Liberia’s development challenges are a mouthful and getting this country to the level every citizen envisages requires all hands on deck regardless of status. The oldest African nation is lagging behind its neighbours in education, healthcare, infrastructure as well as basic social services. With the pending senatorial election across Liberia especially in Montserrado County, voters ought to take cognizance of the huge development challenges that abound in Montserrado County and cast their ballots for Representative Thomas P. Fallah of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) placed at Number Four (#4) on the ballot given his record of undertaking serious development initiatives across the county in key sectors: education, health, infrastructure.
Anyone, irrespective of his or her political leaning, would agree with Representative Fallah that he is not helping to rebuild Liberia through affluence but the unrestrained belief that central government cannot handle the mammoth development needs of the country more so with a meagre national budget and every citizen has to contribute if he or she desires to see a developed Liberia adrift the sad reality we have on hand.
It is no argument that Fallah’s zest to contribute to national development while at the same time ably representing the people of District #5, Montserrado County, dates far back as 2005 under the administration of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf of the Unity Party. He was an opposition lawmaker when the Thomas Fallah Academy and modern clinic were constructed to provide quality education and Healthcare to the impoverished residents of the District and beyond.
He has spent nearly 14 years in the House of Representatives- throughout as an opposition lawmaker but his ability to network with the ruling establishment without bowing to its whims brought untold results in development evidenced by his three successive terms elections. More than that, Representative Thomas P. Fallah’s footprints are dotted across key sectors of Liberia: education -with the construction and operation of the modern high school; health -the construction and operation of a well-equipped clinic; roads construction and rehabilitation beyond the bounds of his statutory responsibilities as a lawmaker and now a modern university. Undoubtedly, these should be the basis for people’s election honestly at this time.
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.
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, has, time without number, 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.
As opposition candidate in his first term, Representative Fallah 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.
It is uncommon that a political actor who does not dance to the tone of the ruling party would achieve these feats with no record of his hands being caught in the cookies jar. Imagine what would happen across Montserrado County as a ruling party’s Senator who would have the President’s ear.
Everyone agrees that system needs to change to the effect of reducing lawmakers’ salaries but there is a lifesaving need for deeds and not mere words. Liberia has had enough of those rhetorical sermons, even ones that sounded more mesmerizing than today’s but correlated actions continue to elude our people.
Evidences are awash that Representative Fallah is not just making campaign promises but he is a living example of an unconventional politician that thrives on result promises.
Notably, Fallah did not build school and clinic out of opulence coming from a humble background of plank seller. He acted solely on the basis of using his skimpy resources to provide opportunity for those who are dire need of education and healthcare in places that the government cannot reach.
Politicians, unsurprisingly, are writing these marks in the sand of Liberia’s post war development effort as “personal investment that will only benefit his family”.
It is only in the minds of these politicians out of deliberate attempt to cajole the people would tout such poor thinking that a state-of-the-art university and a high school are benefiting only Representative Fallah’s family. No school, regardless of the ownership, serves one family but the society.
If Liberia can vote Thomas Fallah and his likes to help the President George Weah led government, one can safely say that the Liberia we foresee is not far away.
More than that, what if we allow the system to change to effect politicians remain true to their campaign promises to build at least a learning institution and healthcare facility for the people they claim to represent? The development burden would be lessened off the shoulders of government and citizens will begin the see the dividend of their votes instead of the unending sugar-coated speeches that have brought no result. Hence, it is our plead that voters in Montserrado County will vote for Representative Thomas P. Fallah as he seeks to replicate what was achieved in District #5 across the county.
