Bong County – Bong County Senatorial hopeful, Menikpakei Dumoe has called on the people of county to form a united front if their land is to be developed.
Dumoe is of the conviction that the county will not progress when its people are divided, saying, “Division can stall development; when the people are divided, their leaders normally take which side to carryout development and leave out other sides.”
According to him, the county is what it is today due to the lack of unity, and its leaders are not doing well for it. He stated, “Only a leader with a clear vision can reach out to everyone in Bong County and proffer development ideas like I have.”
He emphasized that once the county “remains” divided its representatives, will always develop themselves and their families while the people making the voting decision will remain abandoned and continue to live in abject poverty.
He spoke recently when the elders and people of Fouama District in Bong County bestowed their blessing upon him in support of his senatorial ambition.
Dumoe, who held series of listening meetings in the county, was warned by the elders not to be like other leaders who in the past had gone there with promises, solicited their votes and abandoned their district.
The elders and people of Bong Mines received Dumoe with a rousing welcome. He walked through the streets of the old mining community with his supporters singing and chanting political slogans behind him.
Some young people of Fouama, Haindi, Salala and Totota told this newspaper that they will support Dumoe because of the sincerity he brings in the picture.
“At least for him, he’s not promising us money; all the time I listen to this young man, he is always preaching unity and bringing up ideas how the county can be developed. All of the other guys are always promising us big things to get our votes, but for him he’s appealing to us to vote and join him when he wins so that we all can brainstorm how our county can be developed,” James Kerkula, a motorcyclist noted.
As Dumoe entered Bong Mines, marketers and women in the area spread their lappa, danced and sang his slogans.
For the elders of Haindi, they are resolved to give their support to Dumoe’s senatorial bid. One of the elders, Cecelia Cooper, speaking on behalf of the women, praised him for being sincere and not fooling the people with cash and/or bags of rice.
“You are our son; we love you from our hearts because you are frank with us. You did not promise us any money or you did not give us money but you are begging us to tell our children to vote you. Your plea is sincere we will campaign and vote for you, son,” she promised.
Another elder, Ma Korto Sherman, told FrontPageAfrica that she loves the peaceful message Dumoe is preaching in the county. “We will stand with him; we all know how others lied to us in this county. They promised us big things that in their minds they couldn’t do but they only did it to get votes. We are not going for that anymore,” she promised.
The youth chairman of Haindi Town, Junior Vincent said the young people were resolved to follow development and not rice.
“We are tired of voting for rice or money; the way you have come not bringing lies but appealing to us to see reason to vote you for a better change and a cohesive working relationship, we will try and see. But if you fail us, you will be no different from Senator [Henry] Yallah and others who gave us empty promises,” Vincent noted.
He told Dumoe environmental concerns, education, health, public safety and quality resources should be the concern of all leaders when young people vote them.