………. Zoe Emmanuel Pennue, one of the longest serving Lawmakers
“What qualifies one to be a man, is not his wealth but words that comes out of his mouth. As a man if you speak and don’t abide by what you say, it’s a shame”, this is the most suited and favorite quote of the man we are profiling in this literature.
Zoe Emmanuel Pennue, born on September 28, 1973 unto the union of Mr and Mrs. Charles D. Pennue is a son from Tuzon, Tchien Administrative District, Grand Gedeh County. He is happily married to Inez S. Pennue, a union that is blessed with three children, two girls and a boy. Zoe came to political limelight when he was first elected in 2005 to represent his people in the Legislature, mainly the House of Representatives. Since his ascendency to the Legislature, the ever smiling and energetic lawmaker remains one of the longest serving lawmakers in the Legislature. Zoe is among four lawmakers who have spent close to twenty years in the Legislature. He has always been elected as an Independent candidate but transitioned to the Coalition of Democratic Change in 2020 when he was elected as Senator on a political party ticket for the first time. Prior to joining the Liberian Legislature, Honorable Zoe Emmanuel Pennue served as Deputy Managing Director for Operations at the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Company (LPRC) under the erstwhile Bryant led Transitional Government. Hon. Pennue also served as Assistant Operations Manager at the Bridgeway Corporation, owned and operated by George Haddah.
Pennue’s Legislative Credentials
As one of the longest lawmakers in the Legislature, Senator Pennue currently serves as Chairman on the Senate committee on Social Security, Insurance and Pension and Co- Chairman on the Committee on Executive. He also serves on other committees of the Senate. In his fifteen years in the House of Representatives, Hon. Pennue chaired the Committee on State Owned Enterprises. As a legislator, the Grand Gedeh lawmaker with the help of other lawmakers, specifically, the late Eugene Fallah Kpaka, was instrumental in the establishment of two Community Colleges, both in Grand Gedeh and Lofa counties.
The Grand Gedeh County Lawmaker, also co- sponsored several bills. Senator Pennue was overwhelmingly elected in the 2020 Senatorial Election as Senator of Grand Gedeh County. He had previously served in four separate elections as the Representative for District #1 making him the only Grand Gedeh Lawmaker to serve for 19 (nineteen) unbroken years at the Legislature. Fifteen of these years were in the House of Representatives. He now serving a nine years elective post in the Senate, with six years remaining.
Zoe Emmanuel Pennue long standing generosity and refined legislative services to his people since 2006 has demonstrated his love for his people that they continue to elect him as one of their truest sons of the soil. ZP, as he is affectionately called by many, has played some major roles over the years as a sitting lawmaker and because of this, he was petitioned by his people to once again serve them in the 54th legislature as a sitting member of the House of Representative. This petition landed him in the Senate, where he continues in the 55th Legislature.
Pennue’s Contributions to Nation Building. As we profile his legacy, we will consider his work and contributions to the growth and development of his County, yea Liberia. Hon. Pennue name continues to resonates among his people in Grand Gedeh County for the positive reasons. Considered as the most celebrated Lawmaker of his county, Senator Zoe Emmanuel Pennue received a traditional honor from his kinsmen for what they considered his role in connecting bridges between the government and his people. During the traditional honor, the Grand Gedeh County Senator was gowned and certificated for his many humanitarian contributions to his people. Hon. Pennue goodwill gesture just doesn’t affect his families or close friends but cut across the spectrum of life. Residents of his community, the students and the elderly, have all benefitted from his humanitarian toils. They have over the years lauded and praised Hon. Pennue for his contributions toward the provision of scholarships for students at various university and high schools’ levels in both Grand Gedeh and Montserrado counties. Currently, close to seven hundred students are benefiting from his scholarship. These scholarships cut across Liberia and Africa. Hon. Pennue to his credit, is the only politician of his county to have several students in East Africa, specifically in Rwanda on scholarship. He was able to pay WAEC fees for several students since his ascendency as a lawmaker until the CDC government introduction to paying WASCE fees. In one of his many town hall engagements with students, one of the students as a semblance of appreciation is quoted as saying in these words: “His works and legislative performances over the years have proven to everyone in the County that yes indeed he is the right person for this job, we appreciate him a lot”.
