Nathaniel Farlo McGill, former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs and Chief of Office Staff to His Excellency President George Manneh Weah, on Friday, October 28, 2022 finally ended all the speculations as to which county he will contest the Senate seat in the ensuing 2023 general election when he accepted the petition statement from thousands of citizens from Margibi County, promising to provide the robust representation that will bring meaningful development, unity and progress in the county.
The ceremony lived up to its bidding given the massive preparation and awareness accorded it as it turned out to be a major political carnival, sending a clear message far ahead of the 2023 elections that McGill is a candidate to contend with in a contest that is also expected to feature some of the political gladiators in the county. The quiet Unification City was turned into a very busy community during the petition ceremony, as people from all walks of life thronged the place to be part of the program that will for a long time be the talk of the town.
Indeed it was a day of honor for the noted grassroots politician and former Chairman of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) on the occasion that marked a major watershed towards the realization of his political ambition of becoming the next Senator of Margibi County come 2023. Political pundits saw it afar perhaps unknown to Mr. McGill himself that there would have been a ceremony where people and communities who have been following his deeds will congregate one day to ask him to represent them at another level of governance in the country to consolidate on what he has been doing for them as well as to define the direction the people desire in their quest for a better future.
So it was actually a battle royale between and among three counties that put up a contest to corner him on their side for representation in the upper house of the national legislature with all of them making legitimate claims to his endorsement: Gbarpolu County, his original home , Bong County, the origin of his mother, from where traditionally he is an anointed son and where he has been investing a lot terms of empowerment of the communities including owning a house there and Margibi County where he has resided for a long time and paying taxes. At the end of the contest, Margibi County finally won his heart and the singular honor to represent them in the Senate come 2023 was bestowed on him.
Then came the day: Friday, October 28, 2022. A look out works have been put into the preparation, time, energy and resources and so when it finally got underway, it was not a matter of finding out why it was so successfully executed.
As early as 8 am there were very visible signs that a major event was about to take place in Unification City, District #1, Margibi County, venue of the program as thousands who graced the occasion were already finding the way to the place for the program which was slated for the afternoon.
Market women, traditional rulers and elders, business people , traditional singers, religious leaders, students, motorcyclists, etc were on hand to support the process to endorse the ambition of Mr. McGill.
Shortly before 3 pm, the man of the moment made a triumphant entry into the venue with a long convoy of cheering supporters and partisans of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change. The convoy struggled getting to the venue due to huge traffic hiccups along the RIA Highway caused by the large crowd at the venue and the many vehicles conveying people to the venue.
It took the intervention of private security and protocol officers from the local organizers to enable McGill, accompanied by his wife, Mr. Vivian Innis –McGill, both of them spotting the GMW 2023 face caps and white T-Shirts and other aides to access to grand stand mounted for the program amid singing, dancing and chanting of party slogans by the numerous supporters of CDC who had taken ownership of the program and literally gave it a political carnival of sort.
Traditional rites were earlier held to usher in McGill and party within the community of the venue.
As soon as McGill and entourage took their seats, the program commenced with an invocation provided by Rev. Joseph Charley, District Overseer, Harvest International Christian Church who said he was at the program as a pastor and it was incumbent upon him to pray and preach and prayed that the will of God will prevail at the program.
The Major of Unification City, Samuel Berrain who welcomed McGill and party as well as other invitees to the program told the former Minister that the people of the city were happy to receive him and his delegation, wishing him a successful stay and pledging to deliver the city with resounding votes from the citizens come 2023.
Thereafter, a petition statement from the citizens was read by Mark Nuah, Chairman of the Porcupine Movement of Margibi who among other things enumerated several reasons why the citizens have decided to petition him, among which many were his humanitarian works for the people where thousands of students benefited from the Presidential scholarship scheme for secondary school students in the county, empowerment of women, direct financial assistance to the needy, exerting influences for some citizens from the county to secure government jobs and other opportunities, demonstration of virtues as a true son of Margibi, etc.
Nuah also hinged the decision on the need to obey the existence of equity and fairness in the leadership structure, especially senatorial representation at the national legislature.
“We have come here to make history today. Since Margibi became a county, there has been a tradition and traditions are meant to be obeyed. That is why our presence today is an indication of upholding this sanctity of our decision in Margibi County.
“Every district in Margibi has produced a senator with the exception of District #1. The time is now that the people of District #1 should be given the chance to produce the next Senator. District #1 must be given the opportunity to have one of its illustrious sons to be the next senator and it is you, Honorable Nathaniel Farlo McGill that we have decided to pick to represent us”, he said
The statement also lamented how divided the county has become from the hands of selfish politicians who are the only beneficiaries while the bulk of the people suffer from the disunity destroying the county and how McGill is the only person that can be the rally point to restore the dignity and pride of the county.
“Our once united Margibi County is today infested with disunity, peer envy, personal greed and selfishness and we are of the strong conviction that you, Honorable Nathaniel Farlo McGill, you are that leader to bring the needed change our people desire”, the statement said.
“In view of the above reasons and many more, we the citizens of Margibi County in collaboration with Liberia Marketing Association(LMA), The Liberian National Motor Cycles and Tricycles Union ,the Firestone Workers’ Women Association, the Disabled Community of Margibi County, Traditional Council of Margibi, MotorCycles Movement for McGill, Disenchanted Supporters of Saah Richard Gbollie, Student community, teachers, etc have unanimously decided to contest the Margibi Senatorial seat for 2023
“We the people of Margibi County also commit ourselves to the second term bid of his Excellency Dr. Dr. George Manneh Weah, President of the Republic of Liberia and will exert all efforts to make this a reality”, the statement concluded
The petition which was hugely supported by the people was turned over to the leadership of the National Traditional Council of Liberia who was represented by the Vice Chairman for Administration, Chief Teah Swen for presentation to the Chiefs and Elders of the County for onward presentation to McGill.
