MONROVIA – Firebrand Montserrado County Representative Yekeh Kolubah has backpedaled over his previous decision taken to leave the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) and the Council of Patriots (COP).
Lawmaker Kolubah, who won contested the 2017 general and presidential elections as an independent candidate joined the Alternative National Congress (ANC)-one of the political parties that make up the CPP.
Other parties that make up the CPP are: the former ruling Unity Party (UP), Liberty Party (LP), and the All Liberian Party (ALP).
Representative Kolubah is a strong critic of President George Manneh Weah, who has consistently accused the Liberian Chief Executive of using tax payers’ monies to construct his personal properties and accumulate wealth, corruption, bad governance and the lack of leadership ability to move the country and its people forward.
But the Executive Mansion has persistently denied the accusations raised by Representative Kolubah.
On January 24 of this year, Representative Kolubah suspended his membership with the CPP, but maintained his opposition to the government of President Weah.
In August of this year, the controversial lawmaker again suspended his membership with the CPP.
“The CPP has problems; there is jealousy and envy among the leaders that they do not want to tell you people, and I am not going to suffer for it”.
“I have been threatened on many occasions. I went to Grand Gedeh, the people almost took away my life and I have not gotten any support of the collaborating parties”.
But addressing a news conference at his district office in Sinkor on Thursday, October 1, Representative Kolubah rescinded on this previous decisions taken.
He blamed his action to rejoin the CPP and COP on the holding of consultations with his political leaders.
“Today is one of the happiest days of my life on earth. I call this press conference because, having held consultations with our supporters, the standard bearers of the Collaborating Political Parties, I hereby do commit myself to the CPP; cancelling my suspension and becoming a full-flesh and bonafide member again of the CPP.I also in this light want to say to our supporters and the Liberian people that I rejoin the COP”.
He, however, refused to entertain questions from Reporters during the press conference.
Representative Kolubah is on record of expressing disappointment over what he termed as a “diplomatic approach” the leadership of the CPP continues to take against the Weah-led administration.
He claimed that the CDC led-government only understands demonstrations and protests and as such, the CPP must stage a peaceful protest against bad governance, corruption, poor management of the country’s resources and the poor state of the country’s economy to draw the attention of the International Community to the plights of the Liberian people.
Speaking to reporters shortly after the pronouncement made by Representative Kolubah, the newly elected Secretary General of the former ruling Unity Party (UP), Mo Ali, disclosed that the CPP remains committed to always come to the rescue of the ANC lawmaker, who has been consistently under attack by those he called “hooligans”.
He said there is no justification for alleged multiple government-sponsored attacks against Representative Kolubah.
Mr. Ali observed that most often the consistent criticisms of Representative Kolubah against societal ills and others have been misconstrued by some members of the public.
He noted that government officials and others should see the unwavering opposition of the Montserrado County lawmaker as a “welcoming idea to correct the wrongs”.
“It is no surprise that Representative Yekeh Kolubah has recommitted himself to both the CPP and the COP. We didn’t see him as somebody who left. Representative Yekeh Kolubah always says what is right. He doesn’t exclude the branch of government he works with and so, nobody should see it as an affront that Yekeh is consistently critiquing”.
For his part, COP new Secretary General, Mr. Mulbah Yorgbor, expressed disappointment over consistent attacks on the life and properties of Representative Kolubah.
He added that government should be embarrassed over why only the CPP lawmaker would be consistently attacked as compare to other opposition politicians or members of the National Legislature.
He claimed that the upholding of the rule of law is no longer working within the CDC led-government.
“Yekeh rejoining the COP is a great thing because, he brings a whole new argument to our political discourse. Some are offended by the way he speaks, but again Yekeh will not be doing the things that he is doing if the things that he is speaking against were not done”.
“He consistently speaks against bad governance. If everything was ok, I am sure that he will get away from such thing. So why don’t we shift our argument from the way Yekeh behaves”.
Mr. Yorgbor, however, challenged government to create a level playing field for all citizens, regardless of political affiliation.
“This government has to understand that everyone cannot sing the same song. We all can’t join the CDC. This is why Yekeh Kolubah returns to the CDC is a milestone. It is a step to bringing in more people”.