-Sets up “Vision 2020” Development group, as Sen. Grupee donates L$50K
By Jerry T. Myers Jr. Email: switchnaas1988@gmail.com (231)-0-770017207/ (231) -0-886976541
People of Ninkweah Chiefdom, a remote area in Liberia’s northeastern Nimba County have come together and set up an organization to addressing some of their pressing developmental needs.
Called ‘’Ninkweah Development Vision 2020,” has been established to promote and improve health, education, communication and other social services, which are in a poor state, said George Walker, the architect of the group.
According to Mr. Walker, there is no ready access to clinic, no high school in the chiefdom neither do they have access to GSM mobile phone communication.
As a result of the absence of a high school in the chiefdom, he said many of the young people completing junior high remain in the community with some beginning to have children, while other citizens have to walk miles to get to the town of Glalay to access the only clinic that is serving the seventeen towns that make up the chiefdom.
Mr. Walker was speaking earlier this when Nimba County Senator Thomas Grupee donated fifty thousand Liberian dollars to the chiefdom.
He hailed the Chairman of the Nimba County Legislative Caucus for the gesture and said the money will be spent on a self-help clinic project in Dinplay that has come to a standstill, because of the lack of funds for its completion.
Speaking a after the second meeting of “Ninkweah Development Vision 2020”, Mr. Walker said the meeting was intended to set up committees that will begin engaging donors as a way of soliciting support for the full actualization of the vision.
Making the donation on behalf of Senator Grupee in Dinplay, the Chairman of Senator Grupee re-election technical committee and former Assistant Superintendent for development of Nimba, Macpherson David said the money is the senator’s initial contribution towards development programs in the chiefdom.
Mr. David told citizens of Ninkweah Chiefdom that the donation was also meant to address some of the constraints they are facing in the area, adding that they “should not consider it as political money” and distribute it among themselves.
‘’we know the problems that you are confronted with; we know the problem that you want to solve. We don’t want to see our kids moving without schools; we don’t want to see our mothers walking miles to access a health facility when it should be in a catchment area. So if you see this money as political money and use it the political way, then we will consider you as political people. But if you are sincere and honest and direct this money to the cause that will help our people; trust me, Grupee will always be willing to help you,’’ Senator Grupee’s proxy said.
The former Nimba County Assistant Superintendent for Development indicated that Nimba has remained stable as a county because of the matured leadership role Senator Grupee has played and continues to play in the county.
‘’I worked with the Nimba Legislative Caucus as one of the leaders of this great county and on several occasions we have had leadership issues, but the county remains stable based on the leadership of senator Grupee. Nimba is great; Nimba is stable; Nimba is peaceful, other counties respect our county and we must tell the senator thank you for this,’’ said Mr. David.
Receiving the fifty thousand Liberian dollars on behalf of the citizens, the Paramount Chief of Ninkweah Chiefdom, Jackson Quianon thanked Senator Grupee for the donation.
Chief Quianon promised that the money will be used for the intended purpose as was done with the appreciation package that was given to them by the Senator following his election in 2011.