SOURCE: Liberian News Agency
By S. Kannay Ziamo, Nimba County Correspondent
GANTA, Feb. 16 (LINA) – President Dr. George Manneh Weah has lauded citizens of Liberia for “keeping the peace” in the absence of international peacekeepers since the departure of THW United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) in 2017
Speaking on Monday, February 15, during the first day of his three-day tour of Nimba County, President Weah appreciated citizens of the country for working hard to maintain the peace despite numerous challenges, coupled with the citizens’ “individual and political differences.”
“You gave me a mandate for six years at a time the United Nations that we depended on for so many years called me and congratulated me and said to me that we are leaving and you now have the full responsibility to maintain the peace and uphold the rule of law,” President Weah said.
According to the Liberian leader, while taking up the challenge of steering the affairs of the government, he was confident that based on the love shown him by Liberians during the 2017 elections, they would support him in executing his duties and responsibilities as President of the Republic, a commitment which, he stated, they (citizens) have lived up to even in the face of numerous challenges confronting the country and its people.
President Weah noted that the peace Liberians enjoy today is a hard-fought-for one, and attributed the gains the country has made in maintaining the peace to the peace-loving citizens of Liberia.
“Today, we have peace, and it’s not because of me, but because of you (the citizens),” President Weah said.
Without peace, he noted, no society develops and as such, it is important to celebrate those who work overtime to maintain peace, adding that in Liberian society, it is the citizens who deserve to be celebrated for the maintenance of the country’s peace.
“Because you have worked hard to keep the peace, we can work with you to achieve all those developments you have earmarked. I want to assure you,” the Liberian leader told thousands of citizens who gathered on the Ganta Sports Pitch to attend a town hall meeting with him.
President Weah frowned on acts of mob violence, and called on citizens to “always see dialogue as the way to go in settling whatever conflict that may arise” since conflict is inevitable in human existence.
“Let us continue to maintain the peace, no matter what happens, my fellow Liberians,” President Weah urged his compatriots.
On his intention to develop the country, President Weah stated that he remains committed to promises he made to citizens of Liberia during his campaign, in the face of the economic challenges, but reminded them that “development comes with responsibility” and, as such, it’s about time Liberians join government in developing their country.
The Liberian leader acknowledged that it is the responsibility of the government to develop the country and improve the lives of its citizens, but called on Liberians to exercise patience, noting that to develop a country every government needs resources which in the case of Liberia is scarce.
“Anything that you need to develop this country is our responsibility, but you must be patient, because development needs resources,” President Weah told his compatriots.
Meanwhile, the Liberian leader has frowned on some elements in the media who, he noted, are bent on blackmailing their country only because they don’t love him as a person or his government.
This act on the part of some elements in the media community, President Weah noted, is counterproductive and has the propensity to scare away potential investors from the country.
The Liberian President praised citizens of Nimba for overwhelmingly turning out to welcome him and his entourage into the county and promised to work along with leaders of the county to address most of the issues they put before him as soon as possible.
The President and his entourage arrived in Nimba County on Monday, February 15, as part of the first leg of his 2021 nation-wide tour and were received by a mammoth crowd.
The Liberian President is expected to be in the county for three days, during which he is expected to interact with a cross-section of citizens, inspect several ongoing projects and break grounds for several others.
LINA SKZ/TSS/PTK