Foya changes political gear?
Foya, Lofa County-Foya, the most populated district in Lofa County, and home to former Vice President Joseph Boakai pledged support to President George Weah here on Saturday June 5, ahead of the 2023 general and presidential elections.. The district, and the entire county, accredited for supporting ruling establishments voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Boakai in…
-Chief Momo Tailor, others petition Weah
Foya, Lofa County-Foya, the most populated district in Lofa County, and home to former Vice President Joseph Boakai pledged support to President George Weah here on Saturday June 5, ahead of the 2023 general and presidential elections.
The district, and the entire county, accredited for supporting ruling establishments voted overwhelmingly for Mr. Boakai in 2017, rejecting candidates of then opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), making it a no go zone for the present ruling establishment.
The petition, which was signed by several chiefs and officials including Paramount Chief Momo Tailor, the son of Foya’s most respected traditional leader, the late Chief Tamba Tailor, would be a blow to the opposition and Mr. Boakai if the culture rich region maintains its tradition of following the decisions of its chiefs and elders.
President Weah moved by announcement of the chiefs, elders and officials of Lofa, shouted “Lofa has fallen,” when he took the podium to speak.The county before Mr. Weah’s tour as part of the fourth leg of his nationwide tour of 14 counties had been regarded as hostile the President and his regime.
But the county’s only sitting Senator at the moment Steve Zargo speaking in Voinjama, the county’s political capital a day earlier said condescending statements being made against the President in Monrovia were not the view of the people of Lofa, adding that the people of Lofa are known for supporting government and has never rebelled against any ruling establishment in the country before.
“Those who sit in Monrovia and make condescending comments are not of the people of Lofa. You have come, you have seen the choice is yours,” Sen. Zargo who is of the opposition Liberty Party told Mr. Weah during a town hall meeting in Voinjama Friday.
He joined calls for the construction of the main highway leading from Gbarnga, Bong County to Voinjama saying if the president can achieve that the rest will be history.He said as a result of bad road networks in the county about 25% if the over USD$2 billion Sierra Leone timber revenue are from Liberia.
President Weah who could not believe the reception he received in Lofa told the citizens that speculations that he has been angry with the people because they did not vote him in 2017, was a lie because he understood that there was no way they would have voted him with the former Vice President a son and an incumbent in the race.He stated that now that Mr. Boakai was no longer in government it was time that they also demonstrated their commitment to governments by supporting his government and retaining him come 2023.
Weah: “You see, people came to you and said I am angry with the Lofa people. Why would I be angry with Lofa people, there is no reason. If you look at the ratio the vote that Lofa gave me made me president. Lofa, if I were angry with you, all your children in my government wouldn’t have been there.
There is no way Lofa County I can be vexed with you. You see when I came to you the former vice President, your father was in the race. What you think I will expect from you. I expect you to vote for him, which was the best thing to do. So now that he is not in government, I expect you to vote for me.
Lofa county is known for supporting government so now that he is not in the race, now am your son and am in government so the same decision you took, you gat to take it and vote for me.”In Koluba City, Kolahun District, one of the chiefs told the President that they made a mistake by not voting him in 2017 but that the mistake will not be repeated in 2023. By Othello B. Garblah