PHOTO: Senatorial hopeful Magdalene G. Harris addressing her supporters
By Moses M. Tokpah, mosesmtokpah@gmail.com
Ahead of the December 8, 2020 Mid-term Senatorial election in Liberia, another female aspirant has joined the senatorial race in the southern Grand Bassa County.
Madam Magdalene G. Harris, who was reportedly petitioned across the County by cross-section of citizens in Grand Bassa, over the weekend accepted the citizens’ request to contest the upcoming election.
This means that she will be contesting against the incumbent Senator, Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence and former Foreign Affairs Minister and one time Senator, Gbehzohngar Milton Findley, among others.
Delivering her acceptance speech at a well-attended program held at the Bassa Governor’s Court in the Port City of Buchanan during the weekend, Madam Harris said after serving humanitarian organizations, she is now ready to promote change through service in Grand Bassa County to make a break with the past for the better.
She said it was with a full and grateful heart and with only one obligation to devote every effort of body, mind and spirit to lead her people back to victory and the County back to greatness.
“Today, I stand here before many witnesses to accept the people’s petition to contest for the Grand Bassa Senatorial seat this midterm election” she stated.
According to her, the people of Grand Bassa County need to be empowered. She said they must engage in and support programs that protect the citizens’ interests globally and work to ensure that the citizens have the opportunity to make a difference in their lives economically, and be trusted to drive their own destiny.
Madam Harris also urged people of this county to work hard with the citizens to develop their individual “willpower” to transform the future of their County.
She indicated that it is the political “will” and “leadership” they need to move the County forward in building sustainable institutions, growing the economy and seeking fiscal monetary stability.
There can be no excuse for keeping their people in the state of life they find themselves in today, the Grand Bassa County female senatorial hopeful said. She expressed that the lives of the people must improve adding that they must find a way to work together with them and to improve the condition of their lives.
Madam Harris narrated that improving the quality of life for Grand Bassa residents adding that it can only be done through their willingness to promote change through service.
She explained that her goal for the County will be built around five pillars, namely; Peace Building and Social Protection ensuring Justice in order to create trust among the people, Growing the Bassa Economy, Scio-sector Investment, Infrastructure Investment and Performance Management Accountability respectively.
Calling for reconciliation, she wants people of Bassa to end their differences and bring healing, in order to empower youth, women and people living with disability in the County.
Madam Harris asserted that they must grow their agriculture sector through farming, agro processing and marketing, encouraging small business development, creating opportunity for employment, focusing on workforce development and encouraging direct foreign investment and partnership.
She said their quality of life needs improvement in the areas of health, education, water, sanitation and water management. “We need to invest in farm to market roads, bridges, technology and affordable energy outside of Monrovia.
To improve good governance, community engagement, access to leaders, reports, ensuring transparency and accountability to our citizens” she narrated.
The female senatorial aspirant maintained that these pillars are clearly defined roadmap for achieving Grand Bassa County development agenda. She explained that to make a difference in the lives of the youths requires that they be allowed an opportunity to participate in decision that directly impacts their lives.
According to her, children in rural areas today have no access to good school while prostitution and drugs abuse are on the rise, and the rate of early and unwanted pregnancies have increased among teenage girls due to poverty and lack of family planning.
Magdalene G. Harris intimated that the county has been without good leadership for too long while it citizens have been divided by tradition and politics for too long and they have been veto too long.
She argued that they have suffered enough at the hands of a tired and worn-out administration without new ideas, youth or vitality, vision and without the confidence of the Bassa people.