‘’I will reject my salary and all my benefits if I am elected as senator’’
By Alfred Kollie, alfredkolliejr92@gmail.com
A former child’s rights advocate, Dr. Kimmie Weeks has expressed his intention to contest for the upcoming July 2, 2019 Montserrado County Senatorial Bi-election on an Independent ticket.
Dr. Kimmie Weeks said, ‘’I will reject my salary and all my benefits if I am elected as senator’’ in an interview withwww.newspublictrust.com in the Paynesville suburb of Monroviathis week.
Weeks, who is former Board Chairman of the Liberia Water and Sewer Corporation and head of the NGO, Youth Action International, said if elected as Senator, his salary will go directly towards development. He specifically mentioned the seventeen districts of Montserrado and job creation among others.
According to Dr. Weeks, selfish-interest by elected officials is a major factor affecting development in districts and counties across the Country.
“A lot of people who have been elected to the House and senate have gone in with a specific focus on self-enrichment even their salary are kept secret,’’ Dr. Weeks noted.
He observed that most elected officials are after their personal benefits putting the interest of the people and Country under the carpet is something he said that is affecting growth and development of the Country.
If elected, he said his first bill within 90 days will be the reduction of lawmakers’ salaries and passing law for more job creation in the country.
According to Dr. Weeks, Senators and Representatives also responsible to bring in investors in the country excluding law marking to help build the Country economy that everyone will enjoy.
‘’with the experience and connections I have around the World which I have already been using for several years which will also increase further and be able to bring in new people, new investors, new opportunities, new donors to help the people of Montserrado and Liberia as a hole,’’ the one time Communication strategists at the Orange GSM company promised.
The Liberian youth advocate challenging citizens particularly residents of Montserrado County to elect more people who will seek the interest of the nation, but not individuals who will seek their selfish interest.
“First of all, we will lead by example by rejecting the salary and all other benefits, this is what I have said repeatedly that I going to reject my salary as senator, every month my pay will be made evidence for everybody to see it and it will go to all the districts in Montserrado County, the first month my salary will go to one district for development purposes, the second district two for the same development purposes until it cover the entire seventeen district of Montserrado and so on,’’ Dr. Weeks explained.
The senatorial hopeful said as an educator, his three top focus is education, health and job creation for all Liberians, including proffering a bill seeking to boost the agriculture sector which is another key area that attract investors and job creation in the country.
Meanwhile, Dr. Kimmie Weeks has announced the arrival of medical supplies in the country within the next few weeks.
Dr. Weeks did not explained from where the medical materials comes from, but said the medical materials will be donated to hospitals and clinics across Montserrado County as his way of giving back to society.
Speaking in an interview in Paynesville City, Dr. Weeks noted this is the best time to represent his people after rejecting their calls in the past to contest in these elections in the country.
The Liberian educator was recently petition by hundreds of Liberians in Bentol City of Montserrado County.
He explained that his goal is, to fully represent his people and work in the interest of the people beginning with lawmaker’s salaries reduction.
Dr. Weeks is one of many Liberians currently eying the vacant senatorial seat of Montserrado County which was created as a result of the death of Senator Geraldine Doe Sheriff who passed off early this year due to illness.
Dr. Weeks said ‘’all of my money is going directly to the people if elected.’’
Several names continue to surface in race for the Senatorial Bi-election, including the current District #6 Representative Rev. Samuel Enders and Darius Dillon of the opposition Liberty Party, among others.
On Wednesday, the four opposition collaborating Political Parties endorsed two of their members for the upcoming Montserrado County and District 15 by elections.
The four parties include the Liberty Party, Unity Party, Alternative National Congress and the All Liberian Party.
Mr. Dillon of the LP was endorsed as the Collaborating Parties’ nominee in the Bi-election a candidate in the Montserrado County senatorial By-election while Telia Urey of