Ahead of the 2023 general elections in Liberia, Former Lofa County Senator Sumo Kupe has termed as a ‘dangerous’ game for any politician to use tribal politics during electioneering period.
According to Kupee, though tribal politics cannot be ruled out, it has never brought the needed development in any part of the world.
The former Senate committee chairman on Ways Means and Finance has been cross-cutting Lofa of late in a bid to gathered support for his return to the legislature in 2023.
Appearing on Radio Kintoma in Voinjama City, Lofa County, Kupee noted that politicians should avoid preaching tribal politics as means of wining an election and focus on campaign and past their records from both the public and private sector.
Journalist Mason Kollie had thrown out the question with aimed of getting Kupe response to recent tribal comment by Lofa County Senator Steven Zargo.
Senator Zargo who political pundits say faces a mounting task of retaining his seat in 2023, told Radio Life, a local radio station in Lofa that there are lot of Kpelle people at the senate, and there is no need for another Kpelle man to be elected senator of Lofa County in 2023.
Though Senator Zargo did not mentioned anyone, political analyst in the County believes, he was apparently referring to Liberia Aviation Authority Boss Moses Kollie who is has been contemplating contesting the senatorial seat of the county.
Both Zargo and Kollie has been at each other throat of late with the two gentleman lashing out at each other on Radio Life in Zozor, Lofa County few months ago.
For Senator Kupee tribalizing politics, reduced it substance and increase the subjective ways in which people support their respective candidates.
Kupe mentioned that in as much as tribe is important in Politics, but it will be prudent enough for those wanting the people’s power do so on their achievements and not on tribal lineage.
What does Lofa Needs?
Weighing in on what he thinks the county currently needs, the former Lofa County Senator said massive infrastructure development like roads and electricity was needed to improve the social well-being of the people of Lofa.
“I can say to you, without putting this Gbarnga-Mandecoma Road issue behind us and making sure that there is stable and sound electricity it will be impossible for us develop as a county” he said.
He told Kintoma Radio in that county that no investor would like to invest in the county using generator which is costly noting that when infrastructure such as power is attain, Lofa will realize her full potential.
Kupee at the same time reiterated his warning to the people of Lofa that they stand to befit little if nothing is urgently done to market the Wologizzi mountain due to the declining price of Iron Ore on the Market.
Kupe also a former Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company Managing Director noted that industrialization in China, and increase in recycling was putting the befitted that Liberia and Lofa needs to get from the mountain as risk.
“We can’t say we will not give out the mountain out until certain things are done, we can negotiate and market the mountain and ensure that those things that we want are done, if not, we will not get what we expect” the economist said.
Why he wants to return to the senate
There were reporters that Kupe wanted to try his luck in 2020, but such report did not come to fruition.
What is now clear is that the former UL lecturer will be a candidate for the senatorial race in Lofa County, and asked why he wants to make a comeback, Kupee replied; “my quest is due to the many calls from the people of Lofa”.
Former Senator Kupe noted that Lofians have recognized the many contribution and sacrifices he made for the county during his time as senator.
Kupe explained that he spent over US$27,000 (twenty-seven thousand united states dollars) a year for nine years on human resource capacity development in the county and was very influential in securing funding for the pavement of the streets of Voinjama.
He mentioned during his time at the Senate, he was focus on doing what could benefit the county in general rather than establishing personal worth that would only benefit him and his family.
The former Chairman on Ways Means and Finance at the Liberia Senate noted that as he toured the county, people has been reminding him about some of the good things he did why serving as senator, but refused mentioned them.
Lofa is one of most populated counties in Liberia, but its politics has never been fierce as it is signaling to be in 2023.
With Kupee declaration of intend already made and Steve Zargo still in the running and the unconfirmed report of Kupe’s longtime friend Moses Kollie wanting to throw his heart in the race, Lofa is now bracing up for its biggest political contest in 2023.
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