Monrovia – As Liberians prepare for the crucial 2017 elections, Bong County Senator Jewel Howard Taylor is warning Liberians against being manipulated by politicians.
According Howard-Taylor, if Liberia is to be a better place for every Liberians, it is time for every Liberians to begin to think positively about their country and help foster the developmental agenda of the country.
“As we approach 2017, I think it is important for us to begin to think about loving our nation, loving our Country, and also think about what we can do as patriot to work and build the Liberia that we want to see,” Senator Taylor said.
In an interview with FrontPageAfrica, the lawmaker also said “it is the responsibility of every Liberian to protect and maintain the peace in the land as UNMIL departs the country.”
She cautioned Liberians against been misused by politicians who want to cause instability and political unrest in the country.
“UNMIL came to help us put ourselves together and I think we are at that point, we need to now ensure that the peace is kept, because is just one election,” she said.
“Whoever wins the election will take the responsibility to lead so that we can move forward. We need to take the decision as citizens of our country.”
The former First lady called on young people of Liberia not to engage in violent activities or do anything that will have the propensity to destroy the country again, after the long years of civil war.
“The youthful population must think before they act, and they must do nothing to destroy our country, because the election is only for one day. “
“If you are not care for the one day everything will pass and what you had you will not have it again. So I can only ask all of them to maintain the peace,” the Bong County lawmaker asserted.
She urged Liberians to work together and secure their family and country, noting that a secure country promotes development and wealth.
Senator Taylor was speaking to FPA at the end of Christmas party celebration program held at the Restoration Baptist Ministries in Congo Town, Monrovia.
Prelate Blast ‘Bad Leadership’
In the opinion of church’s general overseer, Liberians have suffered for too long because of “leadership let-down and as such come 2017, Liberians should vote wisely to end the suffering.”
Rev. Joseph G. Johnson said 2017 election is the only opportunity Liberians have to deliver themselves from the economic hardship.
“We have let our people down – meaning all of the leaders in Liberia and every part of our national life, including the political, religious, social and educational leaders and every spectrum of our life, – we have let our people down,” he stressed.
Despite the abundant natural resources, Rev. Johnson said Liberians are unfortunately struggling due to bad leadership and cannot boost of the country’s natural wealth.
“Our country has all the available resources needed for the betterment of our people lives, but unfortunately Liberia lacks good leadership, making our people to live a regrettable life,” he said.
He asserted that for the past 36 years the country’s elections have been fraudulent, thereby denying Liberians the right to chose their own leaders.
“Liberians elections have been rigged due to international influence into the electoral process, imposing unto Liberians a bad leadership to live in severe destitution,” he claimed.
“In the last few years, Liberians have not been given the opportunity to choose their own leaders, all our leaders in the last 36 years elections have been rigged, and people have come to power not on the basis of the mandate of the Liberian people from the ballot box.”
Rev. Johnson noted that if Liberians are not given the opportunity to elect their own leaders come 2017, Liberia will not get leadership that would be accountable to them, but rather accountable to the international influence that bring them to power.
Meanwhile, he also frowned on foreigners, he claimed don’t have resident permit but have purchased huge plot of land.
The Baptist Prelate also slammed government for doing nothing about it.
“Because Liberians are economically down, they are force to sell those lands to foreigners just to survive the hardship,” he added.
Pastor Johnson called on all Liberians to stop selling their lands to foreigners for little or nothing, rather preserve those lands for their children to come in the future.
by ReportAugustine T.Tweh/0770182298-0886603255