By: Patrick Waylor/VOYM Manager/Nimba D-9 TV Reporter/+231776722926
Zekepa, Nimba County Liberia: Prof. Johnson N. Gwaikolo was overwhelmingly elected in October 2017 during the Liberia General, Presidential and Legislative Elections by citizens of Nimba County Electoral District Nine comprising Blinlon, Doe, Gbi&Doru, Mehnsonnoh and Zehnla Administrative Districts on Victory for Change Party ticket respectively.
Since his elections, the district has and continues to experience many self-help community development initiatives 85% of which are sponsored by Hon. Gwaikolo whilst his full support remains with the remaining 15% on top of which is education empowerment for youth’s capacity building.
As you may record, during the second term of Former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, she disclosed to Liberians home and aboard that Zekepa is strategically located and was named by her as the Proposed Capital City of Liberia. Though many political critics have and continue to grade this statement as one of those political statements made to get more votes from Nimba at the time some researchers have seen this as an intentionally strategic statement because Monrovia is very congested and the population intended to it has since overgrown thus creating serials of public health threats.
Prof. Gwaikolo is one of those who have equally seen this statement made by Madame Sirleaf in making sure to present the case for the growth and development of Nimba County Electoral District Nine and Nimba at large by creating a friendly and responsive environment something which has witnessed a lot of Civil Society Organizations, Businesses, Concessions, etc to be moving into either of the sectors across the district. Gbi&Doru, which is and has been sadly considered one of the remotest places in Liberia has begun to experience growth through a true oversight representation which saw the president of Liberia Dr. George M. Weah visiting that part of Liberia as the second president to have ever touched the soil of Gbi&Doru. He has since gotten involved by erecting a modern medical facility and including farming.
On December 25, 2022, Nimba County Electoral District Nine Representative Hon. Johnson N. Gwaikolo in an exclusive interview with state radio lower Nimba correspondent, Nimba D-9 TV, OK FM, Front Page Africa, and several local media practitioners in Zekepa sent out season greetings to citizens of the district in the district, home, and in the diaspora.
‘’We are very pleased to have you all here today. Since I was elected as Representative in 2017 October we have continued to serve our citizens firstly by reaching out to them more frequently in working together something which has led us all to have this set of projects we are here to dedicate. We presented our first legislative report in Dorgbor Town, Gbi&Doru Administrative District which saw all sectors of our local authorities, and stakeholders, and all coming together in building resilient citizens’ participation with a written comprehensive copy of the reports given to all. The same continues yearly and the latest report was in Ganwee Town Mehnsonnoh Administrative District. Reporting to our citizens and taking questions from them has given us a clearer understanding of seeking more opportunities for our citizens.
In July 2021, we as citizens though with full financial support from me, launched a USD$38,000 Ferry project to provide more economic value and reduce the stress of movement to and from the district and beyond. We at the time never took into consideration the pavement of both waterfronts on either side of the St. Johnson River including other technical factors. I can safely say now that the cost of this Ferry is highly estimated at USD$60,000. We are grateful to God that all the test ongoing has proven that yes indeed this ferry is going to be dedicated in the coming months.
We also embark and have fully completed not a campaign office but the first Nimba County Electoral District Nine Legislative Office that will be used by all lawmakers though I am requesting you my citizens to allow me to use it twice till 2029. Today I am very happy that all my fellow citizens are highly supportive of the work we are doing and the fruits have started to show as seen’’. Said Prof. Gwaikolo
Cross section of citizens from Blinlon, Doe, Gbi&Doru, Mehnsonnoh, and Zehnla including their local authorities witnessed the dedicatory ceremony in Zekepa, and Commissioners from the respective districts commended Prof. Gwaikolo and committed to working with him.
“I am a proud Statutory Superintendent and witnessing all these great ceremonies means a lot to me that indeed Hon. Gwaikolo is a leader, not just my words but positive actions’’ said Hon. David L. Jacobs
Crusaders for Gwaikolo National Chairman S. Reginald Meinpeain said projects dedicated but not limited today are; the Legislative Office in Zehnla, 700Watts Transmitter Radio Station (Voice of Yarwin Mehnsonnoh 99.1FM) in Zehnla, Modem Recording Studio in Zehnla, including 15 motorbikes, 150 pieces of street solar lights (to be installed across the district), 5 brand new chain saw for use by the District Development Committee (DDC).
Speaking further on activities and achievements Prof. Gwaikolo added that the Ferry is on test which many vehicles and bikes continue to use including his own vehicles but will be dedicated in February 2023. He also named but not limited that Varmie Public School has now been elevated to a full fresh high school and that they have had two successive commencements, the erection of a Library in Mehnla as a way of paving the way for Weh-Dorliea Junior High school to be elevated to full high school, Geapa Public School construction that is completed and ready for dedication, construction of a school in Gbi&Doru, school benches for schools in Gbi&Doru, concert bridges being constructed and awaiting backfilling between Nyokiayee and Mehnla, and same in other parts of the district, Doumpa market building constructed and ready for dedication same all across the district, Zekepa Health Center and Mehnla Clinic now directly in the national budget amongst many other programs.
‘’I have continued to cover many political and social activities across Nimba and Liberia at large for nearly 30 years as a practicing media practitioner, but I have seen a great difference from my independent analysis of developmental activities across Nimba County Electoral District Nine over the past five years. For example, this is a district that has many subdivisions educationally, Healthwise, and Electoral Wise, like in the case of Gbi&Doru that falls under Tappita Statutory District but under Nimba County Electoral District Nine and the same with Doe Administrative District though with different tribal groups but there has continued to be a connect positively that these sectors coordinate their political activities under one umbrella with Prof. Gwaikolo as their first elder. So what we experience today here in Zekepa, wherein citizens of these five administrative districts all turn out to witness the dedication of projects was not strange because of the connection and unity introduce since they elected Hon. Gwaikolo in 2017’’- said Emmanuel Carl Lewis, Media Practitioner. Hon. Gwaikolo is currently touring the district in dedicating the rest of his Legislative and Self-Help Community Projects.
