-Hands him the gavel of authority in Bassa
District #2, Grand Bassa County-Liberia’s Grand Zoe, Chief Zanzan Karwor on Thursday handed over to President George M. Weah a gavel saying, it is a symbol of his authority and power to rule after 2023.
But President Weah plays down the gabble rhetoric saying it was intended for him to preside over the ongoing town hall meeting on Compound #2, District #2, Grand Bassa County as chairman.
The Grand Zoe also handed over to the President a gown during the town hall meeting saying, it carries the spirit of the eight powerful Zoes in the region urging, President Weah on to wear it as he exercise his authority.
Liberians are expected to go to the polls in October 2023 in a general Presidential and Legislative elections, and with just over two years and few months to go, support for the president’s reelection bid has greeted his nationwide county tour so far.
At the town hall meeting on Compound #2 on Thursday, traditional leaders and citizens alike were full of praise of the President saying, he is the first ever sitting President of Liberia to visit their area and that his visits has opened up the district because they had been abandoned for years.
The Supreme Grand Zoe of Grand Bassa County, Chief Edward Gbarmah told the town hall meeting that they are convinced that Mr. Weah is the right person to lead the nation. “We were the doubters, but with time you have proven to be the right person,” Chief Gbarmah said speaking through an interpreter.
“Since 1961, I have been carrying loads on my head until you came to power and today, through our Representative Mary Karwor, we now have a car road connecting our district,” added another traditional leader, Chief Tardeh Gboyah. “We want to tell you thank you for bringing light to us,” he said through an interpreter.
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Madam Mary Karwor is the Representative of District #2 and the wife of Liberia’s chief Zoe, Zanzan Karwor. Rep. Karwor is credited for constructing the roads linking the district to Waka Town near Buchanan highway and also to Bong County through her personal developmental initiative.
According to Chief Karwor, his wife has so far spent US1.8 million working on the road networks in the district earning her all kinds of titles.
Rep. Karwor also addressing the town hall meeting said the money used to construct the roads have come from her earnings as a Representative for the last two terms.
“I used my salary to build this road. This place was a forest.
She said what she would want the government to do now is to augment her effort, b redesigning those wooden bridges into concrete so that they may last longer. She thanked President Weah for signing the County Development Fund, something she is expecting to get funding from to continue her project which now includes building a Compound #2 B from scratch.
She narrated how she once approached former Vice President Joseph N. Baokai concerning the road project in her district and was discouraged by the former Vice President who told her that it was not an easy project to venture on.He quoted US$3 million as cost for a similar project he was undertaking in his home town.
Her husband Chief Zanzan Karwor also told the town hall meeting as to how he once approached former President Sirleaf about building a road in their district, but was told by President Sirleaf that it was the World Bank building the roads.
He said after being let down by the former President he had to turn to his wife to help his people in the district.
Several speakers after one another showered praises on Rep. Karwor for standing up for her people. Another told a town hall meeting in District #2 B, of how they had been changing their Representatives because they had failed them in the past but that Madam Karwor had made the difference and therefore have no one to easily unseat her.
“2023 is here, we don’t have anybody to support us,” Rep. Karwor said. She noted that it doesn’t matter which party she belongs to, but she will give her support to anyone who help her people.
“Even if I am in John Brown’s party and he is not doing anything for me, the one who is doing something for me is the person I will support,” Rep. Karwor opined.
For his part, President Weah thanked the citizens of District #2 for reposing their confidence in him, saying he will not let them down, while urging them to maintain the peace.
He said it was the citizens who deserve to be thanked and not him because even though people looked down upon him that he could not lead the country, but the still believed in him and gave him 74.4% of their total votes.
Mr. Weah also disclosed that as part of his thank you, every request they have made, his administration will go back to the drawing board to act on them. By Othello B. Garblah
