Gbarnga — Dr. Emmanuel K. Urey-Yarkpawolo, a native of Zota District, Bong County, has been named as the running mate to Taiwan Gongloe, presidential aspirant of the Liberia People's Party (LPP).
An official of the party, who didn't want to be named, confirmed the development to FrontPage Africa on Tuesday.
According to the party official, Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo is "standing in" as the party's vice presidential candidate and his name will be submitted to the National Electoral Commission for the 2023 elections.
"Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo is standing in as our vice presidential candidate and his name will be submitted to the National Electoral Commission," the official said.
Prior to being named, Dr. Yarkpawolo had announced his intentions to contest as representative of Bong's District Four, and was seen as one of the favorites to win this year's election. His selection means there will be two natives of Bong County contesting as vice presidential candidates, after the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC)'s decision to retain Jewel Howard-Taylor, a native of Sanoyea District, on its ticket.
About Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo
Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo was born in Gomue, a small village near the Guinea border in District Number 4 in 1981. His mom, Gormah Yarkpawolo, passed away in 1983 when he was just 2 years old.
He grew up with his aunt, Nyamah Yarkpawolo. His father, Yarkpawolo Taylor, was one of the first persons to learn how to sew clothes in Bong County. Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo learned how to farm, fish, set traps and cut palms at an early age.
He learned from his father and his aunt early on that the purpose of life was to help others. His father would often advise him to be honest in his dealings with people, not to worry about material things but to appreciate God for what he has.
EDUCATION
"God will provide", this was the answer that Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo gave it to his father in 1995 when his father indicated that refugee schools in Guinea were free of charge but once the war was over in Liberia, and they returned, schools were not free in Liberia and he never had money as the war had destroyed all his properties.
In response, Emmanuel, who was given the Kpelle name "Kwakergbe" ("Let us be here") but later gave himself the biblical name Emmanuel (God is with us), simply said "God will provide". Yes, indeed God provided and is still providing today. He started school at the age of nearly 14 years in the Bheta Refugee Camp in Guinea in 1995.
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Prior to starting school, his father sent him to an apprenticeship to become a traditional blacksmith. He spent two weeks in the blacksmith shop, ran away and returned to the refugee camp, where he later started school.
Ten years later in 2005, Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo graduated from high school as the dux winning eight awards out of 12 subjects and serving as Student Council President. Not only did he obtain his Bachelor's Degree in 2008 from Cuttington University, but in the 10 years that followed, he added beneath his academic belt, a Master's Degree in Public Health (2011) from Cuttington University, a Master's of Science in Environment and Resources with emphasis in Political Ecology (2013) and a Ph.D. in the same field from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2018.
Dr. Urey-Yarkpawolo also holds a certificate of Leadership with Integrity from Les Aspin Center for Government in Washington D.C. and a certificate in Management & Entrepreneurship from Columbia University in New York.