“You know when God sends a good son, when he respects the father, then he has a good pa, and at the end of the day, the good pa will give good blessings to the son. So today, God sent us here on behalf of Chief Zanzan Kawa, to speak to you.
So Honorable McGill God us, God passed through the traditional people to give the blessing to go to your people, to sit with your people, to talk to your people and God will bless you. So we the traditional people, the Governor’s council, the chief zoes, so Mr. Paramount Chief it has reached you. God bless you”, Chief Swen ,the National Vice Chair of the Traditional Council said.
Receiving the petition before passing it over to McGill, a paramount chief representing the traditional council and elders of Margibi County said they were excited to be part of the program to honor McGill with the petition to represent them in the Senate and after sitting down pensively to the reading of the petition from the people were happy to present the document over to him.
“On behalf of the chiefs and elders of Margibi county including Chief ZanzarKarwa, we are here today to present the petition statement to you the incoming senator, Honorable McGill and we are happy to do this in Jesus name , Amen”, he said amid thunderous cheers from the people.
The obviously elated McGill delivered a moving and extemporaneous speech that resonated with the people, recounting his struggling upbringing because his parents were poor, how he fought poverty, how his life and career were boosted by President George MannehWeah and the need for Liberians not to give leadership positions to people who do not mean well for the country.
“As a young man coming up, I had a difficult journey. My journey was marred by a lot of sorrow. I could not afford the payment of school fees; I could not afford having a LD$5. You know, for those days during Doe’s time. I was born during Tubman’s regime. I was born the year Tubman died.
“So when I became big, I came to Monrovia without a father. My story is like your story. But the man I am about to speak about has the same story. I had a very tough journey like you. My story is not different from your story.
“You and I and the man I am about to speak to you have the same story. Many of you, your mother and father are very poor, many of your mothers and fathers have to make potato green farms to send you to school and so that is why I am happy and I want to be grateful to him because life is a journey . Only God knows the future and so my journey was tough until the man who had no reason to assist me assisted me and I want to be grateful to him.
“And that person is no one else but your President George MannehWeah, President of the Republic of Liberia. I am deeply grateful to the President. I want to be grateful to the President because he made my journey to be successful. He helped me to go to school and he provided me the opportunity to serve you in his government. I am deeply grateful.
And it is my prayer that those who seek to bring George Weah down God will punish them”, McGill said in an emotion laden statement and received a loud shout of “Amen” and cheers.
The former Chairman of CDC who took the party to victory in 2017 took a swipe of those whom he described as those “who wish evil” for the country and warned the citizens not to give any chance to leadership in the country, stressing “Liberians are not stupid again, we are not stupid”.
“Some people believe that the only way something good will come to the country is when evil comes into the country. We should never allow them to seek power , we should never give power to people who believe good things can come to power when we bring evil to this country.
“Gone are the days when people will go out and damage the image of this country and they come back and say we should give them power. We are not stupid again in this country. We know our rights from wrong. We will not allow 1979 to repeat itself because Liberians know what is good for them .We went through 14 years of conflict. We will not allow ourselves to go back to war”, he said
The aspirant who was repeatedly referred to as “our incoming senator” at the program continuously attracted admiration from the people as he surged on speaking to the people, conveying the message with such mastery to keep them spellbound and demand for more.
He said he was grateful for the decision taken to petition and endorse him and that October 28, 2022, the day he was so honored will forever be remembered in his life and what was about to be started in the county was for everyone but that effort cannot be done by he alone, it has to be a collective effort of the entire people of Margibi County.
“I come in peace. I have come to unite the people of Margibi. I have not come to fight anybody in Margibi .I have come to complement the efforts of the people of Margibi so that we can bring empowerment to you, so that we can bring education to you, to bring love to you , so that we can make a Margibi a great county”, he said and received a standing ovation from the crowd who defied the scourging sun to grace the occasion.
He reminded the people that 2023 will be a historic year for the country and warned them not “to allow the country go into retrogression” and called on the people to turn out on October 10, 2023, the day of the general election to vote massively for President George MannehWeah for re-election.
“I am very sure that on October 10, 2023, your vote will not only be for me, your vote will also be for President George MannehWeah”, he said and massive shouts of yeahhhhhhhh could be heard from every corner of the gathering .
McGill, who by now could not hold back his joy, emphatically thanked the people and then accepted their petition to contest the senatorial race in 2023.
“I therefore receive the petition and to you the chiefs and elders, to our traditional leaders, to our zoes, to our religious leaders, to our Christian brothers, to all of you of Margibi County, I want to, with humility, accept your petition to run as senator for Margibi County in 2023.
Guest performances of music and comedy were provided by top musical artists who made customized music specifically for campaign purposes and the entertainment of the guests.
Also at the program, endorsements came from the Margibi County branch of the Liberia Marketing Association (LMA), The Liberian National Motor Cycles and Tricycles Union ,the Firestone Workers’ Women Association, the Disabled Community of Margibi County, Traditional Council of Margibi, MotorCycles Movement for McGill, Disenchanted Supporters of Saah Richard Gbollie, Student community, teachers, etc.
Imam Jalloh of the Harbel Central Mosque offered benediction to end the program
As program ended and McGill and entourage are being sandwiched back to their waiting vehicles, political pundits who followed all the events prior and during the program, have made bold statements and postulations in favor of McGill, claiming until otherwise, the people of the county should start to count him as their next senator when the proper time comes.