Bishop Nimely Jacbokly Donyen has intensified his community engagements with the leadership of various communities in District 2, Montserrado County.
This initiative was started about a month ago when he outlined his plans relative to the development initiatives for the district.
Speaking at the Central Johnsonville meeting over the weekend where 20 community Chairpersons were in attendance along with some residents, he told the gathering that he wants the community leaders to start early preparations by forming teams to carrying out the communities’ development projects.
According to the Bishop, he will contest for the Representative seat of the district in the 2023 Presidential and General Elections therefore by February 1, 2024, every community in the district will be allotted funds to implement a project based on their needs; promising safe drinking water, electricity as well as community roads rehabilitation and sanitation while he considers other impactful projects.
Some of the communities whose leaderships were present at the meeting were, New Israel; Pepperwlue Town; New Jerusalem; Refuge City Communities. Other are, Karnkarn one & two; Johnsonville Avenue; New Land; Kparwein communities among others.
He reiterated the need for the leaders and him to nurture a relationship because they will be the implementing community projects so as to help address some of the core needs of the people adding that his decision to contest comes as a result of calls from some residents of the district and assured his commitment to doing just that.
“Community and block leaders are integral parts of the governance system of the country so, they need to be compensated by putting them on government’s roll. I will advocate for that but if government fails to do so, then I will seek other avenues,” he assured.
He told the residents that he has not been allowed to implement projects even the safe drinking water project that he attempted to carry out for the communities was blocked by some politicians thereby denying the targeted beneficiaries access for more than four years now.
“We are going to commence a massive development by February 1, 2024 so everyone will be involved. I will convene a youth conference because they need to participate in the activities, he maintained.
In response to the Bishop’s political intention as well as his development plans for the district, the chairpersons lauded Bishop Donyen for his desire to bring meaningful development in the district assuring him of their support in his endeavor.
“You are not a stranger to us because you are always identifying with us in time of needs,” they stated.
They pointed out that the Independent Catholic Church of Liberia (ICCL)’s Bishop has touched the lives of many people in the district through the provision of pipe borne water, educational facilities, roads rehabilitation.
Others interventions that they mentioned include the provision of scholarships to students, dirstibbution of Ebola and coronavirus prevention materials, including micro loans to market women as well as the construction of market structures, among others.
Meanwhile, Bishop Donyen is expected to announce his political affiliation soon and many are beginning to sense that he might want to go the way of the Alternatives National Congress (ANC) of Alexander Cummings.