By Ben Brooks
USAID/Internews-PAL elections reirting fellow
An Independent senatorial candidate of River Gee, Francis S. Dopoh, has promised to tackle youth and women unemployment in the county, when elected as a senator at the October 10, 2023 polls.
Addressing residents via a local radio station in the county from Monrovia during the week, Dopoh, who is the current Representative of one district in River Gee further pledged to prioritize empowering vulnerable groups through skill acquisition.
According to him, he observed that lack of employment for graduates is responsible for some social vices in the society, hence, when elected as a senator, his administration will intensify efforts to create an avenue where the youth and women will be engaged.
He assured both youth and women groups that his administration will do its best to tackle the high rate of unemployment in the county.
“I know you have been yearning for change and by the grace of God, I will not disappoint any of you when elected,” Dopoh said.
“My good people of River Gee County, if you elect me to the Liberian Senate, you will not regret because I am a man of accountability, transparency, and good representation, which have been my watchwords.”
“I can never make any promise that I will not fulfill; my campaign is issue-based, while I truly solicit for the support of all to enable me emerge victorious this 2023 election.
“We are not here to deceive you, we are not here to tell you lies, we will bring you up, and we will make sure you attain your objectives with whatever your ambitions may be,” he assured his kinsmen.
“We will make sure in our programs we set aside dollars to make youths and women get employment,” the one- term Representative said.
Meanwhile, Dopoh also emphasized that he will give priority to youth and women empowerment, job creation, road rehabilitation, education, and agricultural development.
He bragged how he intervened in the health, education, and other needs of his people as their Representative in District 3 of the county.
The outgoing River Gee County lawmaker, who co-chaired the Public Utility Committee of the 54th Legislature at the House of Representatives, said that the opportunity at his disposal would serve as the best time for him to give more to the people, when elected.
Dopoh was elected in the 2017 presidential and legislative elections on the Unity Party’s ticket, but could not be chosen since Senator Commany B. Wesseh, who also got elected as a Senator on the same ticket in the 2014 special election, and is seeking a second term.
When contacted, Mr. R. Barkue Sayee, Campaign Coordinator of Dopoh’s Senatorial Election Team coded D-SET, advised their supporters, especially the youth, to avoid any trouble with their political opponents during these campaign activities.
He said the major issue ahead is for supporters to ensure that Dopoh wins the October 10 polls, urging them to use their voting cards to beat the opponent and not violence.
D-SET Campaign Coordinator mentioned that his campaign is issue-based and focuses on the developmental needs of the county, assuring that his political chief patron had always put the people’s interest above his interest
Sayee said economic empowerment is rated high on on Dopoh’s order of priorities, adding that Small and Medium Enterprises will empower youth and women to make them gainfully employed so that that they can earn a decent living.
Speaking to our reporter, 38 year old Grace Toe of electoral district 1 in River Gee County registered that almost all of the promises of the senatorial candidate are not strange to them as voters in the county, and even the country.
“We’ve been hearing such promises before from many representative, senatorial and even presidential aspirants or candidates during campaign periods, and when God helped them win, they turned their backs and downplayed all they promised to do, and it is even by chance we can see some of them after election,” Grace contended.
According to Grace, she is still seeking the face of the Almighty God to direct her to vote people of love and interest for the county and country on October 10, but cannot be moved by mere promises.
Meanwhile, Daniel Teah of District 3 said campaign promises by candidates, especially during electioneering periods, should not be trusted.
He said voters should vote as God leads them to vote whoever and not what he/she has promised to do for them if they win.
“These same promises were made in previous elections and yet still, there is no change. “Look at our national road, mainly from lower Nimba, Tappita to River Gee County Capital Fish Town is not accessible, forgetting to know that good roads bring in development, the health sector of River Gee and even the eduction system, are very poor, no medicine in hospitals, no qualified teachers in some schools and even other schools don’t have teachers. Are these not the same politicians we elected in 2017?“ the prominent youth raged.
According to Teah, he is a 2016 high school graduate of the Tubman Wilson Institute in Zwedru, Grand Gedeh County, but due to lack of support, he went into motorcycle riding between Ganta to Fish-Town, River Gee, a year after his graduation.
However, Jeriline Pokar, a first time voter and 11th grade student of the Gbeapo Multilateral High school in Kanweaken, River Gee, believes that voting candidates with solid manifestos is the best decision to take in voting.
She advised her fellow voters, especially first time voters of the county, not to vote for a person because of what he/she will give them in a day time, but to read platforms that telll them what they will do for the citizens when given authority.
