Monrovia – The Mayor of the City of Monrovia, Jefferson Koijee, recently accused of bribing some members of the Student Unification Party (SUP) to mastermind the indefinite suspension their Secretary-General, Martin Kollie, as asked his accuser to apologize to the leadership and members of SUP.
Martin Kollie accused Koijee of paying huge sums of money to members of the campus-based political group to have him ousted because of his recent radical protest against economic hardship the country is faced with.
Kollie last week led an array of students and some marketers to draw President George Manneh Weah’s attention to the sufferings they were experiencing as a result of deteriorating economy.
However, the leadership of SUP in a statement on Monday said Kollie’s protest was without the approval the party’s leadership, thereby suspending him for time indefinite.
“The party has with immediate effect suspended comrade Martin K.N Kollie from his position as Secretary-General of SUP for time indefinite due to abrogating and acting against sacred constitutional norms, tradition, and dictates of the party which is inimical to the doctrine precedent and constitution of the party,” SUP noted in a press release
Responding to the allegation of instigating his suspension, Koijee, also a youth leader, questioned whether Kollie was implying that the vanguard party was susceptible to bribery.
“It is very much unfortunate that the person who is believed to be the Secretary-General of a very noble institution – is he implying that the noble institution, SUP is insusceptible to infiltration and bribery?”
Brushing off the allegation that he, Koijee, had paid huge sum of money to members of SUP to have him (Kollie) suspended, Koijee said, “If SUP could not comprise during Tolbert regime, if SUP could not compromise during Doe regime, if SUP could not compromise during Taylor regime, if SUP could not compromise during Ellen Johnson’s regime, how can he now bring the institution that low that the institution is susceptible to bribery?”
Mayor Koijee believes it was easy to level such allegation against him because he is one of the most easily accessed young leaders in the country and has often served as a channel for young people.
Koijee recalled when he was suspended by the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) when he opposed the acceptance of the Peace Ambassador job offered President Weah when the party was in opposition. According to him, his suspension at the time didn’t warrant him bringing the party to public ridicule of accusing the party of receiving bribe to effect his suspension.
“Martin needs to apologize to SUP. This is an institution that has fought for social justice for over 70 years. He needs to subject himself to the institution. He cannot see himself above the institution,” Koijee said.
Mayor Koijee said he holds nothing against Kollie but was disappointed that he would make such ‘unfounded’ accusation at the detriment of the integrity of the much-admired Student Unification Party.