Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
Monrovia – Monterrado County district # 10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah has openly apologized to Liberians and the International Community for his verbal threats to wage war in Liberia based on the wish of the Political Leader of the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), President George Manneh Weah.
It can be recalled that Representative Kolubah, a strong critic of President Weah, last year vowed to revert or support acts of war if President Weah wants it to be in Liberia.
His comments were made shortly after two (2) of his bodyguards were allegedly assaulted and wounded by unknown persons, he accused of being supporters of the ruling party, just days to the holding of the failed December 30 protest.
But speaking at a news conference held in Monrovia on Saturday, Representative Kolubah stated that though he believes that the Weah led-government is corrupt, he regrets sounding warning of war because he was “under duress and disturbed”.
“I was disturbed; I was not in my right mind-you know, confused and I just made that statement. Since then, I have been receiving lot of calls to the extent where my wife called me last night saying that, that call was placed to her and she said she can’t say it to me on the phone because my phone is being monitored”.
– Rep. Yekeh Kolubah, District No. 10, Montserrado County
According to him, his outburst was due to anger as a result of the lack of actions from state security actors against attacks being permeated against him and his supporters.
The Montserrado County lawmaker maintained that those feeling embarrassed or threatened by his feeble threats of supporting war in Liberia, particularly officials of the International Community, should have mercy on him.
“Sometime last year, my home was attacked and two of my securities got wounded in the process. They were brutalized by some men believed to be CDCians; from the youth league of the CDC. I was disturbed. The statement made by me was if Ambassador Weah wants war, we will bring war,” he recalled.
Representative Kolubah continued: “I said this not in the state of good mind. I was disturbed with continuous attacks placed on me by people and nothing is being done about it. I want to say in this public manner -if my statement in any way caused harm or threatened the peace; I want to say I am sorry. I didn’t mean that I will bring war on this country because if I want to bring war, I will not be talking about the establishment of war crimes court in this court”.
Family’s pressure
Representative Kolubah was compelled to send his family to Ghana due to consistent attacks on his home.
It can be recalled that a party held for kids in district # 10 by the lawmaker and a group from the United States turned chaotic when unknown persons attacked the premises of a local school in the district.
“Even in the COP-the hierarchies of the COP say they cannot disrespect the International Community-so I should be the one to disrespect the International Community? I am going to abide by anything the International Community says because I have the Liberian people to talk for. I don’t want for anything to happen in this country to be unable to talk for the Liberian people. My wife said she is not going to tell me who called. International Community, if my statement didn’t go down well with you people, I am very sorry. I take my statement back. We are up for peace, there will be no war.”
– Rep. Yekeh Kolubah, District No. 10, Montserrado County
Prior to their departure, the wife of the Montserrado County lawmaker and her kids were denied from departing the country by immigration officers assigned at the Roberts International Airport (RIA) just few days to the June 7 ‘Save the State’ protest that was previously initiated by the Council of Patriots (COP) and supported by her husband.
But the government at the time clarified that Madam Kolubah was denied from leaving Liberia because, she was travelling with several kids at the time without a clear motive declared to immigration officers
Representative Kolubah told reporters that his wife intervened from Ghana via telephone, expressing concern over his threatening comments made just weeks to the start of another protest he supports wholeheartedly.
He claimed that though his wife had asked him to clarify his assertions, he has been receiving calls from those he called “important people” both in and out of Liberia based upon the velocity of his ‘war’ statement.
“I was disturbed; I was not in my right mind-you know, confused and I just made that statement. Since then, I have been receiving lot of calls to the extent where my wife called me last night saying that, that call was placed to her and she said she can’t say it to me on the phone because my phone is being monitored”.
“She called me from Ghana where my family is and said look, we received a call and you need to make clarity on statement made from you because where the calls came from, it is very important. Myself been receiving lot of calls from important people here and around the world talking about my statement-what guarantee it is for this country when I am making those kinds of statements” Representative Kolubah stated.
He indicated that his comments at the time were not intended to jeopardize the peace and stability of the country, or to harm a particular group of people.
“I didn’t mean harm to anything; I said it because I was disturbed; confused; never knew where to turn anymore. In the face of the police, my securities had been brutalized and wounded”, he added.
The COP official averred: “I want to say if my statement is harmful; caused embarrassment anything, I want to say I am sorry-I take my statement back; I was not in my right mind.”
Coerced by International Community?
FrontPage Africa has been reliably informed that Representatives of the International Community, including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), African Union (AU), United States and the European Union (EU) have been expressing concerns over threatening comments being made by some officials of the COP.
Sources from recent meetings held between representatives of the International Community, executives of the COP, and some government officials hinted that separate requests were made by the diplomats for mainly Representative Kolubah and Henry Costa, Chairman of the Council of Patriots (COP), to clarify distasteful and threatening comments made against President Weah and his government.
Representative Kolubah pointed out that his latest decision taken to beg for mercy and clarify his comments was in obedience to the International Community.
“Even in the COP-the hierarchies of the COP say they cannot disrespect the International Community-so I should be the one to disrespect the International Community? I am going to abide by anything the International Community says because I have the Liberian people to talk for. I don’t want for anything to happen in this country to be unable to talk for the Liberian people. My wife said she is not going to tell me who called. International Community, if my statement didn’t go down well with you people, I am very sorry. I take my statement back. We are up for peace, there will be no war,” he stated.
Who’s pushing Yekeh?
Kolubah, an ex-rebel general turned Representative, vowed to ensure that no one pushes him to go against the request or will of the International Community.
He added that he would not allow his advocacy for Liberians supersede or lead him to fall into trouble with the country’s international partners that have and continue to invest heavily in the post-conflict nation.
Representative Kolubah maintained that nobody will use him to be a replica of ex-Liberian President Charles Taylor, who is serving a 50-year jail term in a British jail for war crimes committed in neighboring Sierra Leone.
“Nobody will push me against anybody whether the government or International Community. When the International Community wanted Taylor here, I went for Taylor”.
“The protest is here, and I am going to respect the International Community because nobody wants to disrespect the International Community because they have invested too much in this country because, when the International Community gets ready for me, I will be gone like my former President., I don’t know. We are going to the follow the path of our people and endorse anything the International Community says,” he added.
This is the first time the former MODEL rebel general has openly apologized for his anti-peace comments and wild allegations since he ascended at the National Legislature.
Representative Kolubah, a fearless critic of the Weah-administration, has consistently accused the Liberian Chief Executive of being the mastermind of corruption in the public sector.
He has accused President Weah countless number of times of being allegedly “insensitive” to the plights of citizens, particularly the Liberian people for his decision taken to construct duplexes worth millions dollars by using tax payers’ money.
According to him, the decision taken by the President to also ‘buy a private jet’ and persistently travel with huge number of government officials on foreign trips in the midst of huge economic challenges, shows that” he (Weah) does not mean well for this country”.
It remains unclear what prompted the hasty apology from the Montserrado County lawmaker just a day to the January 6 ‘peaceful assembly’ of the COP, but political analysts believed that threats of ensuring the prosecution of the former rebel general for war crimes from some international stakeholders, triggered his decision to render an open apology to the International Community and Liberians for threatening comments he made to bring war in Liberia.