By Lincoln G. PetersÂ
Presidential candidate Dr. Jeremiah Z. Whapoe says leadership has nothing to do with age, cautioning Liberians to vote for the most solution-oriented candidate instead of sympathy.
The opposition Vision for Liberia Transformation Parry (VOLT) standard-bearer addressed scores of residents of the Coca-Cola Factory Community in Paynesville over the weekend, saying Liberians should vote for agenda and idea, instead of age.
“You will hear some people telling you to give the thing to the old man because he is old. I strongly disagree with that because leadership has nothing to do with age,” said Whapoe.
“If you want to be a leader, you have to be a problem-solver-oriented person,” he stated.
Though Dr. Whapoe declined to name a particular candidate who has old age sympathy, the former ruling Unity Parry (UP) fields the oldest presidential candidate, Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai.
Meanwhile, Boakai’s supporters have argued that he is best suited for the job because has experience as a former vice president, and an elderly statesman who served in different government positions before becoming vice president.
Boakai’s supporters have also projected the former vice president as a candidate with integrity because he has not been accessed of corruption throughout his decades of public service.
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But Dr. Whapoe insists that grey hair is not wisdom, adding that the age of Methuselah has nothing to do with the wisdom of King Solomon.
According to him, if anyone is interested in the leadership of this country because he is old and doesn’t have the agenda and platform for solving Liberians’ problems, he should not be elected or allowed to serve.
Dr. Whapoe believes that such an individual who can’t solve the country’s problems is no different from a follower because he is walking in the problems with the people instead of solving them
” If you want to be a leader and you can’t take your followers from point ‘A’ to ‘B,’ you are not a leader,” said Whapoe.
“I want to say this to Liberians in clear terms that leadership is not by age. You don’t give someone leadership because the person is young, old, or handsome, but because they can solve problems,” he stated.
Dr. Whapoe urged Liberians to vote wisely and reject any presidential candidate who doesn’t have a better platform for Liberia’s problems.
He indicated that Liberia’s transformation and security are important because Liberia has a responsibility of showing the difference as the oldest independent state in Africa.
