Monrovia – Former soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia have threatened to rebel against the government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf for its action to demolish the New Defense Ministry building in Congo Town.
The controversial demolition of the unfinished Ministry of National Defense building has been finally completed, heightening public outcry.
The spokesperson of the aggrieved soldiers, ex-Colonel Wolo Nagbe said government’s action to break down the new Defense Ministry building was a calculated plot to destroy the legacy of former President Samuel Kanyon Doe.
“For the breaking down of the Defense Ministry building, I can rebel against this government,” said ex-Col. Nagbe.
“I can move Ellen,” he said to the approval of his colleagues standing by.
“Whatever thing she has done is because she did it to other past presidents — she did it to Doe and she did it to Taylor. You can kill me, you can carry me whatever you want to do to me and kill me.”
“I am hurt and it is paining my heart for demolishing this building. You can put me jail for what I am saying but they will never go free for what they have done,” he added.
“That Defense Ministry building is not for Doe. I am telling the Liberian people, they have seen it and not talking anything but tomorrow when we rebel against this government, people will start to say ex-soldiers ready again,” he noted.
Colonel Nagbe said government’s earlier action to have demolished the Barclay Training Center in favor of a children playground and disbanded trained soldiers and now the Congo Town Defense Ministry building would create serious conflict in Liberia.
The ex-serviceman said while they would not initiate any civil unrest, government must be warned to desist from conflict sensitive actions.
But Deputy Information Minister Isaac Jackson described the statement by Colonel Nagbe and others as not in the interest of Liberia that is struggling to maintain the peace.
Minister Jackson said government had no intention of destroying former President Doe’s legacy as been alleged by Nagbe and others.
“This government does not have any interest in destroying buildings or structural that former President Doe started,” he said.
“If you take a look at the new Central Bank of Liberia, it was started by him; the SKD that is undergoing renovation was also constructed by him. So, why will people be saying we are destroying former President Doe’s legacy?” He asked rhetorically.
Another ex-AFL soldier, ex-General Samuel Koyon said he was worried for the way President Sirleaf was proceeding in the closing stages of her regime, saying the President was creating more tears than development.
“That building could remain and add to the structure that they want to add. It is regrettable destroy such a building for a socalled ministerial complex,” he said.
“The government should have spared the unfinished building or redirected it for other agencies, or at least a health center rather than to break it down.” he continued.
The demolition of the building also attracted views of widows of ex- soldiers.
Madam Sarah Pajibo, who stood and watched the demolition of the building, described the process as the “worst thing President Sirleaf has done” during her stay in leadership.
Madam Pajibo said the dream of her late husband was to serve his nation in that building that is now demolished.
“When former President Doe started constructing this building my husband was a sergeant in the army. He was assigned to the late General Bowen and he was promised an office space in that building.”
“At least most of us have already lost our husbands while serving their country and the only that could really make us remember them are some of these structures that were left behind by the Master Sargent Doe,” she noted.
Some residents of the Peace Island Community where the building stood for more than two decades also expressed dissatisfaction over the demolition of the building.
Fatu Lincoln of the Peace Island community just behind the building described the exercise as waste of resources on the part of government.
“It is not about whose administration birthed the construction, but taxpayers’ money wasted,” she noted.
For Pastor Woeemleh of the World’s Evangelical Church on the Island said the “government should have relocated the Islanders than destroyed what was built with Liberian people’s hard-earned money.”
The building was built by the Israeli government in the 1980s via a bilateral relation that led to the training of Liberian soldiers in Israel. It was constructed by the Israelis-owned Yonis Construction Company on a batter system with the Liberian government.
A combination of youth organizations in the nearby communities are divided over the decision to demolish the building, with some expressing gratitude to the government for creating job opportunities, while some were saying they would register their disagreement for the demolition of the structure.
Whatever the arguments, the fact of the matter is that the building has finally been demolished. Some are saying it is the pain with which development comes.
Government representatives coordinated the exercise with engineers from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), thereby paving the way for the PRC to begin the construction of the US$60 million ministerial complex.
The total construction area of the complex is said to be 24,000 m2, including offices, meeting rooms, a lecture hall, multi-functional conference hall, archive, administration and dining rooms, which are designed to accommodate a maximum of 1,300 persons, with auxiliary facilities such as pump room, substation, distribution and generator rooms furnished with necessary office equipment and furniture.
It all began on Tuesday, September 11, 2012, when former Chinese Ambassador to Liberia Zhao Jianhua and Liberia’s former Foreign Affairs Minister Augustine Kpehe Ngafuan signed an agreement for the construction of the complex.