Monrovia – A national campaign seeking to halt an aged old foreign domination of Liberia’s economy will be launched by a group of Liberian professionals, whose members include entrepreneurs, lawyers, petit traders, teachers and tailors amongst others.
In a press statement released Wednesday, January 11, 2017, the newly formed political party, Liberia First Movement, said it was regretful that Liberia had an economy that was being dominated by foreigners.
“Liberia with a population of less than four million has largely been overrun mainly by Lebanese, Indians, Nigerians, Fulas and Chinese, each of which controlled a selected sector of the country’s economy with less Liberian participation and involvement,” stated a release quoting Cllr. Sayma Syrenius Cephus, Chairman of Liberia First Movement.
The Liberia First Movement’s agenda, according to the statement signed by Chairman Cephus, seeks to “awaken Liberians from their slumbers to reclaim their land from a bad governing system”.
“This agenda seeks to awaken Liberians to reclaim their land from corrupt men and women whose understanding of leadership is to hurt their own people, chase them in the streets as Police are doing to petty traders, deny them jobs and reduce them as beggars,” the statement.
The group blames both former and current Liberian government officials for what he called, “deplorable state of Liberia coupled with massive foreign invasion which has denied citizens from controlling their economy”.
This, the statement said, was as a result of leaders who were not putting the interest of the country over self-interest.
The Liberian lawyer stressed that it is time that Liberians controlled their country’s money through ownership of banks, owning of real estate and recipients of government biggest contract.
The Movement also wants citizens to be fully engage in the importation of Liberia’s staple – rice – as well as controlling pharmaceutical, stationery sectors and discourage the control of foreign exchange by foreigners, mainly the Fulas.
In the press statement, Cllr. Cephus noted that the campaign was not intended to create division amongst Liberians but to promote and empower Liberians to take over the country’s economy as masters of their own destinies.
“This is not a political party but a mass democratic movement in which there are no natives versus Congo or Congo versus Natives Agenda.
It is about putting Liberia First,” Cephus said.
In the same vein, the group through its statement has emphasized the need for Liberians to elect a leader who will put the interest of their country first.
“If we are in the majority, if we are the ones who can make anyone president through our votes, why not do it for ourselves when it comes to determining the leadership agenda of this country,” Cephus cited in the statement.
Meanwhile, Cephus is calling for the total involvement of Liberians in the campaign to end the old-age foreign economic dominance that has engulfed Liberia.
He said the non-involvement of Liberians in such process would not be healthy in changing the political and economic dynamics of the county.
The Movement, through its Chairman believes there should be no justification for looting Liberia’s wealth under the canopy of Congo versus native.
He maintained that those who were depleting the country’s resources were both Congos (Americo-Liberian decent) and natives.