President George Manneh has resumed his nationwide victory campaign tour, making the first stop at Bong County, the home of his Vice President, Jewel Howard-Taylor. Speaking to the people of the county, President Weah drew the political rivalry closer to the Standard Bearer of the Unity Party (UP), Joseph N. Boakai, whom he claimed does not have the capacity to rescue anything in the country, especially so when he has served in government for close to 50 years without rescuing anything.
President Weah expressed frustration in Boakai’s claim to rescue the country if elected. He said, “I am flabbergasted! I listened to our father, Joseph Boakai, but I think he has lost something. For Joseph Boakai to be in government for 12 years while the Redemption Hospital sat there in ruins and say the people should elect him and he will bring drugs to the hospital—are you kidding me? This is a joke!
“Sometimes when I listen to the opposition, especially our father, I can feel like he’s missing it. For him to say that he will be the one to fix everything…out of the 171 years he made about 50 years in government but did nothing for himself. There’s no way he can fix anything in this country! He calls himself rescuer, but we were the ones who rescued him.”
According to him, “Because Boakai is not an honest man, that’s why many of those around him are angry with him. Look at Joseph Boakai history and look at my history: Joseph Boakai is from Lofa County, and has been in government for almost 50 years…Lofa County is now developing, but who’s doing it…George Manneh Weah.”
President Weah bragged that he is former Peace Ambassador of the country, and opposition’s claim that he killed people is unjustified. “What is their motive? Why would a George Weah kill someone?” the President wondered. “But you see… When they were all generals during the war, they destroyed their human pride, but they don’t talk about it. I don’t talk about what they did because I want the country to move in the trajectory of peace. We went to the United Nations and said to them it’s time for Liberia to foster peace, and we need to go back to the palava hut.”
President Weah also raised concern about Boakai and his group’s claim that Prince Johnson was being protected by the Weah government for him not to go to the war crimes court. “My people, I will talk this one in simple English: the same Prince Johnson that was behind George Weah is the same Prince Johnson behind them; why they can’t take Prince Johnson to war crimes court now?” He said what his government has strived to do is to foster peace and stability “because we know what happened in this country, and that’s why I said to the UN that Liberians need to sit on the table, discuss and forgive each other”.
President Weah, who was speaking in Gbanga, Bong County, on Monday, September 11, 2023, reiterated that he and Jewel Howard-Taylor are the right choice for the country come 2023’s general and presidential elections.
He told the people of Bong that the opposition will come to them. “I know and I’m aware that they have nothing to tell you, because everything they’re gonna tell you is what we’re doing. The only thing they can say to you is that they can rescue you. How can people that stayed in power for twelve years and did not rescue you want to rescue you now when we are doing everything to satisfy you?”
After a teenaged girl and first-time voter eloquently made remarks, President Weah expressed joy in seeing the young generation taking advantage of his government’s free tuition policy to prepare themselves for the future. “Today when you bring the young people here to speak, they talk about education. We gave free education, we pay WAEC/WASSCE fees. In our time/generation, we were young and not aware, but today the young people are aware that this government is doing so much. Today we gave you free education. It is not to bluff, it is because in our generation no one gave us free education. So our government—your government—is proud that we can prepare you for the future. You know we were told that we are the future, but they did not prepare us for the future. Today we are telling you that you are the future, and that is why we are preparing you for the future,” he observed.
He recounted, “During our time, we grew up in ghettoes, and people told us that when you come from the ghetto it is impossible to succeed in society, but today I can tell you that simply because of you a child from the ghetto, George Manneh Gbehkugbeh Weah, even though he came from the ghetto, because of you he has showed to the world what he is capable of doing. Even though he came from the ghetto, the ghetto did not define him. Even though he came from the ghetto, he knows about development. Even though he came from the ghetto, he knows how to provide free tuition. He came from the ghetto, but he knows how to construct our roads.”
He reminded the gathering that “today we are building our economic institutions. For 12 years you gave the country to those that believe that they know it all only to realize deficits. In our first six years you can see around you. I am not saying it; I am just reechoing what you have said—that we have done well.
“All I want to say to you: this is your government. It is the government that believes in you, and this government needs to have a second term so you can be the judge—so you can see the twelve years of President Weah and the twelve years of those people.
“Liberia is 176 years old. In 171 years we sat down to observe; in the five years we ensure that we put into place what has been lacking. This is a testament of making our country what we want it to be. And this why I join you today to continue the path of prosperity, to build our young generation so tomorrow they cannot be questioned. I am your President, your brother, your friend and family. I, George Manneh Weah, is the one who listens to you. everything that was left undone is what we are fixing.”
He told the citizens of Bong County that if the opposition go to them and say, “Elect me”, they should ask what are they coming to do differently. “If they intend to do the same thing that we are doing, then there is no need—give me the six years, let me finish what I started,” President Weah pleaded.