Maj. Gen. Albert G. Paye, popularly known as Pa Zoekweh, whom many refer to as a true defender of the land and people of Nimba County, has assured the Secretary General of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Jefferson T. Koijee, that the people of the county are not prepared to reward an individual who has individualized the county and personalized the Nimba people with another nine years in the Liberian Senate, culminating into twenty-seven (27) years.
Maj. Gen. Paye was referring to the Senator of Nimba County, Prince Y. Johnson, whom he accused of clinging unto himself the title of being the sole owner of the people of Nimba, including their decision to choose good from evil, which he described as hypocritical.
According to him, the people are wiser and ready to take their future in their own hands, thereby igniting a deep sense of reconciliation amongst the great sons and daughters of the county.
Maj. Gen. Paye, also known as Chief Zoekweh, underscored that “if the issue is about jobs as they want us to believe, it is indeed paradoxical, as the messengers are richer and wealthier in both property and cash than many Nimbaians combined, at the expense of the Nimba people, to the point where they’re opting to be extended following a protracted stay of eighteen years in power.
“They are now asking for a whooping additional nine years, amounting to twenty-seven years, which is outrageous at 70-plus years old,” Maj. Gen. Paye sounded.
He made the reassurance recently when the CDC Secretary General, Koijee, placed a call to him to congratulate him for his wedding, at which time they spoke about Nimba County, its politics and people.
Making the disclosure to the Hot Pepper on Thursday, July 13, 2023, Secretary General Koijee said, “Maj. Gen. Paye asked me to reassure the President that the commitment the elders and traditional leaders made to him—they’ve got zero intention to walk away from that.”
Koijee noted that, following that call, he had a sober reflection to recount the true nature of who the Nimbaians are: the people of Nimba are not ungrateful and will be seen in support for President Weah in the 2023 general and presidential elections.
He confidently said Nimba County will overwhelmingly vote the CDC based on tangibles and increased job creation for Nimbaians since the coming to power of the Weah-led administration.
“Nimbaians weren’t ungrateful to Charles Taylor, whom they voted for overwhelmingly due to his stance to protect them along with other compatriots. They also supported the second term bid of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf given the massive pavement they saw after decades of civil war,” Koijee recounted.
He maintained that Nimbaians are grateful people, and will show President George Weah the same gratitude at the polls in October.
Descending on Senator Prince Johnson, Secretary General Koijee stated that it is unthinkable for someone who got nine years opportunity and an extended nine years to still believe that no Nimbaian deserves opportunity, but only them should keep excelling at the detriment of other sons and daughters of Nimba.
“If that’s not being selfish, I then wonder what it is, because here you have someone like Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe, who had never had an elected opportunity of the people of Nimba County though he was the first to declare his intention to contest for the Presidency from Nimba. They claim he hails from the Mano-speaking tribe, so he doesn’t deserve a space on the table; an idea that is contrary to a reconciled or one Nimba,” he added.
“I would like to salute a few new breed of Nimbaians who see Nimba in a more united way, like retired national youth and student leaders and statesmen Nyan Twayen, Roland Duo, Teeko Yorlay, Sam G. Takruah, Sam Browne, Armstrong Gobac Selekpoh, Abigail Freeman, amongst others. With this generation, I am certain that Nimba will rise above trivialities, divisions, threats and intimidations—a one and prosperous Nimba is definitely sure.
“Again, I am honored to state my heartfelt thanks and appreciation to the loving and brave people of Nimba County for bestowing on me one of their traditional names, SEHGRAN, by the chiefs, zoes and elders of the land,” the CDC Secretary General observed.
