Montserrado County District #5 Representative, Thomas P. Fallah has for the third term been elected by the people to represent them at the National Legislature. He is one of few members of the House of Representatives that enjoy this feat. This doesn’t happen on silver platter- Representative Fallah must have provided exceptional representation for the people to continue to enjoy their confidence.
In an exclusive interview with M-News Africa and 35 TV, the District #5 lawmaker is seeking to broaden the scope of this feat to the entire Montserrado County at the December 8, 2020 Special Senatorial polls having been selected by more than 25,000 partisans of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) at the party’s primaries across the 17 districts of the county.
According to Representative Fallah, the quality of leadership he provided to the people of District #5, Montserrado County is enough reason for the people of Montserrado to entrust with the County’s senatorial seat.
He said given the fact that Montserrado County is the hub of politics in Liberia, there is a need to have “someone with the requisite leadership abilities; someone who understands the terrain of legislative politics; someone with credibility to rally the necessary goodies for his people.”
The Montserrado County District #5 lawmaker indicated that he knows how to harness cordial working relationship with his colleagues and local county leadership in achieving his agenda for the general good of the citizenry. “A lot has been done in District #5. I see myself as the Elder in the county due to my long stay at the Legislature. It is time that we take what was done at the district level to the county. It is time that we serve our people from a broader perspective void of bickering,” he stated.
He opined that the people of Montserrado can use his performance in District #5 as baseline to judge his ability to provide quality representation to the county.
As opposition candidate in his first term, Representative Fallah said he used his lobbying prowess to get the then ruling establishment to build roads and connect the district to the electricity grid- a benefit that other nearby districts are still struggling to get. He added “when we were elected, we observed that there was a lack of water, electricity, roads and running water. We used our lobbying skill to get those things for our people that would allow everyone to see paved roads, electricity and running water in the District. If the people of District #5 can enjoy these basic social services and entrust with their votes to represent them three successive times, the people of Montserrado County can take cue from it and ensure that this is replicated across the county by electing me to the Liberian Senate at the December 8 polls.”
“The fact that I could achieve a lot as an opposition lawmaker during the 12-year reign of former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and impact the lives of the people of District #5, I can use this same skill in the broader way especially now as a ruling party lawmaker for the County to benefit from personal initiatives as well as national resources,” Representative Fallah emphasized.
Coming from a humble background and pulling himself by the bootstrap, the District #5 lawmaker has taken steps in ensuring that education and quality healthcare are made affordably available to the ordinary people by constructing a state-of-the-art university, high school and modern clinic to educate and attend to the health needs of the people of District #5 and beyond.
“It has been a difficult thing for me growing up. It was a challenge: mother is poor and uneducated; going to school was a challenge because it was difficult to get school fees. So, I said to myself, once God has blessed me, I must give back to society. I must give back to my people so that what we had go to through to acquire education, our kids would not face the same situation,” he told M-News Africa in an exclusive interview.
Representative Fallah believes Liberia’s development needs are enormous and as such all hands are needed on deck in assisting national government in every little way noting “this is my way of investing in education to encourage the young people to go to school. Although sometimes we complain that the central government is not doing enough but it is important that those of us in leadership position make our contribution. That is our way of buttressing the national government and we will continue to do so.”
On sexual gender based violence, the Montserrado County Legislative Caucus Chairman stressed the need to the existing laws against rape and other forms of sexual violence against women must be strengthened and fully implemented.
“Rape is devilish. The act is completely unacceptable. Why would a man want to rape a lady? Those found guilty of the act should be dealt with in accordance with the law. SGBV has no place in our society,” the CDC senatorial hopeful maintained.
He encourages voters especially young people to go to the polls and cast their ballots peacefully and avoid any temptation of engaging in violence.
“We will not let you down when you repose your confidence in us,” he stated.
“Over 50 years, the inhabitants of Weasay Community have suffered from bad road condition, but, through Representative Fallah timely intervention, at least today, we can boast that we now have our road in good condition,” Saybah Kromah, a 34 year old mother of two told M-News Africa.
“This road you see here so, because of the deplorable condition, many people including pregnant women used to fall from on motorbike on this road. When you tell motorbike riders that you are coming in Weasay, they will tell you that they are not coming in Weasay Community.”
“So, the fixing of this road has contributed so much to our economic growth. Because of this road, the number of motorcyclists, tricyclists, vehicle owners, and business owners are now free to carry on their business activities. We the people of Weasay Community are so happy. We want to tell Representative Fallah thank you for helping to pave our road, she stressed.
