PHOTO: Mr. Paye-Layleh (in blue shirt) pose with chiefs, elders and well-wishers before the consignments of chairs
Liberian journalist and Press Union of Liberia former official, Mr. Jonathan Paye-Layleh, has donated a total of 330 chairs to people in the Nimba County chiefdoms of Lao, Zahn and Gbehyi to enhance their development discussions.
According to a dispatch from the press team accompanying the journalist, a symbolic presentation of the gift was made on April 8 in the administrative town of Bunadin in Meinpea-Mah District, bringing together chiefdom elders and leaders.
The well-respected Gbehyi Paramount Chief, Henry Kennieh, crossed rivers and swamps as he travelled with an array of some of his chiefdom’s most influential persons in the women and youth communities for the ceremony, while the eloquent Zahn Paramount Chief Isaac Kolleh led a group of similar personalities to attend the program.
On hand to receive them was veteran Lao’s Paramount Chief Anthony Gweh Paye and the chief of Bunadin.
Also in attendance were the Commissioner of Meinpea-Mah District, Hon. Jefferson Saye Gondah, Zao Township Commissioner, Hon. Saye Tokpa, as well as clan and zone chiefs.
Mr. Paye-Layleh, a son of Lao Chiefdom and a 1980 graduate of the Bunadin Public School and founder of the school’s alumni and former students association, told the gathering he was moved to make the chair donation to alleviate the constraints he had seen everywhere he had gone with his awareness about the upcoming National Housing and Population Census and for other development meetings.
The chairs came in three colors —- orange for Lao, sky blue for Zahn and lemon green for Gbehyi.
Mr. Paye-Layleh advised that even though the chairs will be kept in the headquarters of the chiefdoms as a matter of procedure, they are for the equal and unhindered use of all the towns within the chiefdoms.
The Bunadin presentation was symbolic because the gift items will later be transported to the chiefdoms for formal presentations to the users.
The Gbehyi consignment will be presented later this month in the town of Gborwin, where citizens, development partners and well-wishers will gather for another meeting aimed at raising funds for the construction of a bridge on the famous Yarr River, a key crossing point in the area.
Mr. Paye-Layleh is one of the major contributors to the bridge project, providing, among other things, utensils and a hundred bags of cement.
The consignment for Zahn will also be transported to the chiefdom headquarter of Duo for onward presentation to citizens there.
In remarks, the chiefs expressed gratitude to the journalist and assured him of their support in whatever endeavour he gets involved in, in the interest of the collective development of the region.
Journalist Paye-Layleh informed the gathering that his gesture will extend to the other three chiefdoms — Gbannah, Lessonoh and Wee once resources are available “even if it is not the same quantity of items that have been given to the first three chiefdoms.”