MONROVIA – In her own hometown, Julijuah, Bomi County, President George Weah chose to openly belittle his predecessor, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, and insinuate that she did too little to positively impact the lives of her kinsmen and women while she served as President for 12 years.
President Weah made a brief stop in the town where former President was born as part of his tour of the Bomi and western Liberia. During his brief interaction with the locals there who had laid a litany of challenges before him, he, among other things, said, “Opulence is when you work to improve the living standard of your people to be up to how you live. You cannot speak of opulence and do nothing to improve the lives of the people you lead. Opulence is when the Speaker and you are from the same district and nothing good is done for the people.”
The President’s remark brings to fresh memory a tweet by the former president last December that criticized the elegant ceremony held by President Weah to light up the national Christmas tree while civil servants were yet to receive their overdue salaries.
“Opulence is when you work to improve the living standard of your people to be up to how you live. You cannot speak of opulence and do nothing to improve the lives of the people you lead. Opulence is when the Speaker and you are from the same district and nothing good is done for the people.”
– President George M. Weah
Madam Sirleaf tweeted: “The opulence displayed at the lighting of the Liberian President Christmas Tree was indeed impressive, but with the country’s economic climate, it is an affront to the thousands who have not been paid and are hungry.”
But Madam Sirleaf did not go scotch free with her tweet. On Facebook, President Weah who prides himself as achieving more developments in Liberia in three years than any other President in the country’s history, posted a rejoinder to the tweet. He wrote:
Madam Former President, let me refresh your memory about what OPULENCE is:
OPULENCE is when Chevron gives 10 Million USD as CSR and you gave it to your son to squander.
OPULENCE is when you have 4 billion in foreign direct investment, but leave Liberia in abject squalor and poverty.
OPULENCE is when you have 11 budget shortfalls in 12 years and yet spent tens of millions on failed projects like the Executive Mansion repair fiasco.
OPULENCE is when you spent over a million dollars for Oil Law Consultations; only to bring your high school student grandchild to speak to experts.
OPULENCE is when after 12 years of billions of dollars of Foreign Aid, you still leave the country with 1 billion dollars debt that my government is now paying back.
and despite it has been three months since these incidents, President Weah still seems to be beefing the former President – this time, ridiculing her right before her own kinsmen and women.
Meanwhile, while in Suen Mecca District Bomi County, President Weah made commitment to the people of the area that his government will undertake several meaningful projects in their area to include; the construction of their roads, constructing of youth center and improvement of the education system.
President Weah called on citizens to collectively join efforts in rebuilding their county and stop the politicking.