BUCHANAN–As early as 8:30am, dozens of residents and well-wishers trooped to the Farmington River Bridge, an area which separates Grand Bassa and Margibi counties had gone to await president George Weah to Bassa.
From students, the blind community, religious as well as government officials stood anxiously awaiting the president and entourage.
“We are here to await our president. This is my first time that I will see him. I a student and will do everything to see him,” Cynthia Joseph, a student told this paper as she stood in her green and white uniform.
The superintendent of Grand Bassa Janjay Baikpeh, said, “as you can see, we are here in our numbers to welcome this president. We will tell him that this is a place of hospitality. More to that, the people of Grand Bassa are extremely happy to see him.”
Upon the arrival of the president, the number of persons have increased to over two thousands at the Farmington bridge.
But it appeared that there were several hundreds of people waiting to see the president in Buchanan city.
After welcoming him, he made various stops along the way to dedicate projects. From one end to the other, hundreds of citizens trooped to get a glimpse of him. At Compound number one, too many citizens pleaded with him to stay much longer, but due to protocol, he had to leave.
By 14:00, vehicles could not ply the streets freely. There were traffic jam on many streets. Even the tricycle which I took to take me around to places, could not move freely among the thousands of people that swarmed the streets.
“We are over several thousand today only in Buchanan. I am not talking about the county,” a resident in academia section said.
Then, came the presidential convoy. Due to the large number of persons, he disembarked from the vehicle along with his wife and decided to walk. The security guards struggled to provide protection for him, but the crowd was huge.
“Security, no one will touch him. We will protect him. He is our son, our brother. Da our own man,” a young man in the crowd shouted.
Then some motorcyclists decided to move ahead to ensure that streets were clear.
That too, was not possible as more people trooped on the road to see him.
After walking for several minutes on the principle street of Buchanan, he and wife got back in their vehicles to move.
On the Fairground, the numbers increased and many were told to stay away.
“We have come here to show to the president that we the people of this great city love him. Some people look at this place as an opposition strong hold. But it not written here that this place for opposition. This is a county in Liberia and the president is for all,” Daniel Roberts, a resident of Buchanan said
Grand Bassa traditionally is seen as a stronghold for opposition paty-Liberty party established by the late political leader, Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine. Many lawmakers from both the ruling party of the Congress for Democratic Change and LP were in attendance, except Senator Nyonblee Kangar Lawrence.
“Our oldma is not here today. She was here the first time when the president should have come. He did not come. The second time again, he did not come. So, our oldma get other things to do, “Christopher Gbogar, a resident of Buchanan said. The president is expected tot visit other areas in Bassa on Thursday.
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