Margibi Lawmaker Engages Intellectuals On Trending Issues

By Moses M. Tokpah/MARGIBI
Margibi’s Legislative Caucus Chair and District 2 Representative, Ivar K. Jones, has called on intellectuals in the county to lead debates addressing critical development challenges including the stalled reconstruction of the Charles Henry Rennie Hospital and inadequate funding for the Booker Washington Institute (BWI).
Speaking at the Kakata Intellectual Forum’s leadership induction over the weekend, Rep. Jones emphasized the need for constructive dialogue to pressure the national government into prioritizing these development issues.
The lawmaker criticized the prolonged delay in rebuilding the C.H. Rennie Hospital destroyed by fire in 2021, despite a 2023 groundbreaking ceremony under former President George Weah, urging the Margibi intellectuals to highlight its urgency.
The project’s redesign from a proposed 150-bed facility (US$4.5 million) to an 88-bed structure has drawn public backlash, with residents arguing that a larger capacity is essential for Margibi’s growing population.
Civil society groups like UMOVEMENT condemned the absence of hospital funding in the 2024 national budget.
On the other hand, Jones lamented low budgetary allocations for BWI, Liberia’s premier technical institute, and called on intellectuals in the county to provoke debates that will secure increased support.
He cautioned intellectuals against provoking political, social, and economic debates that will lead them to insulting each other calling on them to change from the way they carry on politics in the county.
According to him, unlike Nimba and Lofa Counties that can boast, and demand their fair share of the national cake as counties that are among the five populated counties that can determine who becomes president of Liberia, Margibi as one of those counties, is not using the capacity, privilege and opportunity it has to get its fair share of such cake.
He said it has been rumored that the rebuilding of the C.H. Rennie Hospital in the county is being hindered by politics. Rep. Jones stated that during his visit at the Ministry of Health to advocate for the expeditious rebuilding of the Dolo Town Hospital, it was said that Margibi is a political county that has money in its account, but cannot be used.
The lawmaker said this is because the people of Margibi are not using their intelligence in the form and manner that will bring growth and development to their people.
He stressed that Margibi’s intellectuals must prioritize collective development over personal grievances, urging them to “lay aside egos and advocate for tangible solutions.”
Also speaking, the newly inducted Chairman of the Kakata Intellectual Forum, Andrew N. Flomo pledged to uphold the institution’s values of integrity, inclusivity, and innovation to the fullest meaning of its creed.
Flomo indicated that the trust and confidence placed in him is not just a position, but a responsibility, a call to serve, and an opportunity to elevate the ideals that bind them together as intellectuals committed to growth, knowledge, and positive change.
He said their mission is to foster meaningful discussions, challenge perspectives, and inspire action that benefits their community and beyond, adding that the Kakata Intellectual Forum has always been a beacon of ideas, dialogue, and progress.
Flomo said together, they will strengthen the forum, amplify their voices, and create impactful initiatives that will shape the future, but said this journey is not one he can take alone, rather it requires collective effort, active participation, and unwavering dedication from each of them.
He encouraged all members to engage, contribute, and make the platform even greater. He also challenged them to move forward with unity, wisdom, and a shared vision for excellence.