MONROVIA – The Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), has alarmed over the growing wave of terror and fear that has been unleashed on Liberians as a result of the unprecedented mysterious deaths in the country in recent times.
The CPP comprises of the All Liberian Party (ALP), the Alternative National Congress (ANC), the Liberty Party (LP), and the Unity Party (UP).
In a statement issued in Monrovia recently, the current incident of mysterious deaths, fear and terror is happening at a time where President George Manneh Weah and his officials are allegedly enriching themselves and flaunting their ill-gotten wealth, while Liberians are becoming poorer and the cost of living is high.
Heading backward
The CPP claimed that Liberia has headed backwards as the graves and hollowed grounds which hold the remains of many Liberians who voluntarily and involuntarily gave their lives for freedom, rights and democracy, are being “spat on and desecrated by President Weah and his colleagues”.
“In a span of eight (8) days, four auditors were found dead under questionable, and as yet, mysterious and unexplained circumstances. It is confirmed that one of the mysterious deaths is of an auditor who heads the Internal Audit Agency of the Government. Mr. Emmanuel Barten Nyeswa had just completed an audit of the Covid-19 Funds, and concluded what many Liberians had already come to expect, which is the commission of high-level corruption and lack of accountability in the management of the Covid-19 Funds intended to help Liberia and Liberians”.
It can be recalled that on Thursday, October 2, 2020, the lifeless bodies of the Assistant Commissioner for Internal Audit and acting Manager for Tax Payers of the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) were found in a vehicle on Broad Street in Monrovia during the early morning hours.
Two days later, another auditor from the LRA, Mr. George Fahnboto, reportedly died in a vehicle accident around 72nd Paynesville, outside Monrovia.
On Saturday, October 10, the Director of the Internal Audit Agency (IAA), Emmanuel Barten Nyeswa was also found dead in his compound along the 72nd Boulevard, outside Monrovia at 2AM.
Following the mysterious deaths of the Liberian auditors, the government initiated the conduct of autopsies on the remains of the victims.
But the CPP stated that these Liberians are all dead, and the circumstances and causes of their deaths continue to be a mystery.
“The CPP cannot forget, nor should any Liberian not remember, that these were fathers, a young mother, brothers, sons, a sister, daughter, husbands and a wife. Weeks later, the public is yet to understand the reasonable causes of their deaths. What we do know, however, is that they are all linked in death, as they were in life, by their profession, which essentially includes the investigation, authentication, as well as ensuring the proper accounting for, and collection of public monies”.
The party added that as the government struggles to explain these deaths, children are deprived of, and missing the breadwinning support of their fathers, and a young mother; a husband is without his wife; wives are without their husbands; and friends and relatives are without their loved ones.
Professionals under threat
The CPP further claimed that the growing wave of lawlessness and mysterious deaths in Liberia has placed the lives of professionals under threat.
“Additionally, we have the mysterious disappearance of Siaffa Boimah, Bobby S. Gbeanquoi and Robert Blamoh, Jr. – three young men who are yet to be found while their parents find no recourse under the law. The murder of a journalist in Bong County who was said to have been investigating the County Development Fund also speaks to high level of insecurity and risk posed to professionals in the course of their duty”.
“Such is the dangerous course of Liberia’s decline under Mr. George Weah that today, citizens can die or disappear mysteriously and inexplicably, the Liberia National Police can deliberately, or inadvertently, corrupt and contaminate the crime scenes with impunity and the grieving families can be treated with disrespect and without expression of empathy and remorse from their government”
Disrespect
The party pointed out that it is inexcusably painful to have the government treat the heartbreaking loss of the families with contempt, disdain and disrespect.
“Added to this is the recent pronouncement from a leader of the security sector that the sector is being starved of resources as armed robbery, and other forms of lawlessness, are on the rise, rendering the sector incapable of adequately responding to the situation. This government has deliberately reduced the budget of security sector institutions like they did with integrity institutions, in an attempt to weaken these institutions. Weak anti-graft institutions and poorly-funded security sector is a recipe for disaster”.
