“Liberia’s Problem Is Food”

-Says Former Presidential Candidate Jeremiah Wahpoe 

By Mark N. Mengonfia – mmenginfia@gmail.com

The political leader of the Vision for Liberia Transformation (VOLT), Jeremiah Wahpoe says Liberians problem over the years has been food and to target that, it should be handled from the root.

At a program organized by some women under the banner “Partners of Progress”, Mr. Wahpoe said “In Liberia, we have overlooked all the times to attack our problems from the roots. Maybe we are not attacking the problem from the roots because we do not even know what the problem is.”

He went on to say that Liberia’s problem has been wrongfully diagnosed over the years; indicating that for said reason, the problems confronting the country since its establishment has gone on for many years.

“My responsibility as a citizen of this nation is to make sure that we rightfully diagnose this problem so we can give it the right treatment,” he intoned.

He gave a history of the 1979 rice uprising which led to the death of Liberian President, William R. Tolbert.

Wahpoe said “When we killed Tolbert, he was the President of Liberia and the President of the Baptist Churches in the world.”

According to him, Liberian action against Tolbert angered God thus causing Him (God) to send his punishment upon the nation dating the punishments as far back as those days Liberians went at war killing each other in the 90s and 2000s.

“The Bible said, “Touch not my anointed and do my prophets no harm, Tolbert was a man of God,” he indicated.  

He went on saying, “When God wants to reprimand a person or group of people he [God] makes them wise in their own foolishness. You will be acting stupid and the whole world will know that you are stupid.”

“To solve this problem, we should make sure that every home in Liberia does not go to bed with hunger. It is because of hard times and shortages of food we killed Tolbert. So, therefore, if we do not want for any President to die in Liberia we should make sure that the children are fed,” he said.

Although some of the disadvantaged youth in the streets of Liberia parents can afford to feed them, but due to peer pressures, they have gotten into addiction which is another problem the country has to grapple with in the nearest future.

He said “I don’t like hunger because when you are hungry, you compromise your value” adding that hunger has caused Liberian girls and women to sell themselves on the streets of Liberia as low as L$150, 200 and so on.

Advancing his political strategies, he told the group of women that when he contests in the 2023 general and presidential elections and wins, women will get what he called ‘free universal health care’ adding he will prioritize agriculture.

He said before 2021, rice will be on the Liberian market produced by him written on it “Produced in Liberia.”

“I cannot guarantee you that everyone here will reach 2023, I can only guarantee you that before 2023, Liberia will be able to feed herself,” he said with confidence.