Othello Sarweh Nimely
Monrovia-Residents of District #4 in Margibi County have given their representative, Emmanuel Yarh, a 0 percent performance rating, accusing him of abandoning the district and failing to deliver on promises they say he made during the 2023 legislative campaign.
In interviews during the weekend with journalists, several residents said they have seen little or no tangible development from their lawmaker since electing him to the House of Representatives in 2023.
According to the residents, Representative Yarh promised during the campaign to construct a town hall, School, handpump and rehabilitate roads in the district. They claim, however, that none of those commitments has been fulfilled.
Some residents expressed disappointment that, beyond the alleged lack of development projects, the lawmaker is yet to returned to the communities to engage with the people who voted for him.
“Since we voted for him, we have not seen him come back to us to fulfill the promises he made,” one resident said.
Another female resident recalled that, before the election, Yarh reportedly initiated a vocational training program in the district where residents were taught skills including tailoring, soap making and tie-dyeing.
She said participants were expecting to graduate from the program and receive materials promised by the lawmaker to help them establish small businesses.
According to her, those expectations have not been met.
“We started learning different skills, but we have not graduated, and the materials we were promised to start our businesses have not come,” she said.
An elderly woman, speaking emotionally, said she regrets supporting Yarh during the election.
She described the representative as someone who has become a “ghost” after gaining political power, accusing him of disappearing from the district after receiving the people’s votes.
The resident of Taylor Town, said they were also promised a loan scheme that would help them engage in small businesses. They said the promise raised their expectations but that they have yet to see the loan program materialize.
Beyond their concerns about their representative’s performance, residents of District #4 are face difficult living conditions.
They cited limited access to safe drinking water, poor sanitation facilities, bad roads and a lack of electricity as some of the major challenges confronting communities in the district.
One young man used a vivid description to express his frustration.
“Emmanuel Yarh can only pass at heavy speed in his car before we even notice that it was him,” he told journalists.
Some residents have now vowed not to support Yarh if he returns to the district seeking their votes in a future election.
Their statements reflect a broader frustration frequently expressed by Liberian voters about elected officials who, according to constituents, make promises during campaigns but become less accessible after elections.
For the residents interviewed, the 0 percent rating is not simply a numerical assessment. They say it represents their disappointment and frustration that their expectations have not been met.
Some residents said they are waiting for the next election as an opportunity to use their votes to express their dissatisfaction.
However, the concerns raised by the residents remain an allegation.
Representative Emmanuel Yarh had not publicly responded to the residents concerns at the time of publication.
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