Monrovia – The headquarters of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) on Wednesday, January 10 was in a mixture of angry and jubilant mood after over nine persons were arrested for launching a fake job scheme in the name of the party.
Report by Edwin G. Genoway, Jr – [email protected]
The suspects were apprehended by the CDC intelligence and turned over to the Liberia National Police for investigation.
They were arrested after they have sold forms in various communities across Monrovia, claiming that the process was part of a job scheme sanctioned by the party.
The Youth League of the CDC recently announced a general cleaning up campaign across Montserrado County and the highway leading to the Roberts International Airport (RIA) in order to give the city a facelift ahead of the January 22 inauguration.
But individuals suspected to be fraudsters printed forms in the name of providing jobs and were selling the forms to hundreds of youthful job seekers for LD$40.00 each.
They were allegedly selling the forms in various communities where young people are eager for jobs, although the CDC has earlier announced that the recruitment process was free and voluntary.
Over six thousand forms were reportedly sold, while LD$200 each was reportedly extorted from a job seeker for identification card fees in order to qualify for the recruitment.
The arrest of the alleged extortionists brought a great relief to partisans who witnessed the incident at the headquarters of the party.
Kelvin Addison, one of the victims of the fraud, says the same action should be taken against officials of the CDC led government who will be caught in corruption.
“This is a good start, if what is unfolding today will take effect in our new government, it will scare away corruption and those involve will not want steal because when they steal they will be disgrace like the way these guys are today,” Addison said.
Another victim of the scam Bindu Sirleaf, said she paid LD$40 for the form and LD$200 to secure an ID Card.
“Just today I brought my money and I paid it to them, only to be filling in my form to submit it and take my ID card, I saw our youth chairman Jefferson Koijee standing among the guys that were arrested, my money business hurting me because I suffered for it,” she explained.
Many dedicated or die-hard CDC partisans have called on the party to give them first preference any job opportunity arises.
One partisan claimed if committed partisans head the job scheme, discrepancies would be limited.
“It was never going to happen because we, the real CDCians, know each other good, and no real CDCian can extort money from their own colleague when they know that all of us are struggling,” he noted.
Other partisans argued that the suspected fraudsters were intruders that were dedicated to damaging the image of the party, and must be investigated thoroughly.
“They were send by their slaves’ masters to damage the image of the CDC, many of them are already not satisfy with our victory, already they’ve been calling us names that we are immature, we are disgruntle, and we are rude, but with all of that, the Liberian people still saw confidence in us and they voted for us vehemently,” Joseph Koon said.
Addressing a news conference after turning the alleged extortionists over to the LNP, CDC Youth League Chairman, Jefferson T. Koijee announced that the move was the beginning of “ensuring that those who see shady deals as a way of life would be exposed”.
He noted that the CDC under the leadership of President-elect George Weah will not permit corruption.
“The CDC under the leadership of Amb. George Weah will not condone backdoors behaviors that would undermine the values the party have been upholding since its founding more than 13years ago,” the CDC Youth League Chairman said.
According to him, it is “unthinkable for a group of people would want to extort money from the already struggling citizenry, who are striving for survival”.
Koijee said the CDC led government would not allow anything that will undermine the country’s progress for -“The good of a select few who do not mean well for the ordinary suffering masses”.
“The citizens themselves will expose the unscrupulous people. We will operate the right way to close the chapter of business as usual in our country,” he said.
He disclosed that the party is targeting the recruitment of 2,000 for voluntary jobs, adding, “Nobody should pay anyone a penny for job in this regard or any opportunities for that matter”.