– As Lofa’s Teams make headways in County Meets
By. Jerromie S. Walters
Voinjama, Liberia, December 23, 2022: Monrovia City Mayor, Jefferson Tamba Koijee, a prominent son of Lofa County, is calling for unity and reconciliation among citizens of the county.
Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee told a group of reporters in Voinjama, Lofa County, at noon on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, that the sons and daughters of the county should put unity and the county’s interests ahead of politics.
He believes that the uniqueness that bonds Lofians together should at all times be greater than their political affiliations; as such, he said it is important that they begin to work together and avoid politicizing things that are meant to benefit them and elevate the county.
“We want to use this victory as a clarion call to all of the sons and daughters of Lofa County, which is known as unity in diversity, and as a matter of fact, this is the only county that has six tribes. We want to use this to call everyone together: Lofa needs you more than ever before. We want to speak to the journalists, we want to speak to the farmers, we want to speak to the traditional leaders, and we want to speak to the politicians. “As we go through a very important electoral process in 2023, let Lofa serve as an example of peace and unity,” he said.
He also said that, like many other Liberians, every Liberian has the right to join any political party, but that they should be more careful that their political parties don’t make it harder for them to be different from each other.
Mayor Jefferson Koijee went on to say that “every Lofian deserves the right to choose their political persuasions; citizens of the county should prioritize reconciliation and county unity over their personal interests.”
He made it clear that the people of Lofa are not divided, but that at this point in their history, they should focus on reconciliation and unity.
“Like we did before, we have come to inaugurate a revolution of unity in our county, a revolution of reconciliation; we have come to exemplify that Lofa can be better than what it is today, and we want to say to you, if you have never had the courage for unity among us, have it now,” he said.
As the county’s kickball and football teams continue to do well in the National County Sports Meet, Mayor Koijee asked all Lofians to do whatever they could to help the county’s teams win this year’s tournament.
Even though Koijee’s call for unity among county residents seems like a good idea, it’s important to remember that the county’s political godfather, Amb. Joseph Nyuma Boakai is an official of the opposition Unity Party and that Koijee is an official of the ruling establishment, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC).
Pundits believe that the existence of a unified Lofa county can’t easily be seen, especially with the presence of some sons of the county that are making efforts to create a strong support base in the county, while others are doing all they can to maintain the supremacy they have had in the county for over two decades.
Lofa County is one of the 15 counties of Liberia, and it is the home of the Kissi, Lorma, Gbandi, Mande, and Mandigo-speaking groups. It is known for the iniquity of its soil and is mostly considered the bread basket of Liberia.
