MONROVIA – The Liberia Rising Project has ended a one day interactive engagement with residents of the Borough of New Kru Town, outside Monrovia on the propositions of the National Referendum, with a call on the Government of Liberia and members of the opposition community to guarantee the development and betterment of Liberia and its citizens.
The National Referendum is expected to jointly take place along with the senatorial election on December 8, according to the National Elections Commission (NEC).
The engagement, which was aimed at creating awareness and educating citizens on the eight propositions that will be voted upon, took place at the town hall in New Kru Town on Tuesday, December 1.
It brought together scores of citizens, mostly youths, women, among others.
Speaking during the engagement, an official of the LRP, Harry Artoe Gkornean, disclosed that the Project is intended to help disabuse the minds of citizens against consistent criticisms and protest to stall development and discourage investment opportunities in Liberia and take decisions during electioneering process.
According to him, citizens, regardless of political affiliation have a responsibility to ensure that the country is peaceful and stable at all times.
He observed that most often opposition politicians use citizens to castigate or stage protest against the government to satisfy their personal agendas.
“What I have seen in Liberia is that, when a political party is in the opposition, all you hear them say about the government are the bad things. They do that for people to vote for them when elections come. But for us, we say no”.
Gkornean added that though Liberians are supporting different candidates during this electioneering period, they should not allow themselves to be used by politicians to jeopardize the peace and tranquility of the society.
He maintained that citizens should reject taking actions that are intended to stall developments in their country.
“The politicians have desperate political interest and they are not telling you certain things or the economic benefits that this country stands to benefit if we embraced dual citizenship or when we shortened the powers of members of the Senate, House of Representatives or the Presidency”.
Gkornean urged citizens to make an independent judgment on the various propositions that have been proffered for the referendum, instead of allowing their decisions to be determined by politicians who are doing so to satisfy their personal aggrandizement, over the interest of Liberia and its citizens.
“Some of us owe that to you to come educate you to contribute positively to what is happening in this country. This is a beginning of a process where we want to rethink about everything we do in this country. If you are in opposition and you want to undermine the government, you need to stop; if you are a government and you are muscling the opposition, we have to stop”.
He maintained that job opportunities will not be accorded Liberians if the country continues to be presented to the outside world as a hostile terrain to attract foreign-direct investments.
For his part, Jacob Jallah, disclosed that the Liberia Rising Project puts the nation first above personal and political aggrandizement.
He noted that the decision making process of the nation should be void of hindrance or political affiliations to help guarantee economic growth and development and the provision of jobs to citizens.
He observed that the rights of other peaceful and law abiding Liberian citizens are most often infringed upon whenever Liberians take to the streets to express their grievances.
Jallah claimed that multiple protests staged by citizens in the past have not done enough to help address economic constraints and other enormous challenges in the Liberian society, and as such, citizens should constructive engage their leaders through the holding of dialogue to find an amicable solution to issues affecting them.
“We should continue to contribute towards the good things and the progress of our country instead of staging protests that have not yielded any fruitful results. The more we try to make our country to look bad; that bad thing we are doing will have a negative impact on us directly”.
Meanwhile, the participants have vowed to partake in the National Referendum slated for December 8.
They, however, commended officials of the Liberia Rising Protect for the awareness created on the various propositions endorsed for the national referendum.
They expressed regret over the lack of adequate awareness on the process by the National Elections Commission, but promised not to allow the situation to discourage them from exercising their political franchise.