Pennie also has to his credit a Community health initiative. In this Program, Hon. Pennue has greatly contributed to the midwiferies in the county by donating a vehicle and the provision of five million Liberian Dollars. This amount is intended to facilitate the upkeep of pregnant women after delivery where they received baby tubs and a small cash donation. As part of his support to his community health program, Hon. Pennue facilitated the acquiring of the certificate to accredit the Nursing Department of the Grand Gedeh Community College. This include the donation of a vehicle to the Science Department to facilitate their work. His contributions also include the installation of the Power Pool supply that brought electricity to some parts of the County.
On the issue of Sports aimed at fostering reconciliation among his people, Hon. Pennue has spend more Two Million Liberian dollars on the Grand Gedeh Sports Association as part of his contribution for their participation in the National County Sports Meet between 2004 to 2022.
Many see him as doing nothing because of his negation to bring to public his many goodwill, but the smiling lawmaker have impacted the lives of his people in many ways through the provision of job opportunities in both the public and private sectors.
The Senator is a self-effacing son of Grand Gedeh County and a passionate son of Liberia, whose vision for his County is to see a transformed county competing with other counties. He has always developed love for his people wherever he is placed. To demonstrate his love and passion for the job, the lawmaker by practice has made tremendous progress in Grand Gedeh where he currently serves as Senator. It is from this perspective that this Statesman has continuously been elected by his people. He brings with him a humble spirit to the task he anticipates to undertake. Senator Pennue has a spirit that entails personality with ambition, qualities with generosity and participation with thoughtfulness. The Grand Gedeh County Senator is a well-determined and energetic individual, yet pleasantly calm. He encourages fighting for what his people desire and believe, and doing it through God because nothing great comes easy and with God everything is possible. This experience and astute statesman is motivated to serve wherever he finds himself with an outstanding record of progress in today’s society. With his definitive goal of becoming a professional career man, his passion for accomplishment, has embraced a fanatical interest in administering the affairs of Grand Gedeh County.
Pennue Aspiration to Lead
This article praises the idea of a self-believing individual whose desire is to transform a broken county that needs the Nehemiah Principle to succeed. The book of Nehemiah tells the story of the restoration of the city of Jerusalem. When examining the book of Nehemiah as a single unit of progress, one will notice that it is a book which focuses on leadership. It tells us about the rebuilding of the walls of Judah. In addition to utilizing this great biblical philosophy on leadership, Senator Pennue has dedicated his time and energy to his people and has realized that it is his term to have the walls of Grand Gedeh rebuilt.
The primary focus of Pennue’s leadership is to remain focused on repairing and rebuilding the walls of Grand Gedeh. With his farsighted vision, this task will surely be accomplished. That is why we are showcasing to you an individual who is people-centered, people driven, and all in all a man with passion to serve. Hon. Pennue, as a down to earth politician, has the capacity to organize, coordinate, cooperate, engage and participate in whatever he decides to undertake, or administer. The principle of Nehemiah when it comes to leadership gives Hon. Pennue an added advantage to accomplish the mission for which citizens of Grand Gedeh County so desire. The idea of rebuilding Grand Gedeh is a solution to a problem that citizens of the county have faced for a long period of time. As a result of that, he shares a vision that through their support he believes Grand Gedeh will move to a higher height. He encourages you to join his team to rebuild Grand Gedeh as a solution problem that is averting its progress. The concept of this problem must serve as a driving force for total participation. The walls of Grand Gedeh needs to be rebuilt so that development and progress can take its place, and to have this accomplished, Hon. Pennue has the needed ingredients and charisma to take Grand Gedeh to another level of excellence.
Congratulations!
About the Author:
Derrick Ernest Clarke is a professional Liberian Journalist with 20 years’ experience in the field of journalism and political studies. He has worked both in the electronic and print media. He holds a Bachelor of Art Degree in Mass Communications from the University of Liberia, and a Master in International Relations from the University of Liberia along with several other certificates in various journalism disciplines. He has served as a lecturer at several Journalism Institutes in Liberia. Among other experiences shaping the field of journalism through education, Mr. Clarke has written a number of articles ranging from politics, economics and the society.
He can be contacted through: dernest1979@gmail.com /0775645830
