Monrovia – The Vice President for University Relations at the University of Liberia, Attorney Norris Tweah, has declared his intention to contest the legislative seat of Montserrado County District #5, vowing to unseat incumbent Representative Thomas Fallah of the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC).
Atty. Tweah slammed Representative Fallah for not doing “anything” while representing the district in nearly 12 years now and it was time, promising an impressive crowd of supporters in the 72nd community on Sunday that he would redeem the district.
Representative Fallah was not available for comments.
“I have come to tell you that we are going to start a campaign, a revolution, a movement to take our district back away from those people who have held it for 12 years and we have not seen anything that they have done,” Atty. Tweah charged.
“Let me confirm now that all the things that you have heard concerning Norris Tweah running for the seat of this district that has been occupied for 12 years and we cannot see anything tangible to point to in 72nd, in Bassa Town, in Sam Town, in Gobachop and in all the 18 communities, I want to take this seat and turn things around in six years,” he disclosed.
Sunday’s rally was the first of a series of planned rallies throughout every community within the district, Atty. Tweah told his supporters.
With some calling him a “messiah”, the former Deputy Information Minister, who was very instrumental in the passage into law of the Freedom of Information Act in 2010, said he would make sure that budgetary allotments made to District #5 are used for projects in its communities, again slamming incumbent Representative Thomas Fallah of not doing enough to get the allotments from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning for projects.
“We need our money to build our library, we need our money to fix our roads, we need our money to fix our market, we need our money to give our market women loans to make their business and we need our money to pay our children’s school fees via scholarships.
“Let me tell you under my administration you enjoy will every cent of that money based on your own choosing.”
He criticized Representatives Fallah’s establishment of a feeding center in 72nd, just a stone throw from where he held his candidature rally, saying it was as if the community could not afford to feed itself as there were not very important needs for the district.
“We need our schools in 72nd to function. We need schools in this town that will educate our young people. Our young people need to good to school,” he said.
He frowned over the fact that Liberians were not only lacking quality academic education but also were not doing enough to obtain technical and vocational knowledge.
“In the 1960s and 70s the people from Ghana used to come to Liberia to go to school, to learn.
Today we’ve got to bring Ghanaians to come and fix our lights. What happened to our own people?” He asked rhetorically. “Because we elect people who go up there and only get interested in themselves.”
The UL vice president said he was open to residents suggestions on what was the pressing needs of their community but insisted that he was of the conviction that the community needed a library as well as a public clinic in the district, where residents can be treated for a minimum or no fees.
“When somebody gets sick, you must carry them to a [private] clinic and you have to pay some money.”
“Why are we killing ourselves, my people? We don’t like ourselves?
“I want good healthcare for our mothers and our fathers. Many of our young women are suffering because they don’t have access to reproductive health, blaming such lacking on the absence of a voice for the voiceless.
“I want to talk for you,” he told them.
Atty. Tweah is due in court on Wednesday to represent the residents of the 72nd in a case involving them and two families claiming portion about 350 acres of land throughout the entire community.
“I will always be there for the people of 72nd. Those people who used to come here and try to threaten you and try to break your houses down…will see me in court.
“For too long people have taken advantage of my people here in 72nd. Any time you see anybody with paper here, call me.”
“I am your lawyer on that case and nobody is going to take advantage of you again. You don’t have to pay me any money. I will be your lawyer from till forever.
Residents hailed Tweah for being instrumental in connecting the community to the LEC grid.
Through Tweah’s instrumentality, the community invited Minister Patrick Sendolo and officials of the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) in early 2014.
Residents also hailed Tweah for his efforts to make sure pipe-borne water reaches 72nd and other Montserrado County District #5 communities.
