MONROVIA-Former presidential candidate, Tiawan Saye Gongloe has called on Nimbians to support the only female candidate in the upcoming representative bi-election. Read his speech.
“A Call to Conscience: Support Madee Kamah Wongbay— The Only Woman in the Race for Nimba District Five by Tiawan Saye Gongloe, former Solicitor General of Liberia, former Minister of Labor and former President of the Liberian National Bar Association, Assistant Professor of Law, Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, and 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Liberian People’s Party (LPP)
To the resilient women of Nimba County—at home and in the diaspora,
To Vice President Jeremiah Koung,
To Senators Nya Twayen and Samuel Kogar,
To all Representatives from Nimba County,
To Superintendent Kou Miapeh Gono and her administration,
To the business community of Nimba County,
And to every citizen who believes in fairness, inclusion, and a better future—
Nimba County is once again at a crossroads. In the ongoing District Five by-election, among eleven candidates, only one is a woman— Madee Kamah Wongbay. And yet, Nimba has no woman in the National Legislature. This is not just disappointing—it is alarming.
What message are we sending to our daughters, our sisters, our girls in school who dream of becoming leaders? Are we saying that legislative positions are only meant for men? Are we building a society where women are to be seen but not heard in matters of governance?
Historically, Nimba has not done well in freely electing women to the National Legislature. The first woman to occupy a legislative seat was Catherine Cummings from Tappita, who was selected, not elected, by the True Whig Party caucus in 1969 after the death of Senator Thomas Quelayne Harris. Then in 1975, Ma Yalama Duayen, the mother of former Superintendent Christiana Dagado, was selected—again by caucus—not by the vote of the people—to represent Sanniquellie-Mah District.
It was not until 1997 that Margaret Kermah and Annie Yeaneh became Senator and Representative, respectively. But they too were not elected by the people of Nimba. They entered the Legislature through the proportional representation system, appointed by President Charles Taylor, not chosen by the votes of our citizens.
The only woman ever freely elected by the people of Nimba County to the National Legislature since Nimba became a county in 1964 is Hon. Nau Kidau, of District One—the Beinga area. That was one woman, more than two decades ago.
We must change this story. We must not allow this opportunity to pass. This is bigger than politics—it is a moral call to correct a long-standing injustice.
We call on all women of Nimba County, wherever they may be, to unite and support Madee Kamah Wongbay. We call on Vice President Koung, our Senators, and Representatives to endorse her candidacy as a symbol of progress.
We call on Superintendent Gono, the business community, and civil society to rise and make history.
This is an appeal to the conscience of the Nimba people, especially the Nimba men. Let us not continue to silence the voice of our women in the halls of power. Let us elect Madee Kamah Wongbay as the next Representative of District #5. Let us show that Nimba is ready to lead Liberia—not just in size, but in justice, in equality, and in vision.
Let us vote for— Madee Kamah Wongbay for dignity, for balance, for the future.
Thank you.”
Alphonso Toweh
Has been in the profession for over twenty years. He has worked for many international media outlets including: West Africa Magazine, Africa Week Magazine, African Observer and did occasional reporting for CNN, BBC World Service, Sunday Times, NPR, Radio Deutchewells, Radio Netherlands. He is the current correspondent for Reuters
He holds first MA with honors in International Relations and a candidate for second master in International Peace studies and Conflict Resolution from the University of Liberia.
