Legislative Sojourn
By Fiona Benson
0770436931/0880581180
“Advocacy, Transparency, Accountability, and Genuine Representation, through Peace and Reconciliation are key tools of my leadership,” Rep. Manseah.
Legislative Sojourn is a Column produced by the Inprofile Daily Newspaper on a weekly basis, which seeks to highlight legislators from the 15 counties and the 73 Districts on their profiles, prospects, challenges and way forward as to enable the Liberian people get some insights on the lives and workings of those they entrusted to the manage the country on their behalf.
Today’s edition focuses on the prospects, challenges, and working of Nimba County District #4 Lawmaker, Ernest M. Manseah, Sr.
Rep. Manseah, a first term elected lawmaker, told this column that his desire to represent his people is to bring growth and development through advocacy, transparency, accountability and genuine representation.
“I also consider peace and reconciliation as parts of my goals to impact the lives of my people positively,” Manseah said.
Rep. Manseah: “In fulfillment of my statutory mandate to my stewardship, both within and out of the district, I will nurture peace and reconciliation through collective efforts to ensure that the district is well developed to restore the lost hope of the people.”
He added: “The district which I represent, is one of the newest districts in the county. It comprises of three administrative districts, six chiefdoms, 12 clans, 26 zones, and about 75 towns. It contained other catchment communities and villages with an estimated 37,478 voters.”
He quoted from a report conveyed by authorities at the National Elections Commission (NEC).
Manseah said the population, includes the young ones, who need strategic and genuine development plans to match current day reality.
“Upon this backdrop, I decided to continue my advocacy through lobby, with others that will better impact the lives of my people. They people gave me the power to lead them.”
Manseah continues: when I took over the office in 2024, there were series of challenges facing my people, including but not limited to road infrastructure, access to good healthcare, sanitation, limited or no financial aids for the youth.
Relative to education and healthcare, he said the smaller number of government’s assigned teachers and healthcare workers in the district, were among the challenges.
As such, Manseah is to harness every effort to bring the necessary growth and development through persistent advocacy, transparency, accountability and most of all, genuine representation while nurturing peace and reconciliation through collective efforts that are key to nation building.
“My people giving me the opportunity to work a lawmaker was a national decision. Therefore, I am aware that I did not go there to seek personal interest, rather to advocate for the common good of my people,” Rep. Maneah said.
On his development agenda, Rep. Manseah said peace and reconciliation, education, including women and youth empowerment, health, water, sanitation, agriculture and security are most of my priorities.
He described peace and reconciliation as a gateway to development.
He said to begin the process of peace and reconciliation, he initiated a program in Garplay, the district headquarters. The program brought together residents, inclusive of the opponents to settle disputes that occurred during the past elections. The aim was to engage, and appeal to the conscious of the residents for the common good of the district.
Regarding education, Rep. Manseah described that as one of the most powerful tools, but unfortunately, the districts has three high schools, namely: the Gbor Payee Public, Garplay Public and the Inland Mission, which two are government-owned, and one privately-owned.
Manseah says he is currently working along with education stakeholders to elevate the three semi high schools to full fledge high schools.
This, he believes will serve as one way decentralize, and also improve the education system.
He disclosed a plan to also establish a vocational training center across the district to provide some basics needed skills for the younger generation.
Manseah highlighted some key education ongoing projects in continuation of his quest to elevate the schools.
By that, he is currently constructing additional a six-classroom annex to the Beo-Gbenelay semi high school with another completed annex in Zoe Siaplay Town, just to name a few.
Other school projects are ongoing across the district, but Rep. Manseah stressed that the education need of his people remains one of his top priorities.
“In addition to the infrastructure development and initiatives to the education sector of the district, I am also providing financial supports to students, who have won local and international scholarships. My office is currently sponsoring 14 students in Rwanda, as well as the over 350 students in other institutions across the country.”
On the healthcare delivery system, Rep. Manseah said, the district host 11 functioning health facilities with three privately-owned, and eight governmental.
Of these numbers, there are additional soon to finish projects.
He acknowledged the challenges of drugs supply, manpower, medical equipment. Manseah promised to lobby for improve education and healthcare.
As for road and infrastructure, lots of Manseah’s development projects are ongoing, though the challenges remained.
On the aspect of security, he said this has been a serious issue, “because, of insufficient personnel to combat crimes, especially the proliferation of illicit drugs.
In addition, Manseah is constructing a police depot in Garplay, with the hope of including Beo towns, and the other surrounding areas to curtail crimes.
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