By Bill W. Cooper
The immediate former President, George Weah, has accused the ruling Unity Party (UP) government of sponsoring the police shooting that led to deaths and injuries of ‘innocent protesters’ in the county, describing the act as ‘unfortunate.’
Recently, residents of Kinjor in Grand Cape Mount County, took to the street in protestation against the management of Bea Mountain Mining Company (BMMC), demanding the company to live up to the Mineral Agreement signed between them and the Liberian Government.
The protest action, which started on a peaceful note, later turned chaotic, with two individuals subsequently losing their lives and many, including some officers of the Liberia National Police, injured.
Accordingly, the situation which witnessed protesters barricading various streets and closure of businesses, also left several buildings damaged, including a local police station.
The police, however, intervened and calmed the situation, ensuring the arrest of at least 18 individuals in connection to the violence.
But in his view on the issue, the political leader of the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) narrated that this shooting at Kinjor residents by officers of the LNP should be the last to occur, or the UP government should brace itself for continuous protest actions in time to come.
According to Weah, it was unfortunate to have seen people being killed, allegedly by the Boakai-led administration, which came to the country’s presidency with a promise to ‘rescue the country,’ stressing that the fundamental right of citizens to express their grievances through protest must be respected.
Speaking at his Forkay Klon Family Church on Sunday, March 3, 2024, the former President also recalled instances under his watch the police were trained to provide protesters food and water; something he said is expected of the Boakai-led administration based on its campaign promises.
He then expressed his dissatisfaction over the continuous alleged police brutality against residents by the UP police force that has spent less than a month in office, emphasizing that such action goes against the principles of a peaceful society.
Weah further vowed to address these issues as a peaceful citizen, by not allowing the shooting of innocent protestors exercising their constitutional rights, noting, “As political leader of the CDC, shooting of peaceful citizens exercising their rights under the law will not have a place in Liberia anymore.”
He then called on the international community to intervene and pressure the UP government to uphold Liberians’ constitutional right to protest peacefully, pledging his fullest commitment to advocating for the people’s rights and ensuring that their voices are heard.
But in a sharp response, Information Minister, Jerolinmek Piah, called on Weah to portray himself as a former President with a vision to see the country move in the right direction.
“We want to respect our former President because he deserves to be respected. And I don’t want to be the kind of Minister that will disrespect my former President by talking to him anyhow, but also, our former President must act as a former President as well,” he intoned.
The Information Minister, defended the government’s response to the violence, claiming that they acted swiftly to restore order, as well as launch an investigation into the matter, ensuring that perpetrators face justice.
Piah has however warned the former President to desist from using his Church platform to throw jibes at the administration, disclosing that nothing from the former President and his likes will stop the UP government from ensuring accountability and transparency by auditing the CDC regime.
Appearing on ELBC radio yesterday in Monrovia, Piah wondered, “I am concerned because why the rush, or is the former President talking because he wants to talk? This man just left office a month ago, and most of these things that are coming out today happened under his watch and we are committed to fix it.”
“So, all I am appealing for is that, Mr. President, you may have concerns and you just left office a month and days ago, and you know what it takes to run government, but you have to act and speak like a former President; if you don’t, then we will treat you like the ordinary politicians,” he added.
Piah warned that the former President should carry or conduct himself as a former President, so that he (Piah), as the government’s spokesperson, defends and protects the image and integrity of his employer, the government because his education acquired out of Liberia had prepared him and given him a better sense of reasoning.
Meanwhile, Minister Piah revealed that calm has been restored to the county, noting that the Liberia National Police is continuing robust investigation to establish cause of deaths; attributing the cause of the protest to longstanding problems that existed prior to the coming in of the Boakia-led government, thus refuting individuals who have attempted to link the situation to the current administration.
