KOKOYAH, Bong County – With 16 days to the October 10 presidential and legislative elections in Liberia, the electorate are bracing up for a battle of titanic proportions. In Bong’s District One, not only is there a star-studded line-up of heavyweight candidates for the poll, each of whom is truly distinguished in his own right, there is the obvious willingness of candidate Prince Koinah to “win” the district which, against all odds, has remained the one true bastion of the Independent candidate.
By Selma Lomax, [email protected]
In all, five candidates command attention: incumbent lawmaker and candidate of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), Albert Junior Hills, Independent candidate Melee Kermue, Independent candidate, Dennis Garsinii, Independent candidate, Wamah Kuteh, and Koinah.
While each of the candidates brings credible antecedents, the odds appear to favor Koinah. The reasons are compelling: He has promised that his projects would be human-oriented focused that would benefit all sundry. Some of the notable projects he has embarked on are the provision of solar lights to the various towns in District One, namely: Gbar Town Clinic, Yolo Town Clinic, Gbeacon Clinic, Botota Clinic. He has also constructed a six-bed room maternity waiting home in Yolo Town, constructed a six-bed room maternal waiting home in Rock Crusher, and also constructed a self-contained teachers’ quarter at the Nyanquoi Bee School in Palala.
He is constructing a market building in Borbor Fire Town, and has constructed a modern bridge in Dahnyee, Wolota Clan, Kpaai
Constructing a modern bridge in Dahn-Kan, Wolota Clan, Kpaai, as well as the construction of a modern bridge in U-lah, Boinsen Clan, Kokoyah Statutory District.
Koinah has also constructed a ten-room clinic in Binda Jorkpalor Town, Kokoyah Adm. Disttrict as well as constructed an eight-room clinic in Baila, Watuah, Kpaai Administrative District.
Moreover, Koinah has constructed an elementary school in Nagbor Town, Kokoyah Administrative. District, and provided electrification with the installation of 365 solar lights in towns and villages in both Kokoyah and Kpaai Districts.
Apart from his deep love and passion to ‘liberate’ District One, Koinah said he is also not joining the bandwagon of people who cast aspersions on people in government but he has also put himself up for the service to humanity by obeying the clarion call of his kinsmen and wide supporters across the district.
“I can’t let my people down. Prior to 2023, residents of the district have been pressuring me to contest the district’s seat because they felt deprived of getting the dividends of democracy over the years. I accepted two years to 2022 to contest. The people of Kokoyah and Kpaii have been very supportive to this ambition,” Koinah said.
Since the ascendency of incumbent lawmaker Albert Junior Hills in 2018, District One has faced a deficit in infrastructure and provision of basic needs of the people, including the dividends of democracy, and after carefully taking a survey on what are the lapses of the lawmaker with his listening ear, Koinah came up with lofty ideas that would distinguish him from Hills.
Armed with vast knowledge in politics and development, Koinah devised a workable and pragmatic approach to bringing smiles to the faces of District One people.
For him, governance is not rocket science. Governance is made easy and simplified. He has employed all necessary approaches leveraging on the weakness and challenges of Hills to prepare his own simplified approach to make sure he delivers on his promises to uplift District One.
Among all the candidates jostling to govern District One, taking a deeper look at their pedigrees, Koinah, according to many, is the most qualified without excess baggage in terms of track record and corruption-free profile. He is a man of integrity who loves to impact his people. He also plays politics in a more refined way. Unlike most of his rivals, He does not have a godfather. Because of the aftereffect of godfatherism as seen in politics over decades in Bong County, he chose to steer clear from it, residents say.
Like a gust of fresh summer wind, Koinah, residents of District One say, is like a new fish in the pond of water; who is bringing governance close to the people in a different dimension.
With these numerous progressions in his capacity as a private citizen, one would wonder what he would have done if he is in charge of the district as the representative. With these and numerous reasons, District One people passed a Vote-of-confidence on him as they have also intensified their effort to make sure he runs as representative and wins.
As a lover and promoter of the youth and women demography, he has constantly engaged them and promised to give them a high stake level of engagement when elected as representative. He is of the opinion that; youths and women play a pivotal role in the growth of any country and if given the opportunity to serve in full capacity as representative, owing to his background as a well-traveled man across the world, he would make sure District One gets special status in the country.
