The Bishop of the Independent Catholic Church of Liberia (ICCL), Nimely Jacbokly Donyen has stressed the need for the execution of the ‘Open Door Policy’ which was initiated by the late President of Liberia, William V.S. Tubman in 1944.
He said it was meant for the citizens of the country along with foreigners to have the opportunity for them do business and or carry out development projects depending upon to their capacity to invest in the economy as their way of giving back to their nativity adding that the policy has been suppressed over the years from administrations to another.
Bishop Donyen was speaking recently at a program marking his declaration of membership of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) and pledging his support to the party’s political leader, Alexander Benedict Cummings’ Presidential bid for the 2023 Presidential and General Elections in the Red Hill Community in District 2, Montserrado County at which time he signed the party’s membership form.
According to him, some officials of government have been denying him from carrying out development projects in the district because he is not in government noting that they blocked safe drinking water that he brought to the Red Hill, Rehab including adjacent areas but they closed the valve of the line.
“I was given US$30,000 to connect the communities with electricity but they again influenced authorities at the Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) where they instituted bureaucratic bottle-neck, and as a result, I was unable to register as well as setting up a computer laboratory for the underprivileged kids with no cost attached.
The would-be ANC Representative Candidate for District 2, Montserrado County in the 2023 elections then urged Mr. Alexander Cummings, the Standard Bearer of the ANC to scrupulously implement the Open Door Policy when elected as President of the Republic of Liberia. He informed the gathering that his decision to join the party was triggered by Mr. Cummings’ professed philosophical ideology which says, “If you want different results, you cannot be using the same old method that gave you wrong results,” he indicated.
“I learned that concept at the St. Paul’s College Seminary in 1984 in Gbarnga, Bong County while reading contemporary philosophy so when Mr. Cummings propounded that thought, it stirred my recollection as the German- American Physicist, Albert Anstein taught me,” he added.
The newest member of the ANC then vehemently dispelled the notion that the party does not have territories or base, explaining that territories are stationary but that the ANC is planting its philosophy in the minds and hearts of Liberians who he stated are sharing it with others as they move from place to place in the world asserting that the party’s philosophy and teaching “Everybody is Somebody with Motto; Liberia First is attracting the people to the ANC”.
He however urged Mr. Cummings to put community leaders on government roll because according to him, their services are cardinal to the running of the state and encouraged him to empower the people at the lowest echelon of the society who are in the majority because government spends more money at the top thus rendering the multitude poor,” he stressed.
“I also want you to continue exercising transparency at the lower echelon of the ANC because elements of the party who I have interacted with at the lower level of the party are always willing to document transactions that they are involved with by signing for what they received which demonstrates transparency and accountability,” he maintained.
Welcoming Bishop Donyen and others to the ANC, the political Leader Alexander Benedict Cummings who received an ecstatic reception by many groups including market women, youths as well as students and other residents of various communities in the district admitted that he was grateful for the program and as such, he recognized his new partisan as an influential figure in district 2, Montserrado County and the country at large.
He further stated that Bishop Donyen is welcomed to the party where everybody is somebody with motto; ‘Liberia First’ assuring the public that they are going to transform the country spiritually and physically referring to the turn-out as a clear manifestation that the ICCL Bishop is a powerful man and that he has also been working with the people.
Mr. Cummings then lauded the commitment of the Bishop to the Party, the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) and people of Liberia and vowed to transform the country as they work together saying that he will ensure integrity in government with the commitment void of embezzling public funds.
Those who spoke on behalf of their groups commended the eminent personality for assisting them, as Imam Momo Kamara of Amana Mosque in Red Hill said their father has proven to be a people-centered leader because he does not discriminate so their presence signifies support for the Bishop and Mr. Cummings; Rev. James Bulter of the Christian community commended the Bishop’s decision to join the ANC adding that ANC is their focus; while Ma sue Kanu, Representative of market women in the district , Madam Musu, a resident decried the challenges that are affecting residents pointing out the lack of basic social services and that their father has been the only one rendering services in time of need
They said that politics is not only talking but doing something for the people while General Jeremiah Hinneh, Representative Kaluway District citizen living in Monrovia clarified,“ The ANC leader is not a Congo man as being insinuated by some people as the two people are brothers from Maryland County, so we should not encourage division in our country because we all are Liberians aiming at the same goal,” he urged.