As citizens of Montserrado County’s district #4 have been yarning for a development-oriented legislator since its formation, Representative-elect Atty. Michael Thomas, in a vociferate tone, has vowed to break the underdevelopment yoke.
The district, which was founded in 2011 by erstwhile President Ellen John-Sirleaf, is the highest populated electoral district, according to the National Elections Commission’s registered voters’ record by district and county for 2023’s presidential and legislative elections.
It was formerly district #6 from 2005 to 2011. Since its transformation into district #4 in 2011, its first elected Representative was Henry Fahnbulleh, second Rustolyn Suacco Dennis, whom Representative-elect Thomas has defeated in the 2023 general elections.
Having 35 communities and a population of 75,517, the district is challenged in a number of ways: it lacks feeder road pavement, pipe-borne water, library, adequate and furnished public school, recreation centers, bridges, sanitation management, security, and so on.
The few unfurnished public schools in the district are overcrowded with students who unqualified instructors pay little attention to and accept bribe for grade every academic year.
Sanitation disposal is a nightmare districtwide due to the Paynesville City Corporation’s failure to implement a monitoring system. Street thugs and drug addicts are on rampage in the district due to the lack of rehabilitation centers.
With these challenges and others, the district is underdeveloped and faces security threat, but Representative-elect Thomas has news for the district: transformation.
Speaking on ELBC Super Morning Show on Thursday, the newly elected Michael Thomas promised reconciliation and to developmentally touch every sector of the district, including education, sanitation, security, empowerment, community college, vocational school, community college, library and public latrine constructions; asphalt pavement of major feeder community roads, upgrading and installation of pipe-borne water in some communities, and so on.
Legislators have three functions: representing, lawmaking and oversight. With these responsibilities, Michael Thomas promised to lobby with the Water and Sewer Corporation for pipe-borne water for the district, Ministry of Public Works for the major feeder community roads’ pavement, research and lobby for a bill for the construction of the Paynesville Community College and its subsequent passes, which was introduced by a member of the 52nd Legislature and is in committee room.
“My leadership will be inclusive, and l will reconcile the district,” Representative-elect Thomas said. “l will consult the women, youth, men, elders, pastors and imams to make decisions.”
He continued, “l will reconcile the 25 representative-candidates who did not make it. Some of them, whose platforms are similar to mine, l will laisse with so that we can work in the interest of our district.”
Representative-elect Thomas is the highest recognized humanitarian figure in the district. Before contesting for the representative seat, he was in the vanguard impacting the citizens with vocational education, loan benefits and free medical service across the district. As a result of his humanitarian services, he was petitioned by the electorates to contest.
At present, his vocational school is districtwide, impacting the district. Besides, he bought an ambulance and a borehole machine for the district’s use before his election to the 55th National Legislature.
Pierced by the development phenomenon, he is desperate to go beyond his political manifesto, that encompasses education, security, empowerment, loan, development, reconciliation, among others, for the district.
“I have secured a parcel of land to construct a multipurpose structure that will offer A.A. degree,” the development-oriented Representative-elect informed his audience.
Apart from Du-Port Road, which is the district’s capital, other communities like Norvlen Town, Nine-gbala, Cross River, and so on, have been deserted as if they are part of leeward counties’ communities, with swamp engulfing several of them.
“District 4 is a breadbasket. We will make use of the swamp land for agriculture purpose,” he said.