By Saykpekpo Innis in Buchanan, Liberia
Grand Bassa: The newly inducted Superintendent of Grand Bassa County has promised to prioritize unity, development and reconciliation to move the county forward.
Speaking at the induction program recently at Unification Pavilion on the Fairground in Buchanan, Mr. Janjay Baikpeh said that Bassa will not move ahead when there is disunity amongst the citizens in the county, based on their political differences.
Mr. Baikpeh said that he cannot do it alone as Superintendent without the support and input of every citizen to unite the people and develop the county.
He said it requires the collective efforts of the citizenry of the county.
“I have come to let you know that I cannot do it alone. I need your involvement, I need your participation, I need your togetherness and I need your unity,” the new Superintendent stated.
“I will not do it alone” the new Superintendent maintained in his induction speech to the citizens of the county.
“I have come to let you know that Bassa will not develop when we are divided; I have also come to let you know that Bassa will not progress when we cannot reconcile ourselves. Furthermore, I have come to let you know that Bassa will not move forward if we cannot reach to each other because of our own political differences,” superintendent Baikpeh noted.
According to him, despite of their different political institutions, it would be prudent and necessary that they sit around a table to discuss and harmonize their political differences to move the county forward.
The new Superintendent who seems to be starting on a good footing, called on the citizens and stakeholders of the county to stop “the you say – I say thing;” because he said perception cannot develop the county.
He disclosed that somebody told him that Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence is hard to deal with and he said “no is not true.”
A Bassa proverb says, “if you don’t reach before the tree you cannot see the leave that falls before the tree.”
“I reach out to her. Senator Lawrence told him that she could not deprive him of becoming Superintendent of the county as her detractors have told him about her,” Superintendent Baikpeh said.
The reconciliation route the new Grand Bassa CountySuperintendent is taking, is intended to discourage gossip that has the propensity to undermine the growth and development of the county.
He pledged his commitment to build upon the legacy of past Superintendents who served the county and not to destroy them.
The new Superintendent also promised to do more development works rather than concentrating on politics in the county.
Mr. Janjay Baikpeh succeeded former Superintendent Levi Demmah.
Baikpeh, who is a Former Representative Candidate of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) of Electoral District Two, Grand Bassa county during the 2017 Presidential and Legislative Elections obtained 836 votes, which amounted 4.6%.
The new Superintendent was inducted into office by the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Abu Baka Bah on behalf of Minister Varney Sirleaf.
The program brought together scores of citizens including Chief Zoe Zanzan Karwor, Sinoe County Superintendent Hon. Nagbe Chea, members of the Grand Bassa Legislative Caucus, Former Gender Minister Julia Duncan Cassell, Former District Three Representative, Gabriel Smith, among others.