The CPP believes that these deaths and the apparent failure to fund the security apparatus to thorough investigate and bring the perpetrators to book remain seriously troubling.
“These developments cannot go unchecked. The unexplained deaths, starving of the national security apparatus of needed resources, all of which are occurring in the face of reports of the recruitment, development and arming of ex-combatant generals into security agencies and private armies, as well as the exponential rise in crime, especially armed robbery, are telltale signs of a reign of terror, as well as calculated efforts to lead by fear”.
“Liberians have reasons to be frightened. We have seen this playbook of fear and terror before. We have seen Liberia consumed by terror and fear, accounting for the deaths of many citizens and causing some of our citizens to forcibly escape into self-imposed exile for their safety. We have seen rights denied, freedoms stifled and progress stalled when leaders choose to lead by terror, lawlessness and fear. We have seen “armed robbers” target the homes of activists and critics of the government, and have seen these homes burnt and destroyed”.
Irresponsible and unprofessional
The party attributed the current situation in the country to “the irresponsible and unprofessional approach of the government to investigate them, and the warning of those leading the security, very seriously, as all Liberians, and friends of Liberia should”.
CPP maintained that the reign of terror and the institutionalization of fear are dangerous for all Liberians.
“This is so because life, safety and security of every Liberian are linked together. No one can be safe in Liberia until all Liberians are safe. This is why the duty of a government is more than building a ruling party of loyalists”.
The party added that the primary responsibility, which government is showing signs of being incapable of performing, is to guarantee and ensure the protection of the lives, properties, rights and freedoms of all Liberians.
“This must be irrespective of the right to associate or not associate with a political party, and especially, it must be in respect of the right of all citizens to live in peace and security even when involved in a public or private disagreement with the government”.
“Sadly, this CDC-led government cannot say it performed its constitutional duty owed to Albert, Gifty, George and Emmanuel. It cannot say to their grieving families that it is acting responsibly to credibly investigate, and reliably explain how they came to their shocking and mysterious ends. Even worse, the Weah administration cannot say to Liberians generally what actually happened, and who may be responsible”.
The CPP noted that citizens gave government the authority to govern, and as such, it remains the sole responsibility of the government to protect their lives, uphold their rights and guard their freedoms.
It claimed that the CDC government has not just failed these families, but it is being found to be “derelict in fulfilling its end of the bargain to the people”.
“The CPP cannot accept that our country will be returned to the darkness of terror and governance by fear, from which Liberians struggled and many paid the ultimate price, to be free. Liberia cannot be returned to the horrifying day in which sanctity of life was cruelly disregarded. Liberia cannot be returned to that dreaded place where, once again, Liberians will have to look over their shoulders suspecting each other, and trusting no one to be a friend; where we speak in frightful whispers; where they are not safe even in their own homes and where the nights are fearfully long and restless, and the morning brings not tidings of joy, but news of murder and fear”.
Broken system
The CPP maintained that the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led government has broken down every system and structure intended to guarantee accountability, transparency and democratic governance, while corruption, incompetence and lawlessness continue to ooze from the highest offices in government.
The party stated that the country’s international image and reputation is being tarnished, as a result of the alleged selling of Liberian passports to “international criminals, terrorists and drug dealers”.
It added that healthcare workers, teachers and others are barely surviving on the margins and are resorting to “striking and begging for what they have rightly earned to care for themselves and their families, as they take care of the rest of us especially during this global health pandemic”.
CPP indicated that Liberia’s democracy remains severely stressed, an act that “superintended by a frightened court and a compromised National Elections Commission”.
“It is not enough that Liberia’s response to the Pandemic is leaderless, directionless, self-serving and corrupt; it is not enough that Liberians are treated like strangers in their own country and spectators in their own economy; it is not enough that Liberians are divided, our politics is toxic, and we are losing a sense of national direction and common purpose. Obviously, none of these is enough for President Weah and his CDC”.
Meanwhile, the CPP has vowed not to relent in ensuring that it call out the government’s incompetence and demand good governance for the benefit of all citizens.
The party added that President Weah must take full responsibility for the state of the nation and lead as he is expected to.