticize his decision, but argues that his statement is based on precedent.
“As a lawyer, we have something we call precedent. In 2011, Dr. Amos C. Sawyer, who was then the chairman of the Governance Commission, endorsed and supported the re-election bid of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. However, it’s on that same basis and precedent that I Hon. Garrison Yealue, Jr, am saying to the people of Nimba County that George M Weah is the best man to hold and go and we must do all we can for him to be re-elected come October 10th, he reiterates.
He recalls that during the National County Meet early this year, specifically the game between Nimba and Lofa counties, he predicted that Nimba would have scored three goals if Lofa scored one and it happened.
“The same gods of our forefathers who spoke to me that day had told me that President Weah will be re-elected in a one-time victory in October. With that, I ask you don’t waste your vote. We have come to send a signal out there that the mandate was given to us in 2017 that President Weah’s mother is from Nimba, which means that President Weah is a nephew of Nimba.
We can’t sit down and watch him fail. He is hoping on us for his re-election and so, it’s time that we stand up and say you rebuilt our towns in the past and [you fathers] one of our daughters’ son, and so I being one of the men of Nimba, we say we stand with you and support you”, he continues.
According to him, during the 90s, he walked through the road from Karnplay to Zogowe and then Yekepa and he knows what he encountered, pointing out that when he was attending Saniquellie Central High School in Nimba, he walked on the road to his home town and knows what he encountered.
“But, the last time I was in my home and I drove from there in the morning and came to town and attended work the same day. By that, it shows to me that this President, who has given us road, free education, and [is]making effort to empower our sisters, mothers in the market, we can’t disregard this President.”
Chairman Yealue cautions Nimbaians not to listen to people who will argue that roads in Nimba were initiated in 2005 when they refused and ignored access to give the county roads.
He says the access that was ignored by the past government is something that President Weah as a lovely President provided funding to ensure that Nimba gets road and those whose houses or property were affected in the process, have been adequately settled. Editing by Jonathan Browne
