Monrovia – A group of prominent citizens of Grand Gedeh County including former and current officials of government have pledged their unwavering support to Representative Zoe Emmanuel Pennue’s senatorial bid in the forthcoming special election scheduled for December 8, 2020.
Report by Alex Dahn, Contributor
Mr. Pennue currently serves as Representative of Grand Gedeh County’s First Electoral District, a position he has held since his election in 2005, serving in the 52nd, 53rd and now the 54th National Legislature of Liberia.
At an endorsement ceremony recently in Monrovia, the group’s spokesperson, Maxwell D.L. Kaba Sr., said they are convinced that Rep. Pennue is the only qualified candidate in the upcoming race owing to his sound representation over the years and his good relationship with citizens of his district and the county at large.
Speaking further, Mr. Kaba, a former Minister of Post and Telecommunications said in addition to exercising his cardinal responsibilities which include lawmaking, sound representation and oversight, Rep. Pennue has immensely contributed to the improvement of the education and health sectors of the county, as well as undertaken several infrastructure development projects.
They named the crafting and supporting of several bills, including a bill calling for the creation of Tehien Statutory District in Grand Gedeh County which has been passed by the House of Representatives and currently awaiting the concurrence of the Liberian Senate as some of pennue’s legislative interventions.
In the education sector, they recounted that Rep. Pennue’s interventions include but not limited to the provision of financial aid and scholarships to students of the county at high school and college levels, donation of US$3,000 as accreditation fees for the Nursing Department of the Grand Gedeh County Community College (GGCCC) and a vehicle to the college,
In addition, Rep. Pennue was credited for his recent payment of L$500,000 as the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) fees for the candidates, something he did for the district’s ninth and twelfth graders’ who sat the WAEC exams in 2014 and 2016 respectively.
The supporters said their lawmakers has, among other things constructed two concrete bridges linking Yarleeville and Disco Hill as well as Pennue and Chayeville Communities.
As part of his support to the health sector, the lawmaker, among other things, has also constructed a clinic in Poan, Niao Clan and donated an ambulance, and launched the Zoe E. Pennue Health Care program at the Martha Tubman Memorial Hospital in Zwedru since 2016 where every mother who gives birth received L$1,500, they said.
The citizens, urging their fellow Grand Gedians to join them, said with Rep. Pennue at the senate, he will be well positioned to advocate for them, saying: “We call you to massively support Hon. Zoe Emmanuel Pennue, Sr. to be the next Senator in the coming Senatorial race in the County for what he has done for you.”
Also speaking at the endorsement ceremony, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Micheal G. Nayou averred that, in order to have a sound representation at the Senate that could lead to a better Grand Gedeh County, there is a need for citizens of the county to form a united front and rally their support behind Rep. Pennue.
Support for Rep. Pennue’s Senatorial race continues to swell since he was petitioned by residents of Grand Gedeh County and his subsequent acceptance.
For his three successive elections as Representative, he ran as an Independent Candidate. However, he will be contesting on the ticket of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) comes December 8, 2020 after he joined the party this year. Given President Weah and the CDC’s popularity in the county, and Rep. Pennue’s county-wide appeal, the three-term lawmaker will no doubt be a formidable force in the midterm elections comes December 8, 2020.
