Former Foreign Minister, Dr. Toga Gayewea McIntosh, says his endorsement of the Rescue Mission goes beyond Unity Party Standard Bearer Joseph Boakia as a person.
Dr. McIntosh said it must be clearly stated and understood that his endorsement is not about Ambassador Boakai as a person, but, instead, about Liberia as a country.
Speaking at UP’s Rescue Mission Headquarters on Monday, November 6, the former Vice President of the ECOWAS Commission underscored that he has declared support for Ambassador Boakai because there is a need for the Liberian people to do something positive about the several ills that exist in “our society today, hurting our nation’s image and survival”.
“After 38 years of advocacy and dedicated work to uplift my country, how can I now, in good conscience, ignore the socio-economic devastation of our beloved country and its people?
“Today, our country is on its knees,” he added.
Dr. McIntosh said over the past five years many Liberians have suffered the pain of poverty and continue to find it difficult to survive.
“As I look around, I see large groups of depressed ordinary Liberians who, during these last five years of the Coalition of Democratic Change (CDC) rule, have remained resilient and surviving under the weight of abject poverty,” he stated.
He continued that “many of our school-going age boys and girls are selling dangerously between traffic lanes, on the streets, and rundown marketplaces during school hours, while others are made into domestic slaves”.
“Liberian young adults and future leaders are mostly unemployed and roaming the streets aimlessly, while others turn to drugs only to forget their impoverished living conditions in a country of plenty,” Dr. McIntosh maintained.
Dr McIntosh told the gathering that a significant number of neglected seniors and physically challenged citizens are wandering the streets and communities just to survive, with many turning into street beggars, carrying with them innocent babies and children all day long as handlers to facilitate their bagging.
He said under the CDC-led government, hospitals, and health centers “lack basic services, staff, and equipment” to adequately provide minimum standard of care, leaving the ordinary citizens who cannot afford to travel abroad for medical attention to die in despair and hopelessness.
Vast potentials that could grow and expand the Liberian economy and social well-being, he pointed out, are left untapped and wasted.
According to him, the situation has been exacerbated by government officials under the CDC leadership “whose actions and inactions have shown that they do not know what they are doing and that they cannot and will not change their behavior”. Dr. McIntosh called on Liberians to “seize the golden opportunity that is at hand to rescue and subsequently fix our country on November 14”.
“We must seize this golden opportunity and defining moment,” he cautioned.
Liberia, he told the endorsement ceremony, has been brought down to its knees during the last five and a half years under the CDC leadership, noting that “Liberia is professionally and technically bankrupt in the various sectors of our economy and society”.
The Liberian statesman called on his supporters and those who believe in him to boldly join him and other well-meaning Liberians “on this mission to save our country’s future”.
The former Foreign Minister also urged Liberians to take the difficult road that leads to greater success.
“Let us make the hard decision to do the right things and stop the excuses for making the wrong decisions for our lives,” he exhorted.
“Let’s correct the wrongs. Let’s build this glorious land of Liberty. Let us together do those things that make our nation great amongst nations,” he continued.
Dr. Toga Gayewea McIntosh is a Former Foreign Minister and Former Planning Minister. He also served the World Bank as Executive Director, and is a former Vice President of ECOWAS Commission.
A native of Rivecess County, he worked 11 years with the United Nations responsible for Manpower Planning for Sub-Saharan Africa, and currently serves as Executive Director of Africa Development Management Associates (ADMA).
