GANTA, Nimba – A prominent businessman in Ganta and owner of a major commodities store, Pharez Dekpa, has disclosed that he and 26 other businesspeople have pledged their support for the presidential bid of Vice President Joseph N. Boakai for the 2017 elections.

In an interview with reporters in Ganta, Dekpa said he and his colleagues arrived at the decision at a formal meeting held with Boakai and senior members of the ruling Unity Party in Monrovia, including the party’s chairman, Wilmot Paye.

Dekpa said he and many of the other Ganta business leaders were initially noncommittal about supporting Boakai because of the perception that the current government had not made enough progress.

“Things are very difficult. People are not working and you are saying we should vote for Boakai? What difference will it make if Joseph Boakai becomes president? What new is he bringing on the table?” he said, expounding on some of his doubts.

According to Dekpa, in the conversation with Boakai and Paye, the Unity Party heads courted the Ganta business leaders’ support by emphasizing what they described as a largely ceremonial role the vice president plays. Dekpa said they argued that Boakai never had the chance to make decisions of his own and therefore must be given the chance to ascend to the presidency in 2017.

He added, “And they managed to convince me by saying that the vice president position is a ceremonial position or an advisor position.”

Dekpa said during the discussion, the vice president was asked why he did not break away from Unity Party to form a new party which would not have to defend President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s record.

“And we were made to understand that VP Boakai could not go on a new party because he doesn’t have the money to form a new political party,” Dekpa continued. “If the VP was to form a new political party, those with money will come and sit over the party because they have money. And if you don’t give them the opportunity, at the end of the day, your party will be dead because you don’t have money.”

As a result of the dialogue, Dekpa said he believes that if Boakai is elected president, he will make a difference for Liberia.

Boakai, who is serving a second term under Sirleaf, was selected in July this year in Unity Party’s primary to serve as the standard bearer in the 2017 presidential elections.

Featured photo by Peter Youngren