Rarely does this happen in a political contest, but for former Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel Farlo McGill despite his recent travails, his political stock is on the rise as three counties where he is believed to have stakes are all jostling for his consent to contest for the senatorial seat in those counties as reciprocated gesture done to the people of those places over the years.
Latest information available to The Analyst has it that massive preparations are underway in those counties for a formal petition ceremony separately in those counties where citizens and residents will be delivering their respective petitions asking for McGill's consent and according to some of the organizers, it is a matter of time but his acceptance is something that is needed right now to seal a deal that will see the former official of government representing any of the counties come 2024 when the next set of lawmakers will be taking their respective places.
For Gbarpolu where McGill hails from, the organizers said his ascendency to the senate through the 2023 election will be re-enforcing the presence of prominent citizens from the county getting involved in the mainstream of national politics and decision making as his recent resignation created a big void in terms of representation, hence the petition to him to accept the request from his "fathers, mothers, uncles, aunties, brothers, sisters, cousins, nephews, other relatives, etc who are all resolved to give him the massive support needed"
The citizens said McGill elevated the status of Gbarpolu County among other counties in Liberia being a younger political subdivision compared to the older ones and has used his leverage in government to attract massive development projects like the ultra-modern Emirates Hospital, the first of its kind in the county, the Pro Poor Housing units, roads and other infrastructural projects.
"Of course one good thing deserves another. Our son has brought pride to us, he has been the shining light up there. His influence has been like an open door to opportunities for us and he has wisely used his leverage to attract so many projects in the county. Now that he has decided to leave the executive branch of government where he performed so well, we are petitioning him to go to the senate and represent us so that we can always have somebody up there that we can look up as a county", one of the forerunners of the petition who did not want to be named told this paper last night.
The citizens also highlighted how many sons and daughters from the county have been given jobs and other opportunities in the current government "than any other administration since the county was created" and believe that having him in government will consolidate on the gains he has brought to the county and its people.
When one thinks all the other competing counties should just hand over the chance to Gbarpolu to take away McGill's consent, then comes Bong County with its tantalizing claims that by virtue of the African tradition where it is said that the name, fame and wealth a child has can be traced to the blessings from their maternal side, the maverick politician is a bonafide son of Bong County because his mother hails from there and must benefit from all and every bit of entitlement especially so when he has invested so much in the socio-economic development of the area.
It is not a secret that McGill has on so many occasions spearheaded humanitarian initiatives from President George Manneh Weah in the county which include but not limited to scholarships, financial assistance to students and market women as well as special help to the elderly people in the county.
He has also localized his status with the people by owning a house in Gbarnga which he constructed during his tenure as Minister of State where he resides whenever he visits the county and normally receive in audience prominent citizens such as politicians, traditional rulers and ordinary citizens who visited to offer pieces of advice and seek for whatever assistance they may.
"We are a blessed people and that is why any child that is born from our lineage especially from children from our daughters are blessed. So it is not surprising that the young man has been successful. He is our own son and has the right like any other citizen from Bong County to ask for things from us and if he cannot ask us it is our right according to tradition to look around and give him something that we believe he worked for. So, we are saying let him go to the Senate to represent us and he will win", a traditional ruler boastfully said.
"Because of the trust President Weah has in him, my three children have been able to be in school. Anytime Mr. McGill comes to Gbarnga, he comes with good news for our children in schools and we market women. So we have decided to come together to tell him that it is time for us to say we want to pay you back for what all you have done for us and continue to do", an excited Ma Kebeh Wiles said.
As for the people of Margibi, their quest for McGill to accept their petition is anchored on his being a resident in the County for the past five(5) years and also built his residence around the SDA Church Community and has been making significant contributions in the area, thereby impacting the lives of the people.
A middle aged man who confirmed that indeed a petition program is being planned in that direction said that McGill owns a property in the County and has been paying taxes in the county just as the citizens and other residents are doing.
"Besides that, and which is the most overriding issue, Mr. McGill has been deeply involved in the socioeconomic development of this county and I can give you examples of several of these initiatives. But let me limit myself to the market structure he built in the Schefflin Community, and through his influence, the Ministry of Public Works was able to build a long stretch of road that connects some communities that have been inaccessible for a very long time and has assisted so many people, both old and young with jobs, financial assistance and other opportunities", he said.
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"Let us not forget the Presidential outreach initiatives that he was entrusted with to reach so many people in this county especially the payment of school tuitions and other fees for our children which has removed the untold burden from us the parents. He has been handling the project with so much zeal and passion and we are grateful to that. We are not asking for anything other than to appeal to him to accept our petition to represent us in the upper chambers of our national legislature", said Miss Gladys Wlutayonoh Gaba, a community leader and a single mother of two (2) kids in Kakata said.
As all of the three (3) counties are making frantic efforts to engage Mr. McGill through the proposed petition, political pundits are of the view that McGill may have a herculean task to pick any one of them because they all made appealing claims that appear to be irresistible. The coming days will be interesting as he weighs all options available to him before moving forward.
