Liberia’s impending presidential race is certainly gaining steam, as usual, with a crowded field of Liberians expressing interest in the country’s highest seat; the latest of such being one of Liberia’s foremost human rights lawyers, Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, who Women Voices newspaper has reliably learned, may most likely contest for President in 2023.
Multiple political commentators including a horde of Liberians both at home and abroad, have repeatedly held onto the view that Liberia’s greatest problem is leadership deficit, as far as the country’s presidency is concerned, arguing that successive regimes have for far too long failed the nation – thus, resulting to a country that is 174 years, lagging far behind development wise; even with nations it helped gained independence many years ago being ahead of it, as far as socio-economic and infrastructural developments are concerned.
This year’s Independence Day Orator, Rev. Professor Julius Julukon Sarwolo Nelson, Jr., unsurprisingly intimated Monday in his oration that after 174 years as an independent nation, Liberia has nothing to be proud of.
Professor Nelson asserted that following her declaration of independence 174 years now, Liberia is still being called a developing nation, adding that this is nothing to be proud of especially when some of the countries he said the nation supported, to gain independence, are far ahead on the ladder of human capital and infrastructure development.
Leadership shortfalls at the level of the country’s presidency, according to sources, who preferred remaining anonymous for this report, is a major factor for Liberian electorate in their majority to often than not crave for change of government during successive national elections; with the hope that with a new person in the country’s Executive Mansion, Liberia’s aged-old woes, which include corruption, bad governance, greed, lack of demonstration of political will and patriotism, would be savaged, but sadly, such hope is always disappointingly dashed, once a new president is elected.
Howbeit, Liberians are poised to go to the polls in 2023, to elect several legislators and a president, and one of such persons at the verge of throwing his hat into the presidential ring is former Solicitor General under the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf regime, Cllr. Gongloe.
Women Voices newspaper has been informed that a group named Team Gongloe, in support of the former Solicitor General’s 2023 presidential quest, is slated to be launched today in Paynesville City, 10.36 kilometers outside the capital, Monrovia.
With both parents now deceased, Cllr. Gongloe, was born and raised in Liberia 64 years ago, unto the union of a classroom teacher, Wilfred Kehleboe and Elizabeth Menguah Gongloe, in the town of Glehyee-Zopea, Yarwin Mensonneh Statutory District, Nimba County.
He received basic education from the Roman Catholic School System; Saint Francis Primary School in Tappita, and the Saint Mary Secondary School in Sanniquellie, all in Liberia’s northern Nimba County.
Cllr. Gongloe holds a BSc degree in Economics from the University of Liberia; LL.B in law, from the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, University of Liberia; a Certificate in Human Rights Law, from the Columbia University, United States of America; amongst other educational achievements.
An astute human rights campaigner, longtime advocate for social justice and human dignity, Cllr. Gongloe, has over the years championed the rights of many Liberians, and offered free legal services to several persons, especially to poor people, irrespective of their tribal, religious and social status, according to Team Gongloe.
Team Golgloe describes the former Solicitor General as an “integrity icon”, bragging that his public and private service records are impeccable.
Team Gongloe says it sees Cllr. Gongloe as the person with the sincere desire and capacity to take Liberia out of the dungeon of endemic corruption and poor governance.
Cllr. Gongloe is an honest man, according to Team Gongloe, which stressed that the current President of the Liberia National Bar Association (LNBA) has honestly achieved all he owns in life.
The group says Cllr. Gongloe believes in the rule of law and democratic change, principles Team Golgloe says the human rights campaigner has lived by and continues to live by throughout his lifetime.
In the late 1970’s, Gongloe was imprisoned and beaten for speaking out against the government of former president William Tolbert, and later in 2002, for speaking out against now exiled President Charles Taylor.
