By Alex Yomah
The tough talking Senate’s Chaplain General, Rev. Michael Holders yesterday formed part of the aggrieved legislative staffers meeting which among other issues, intended to launch an unspecified but peaceful protest against their bosses beginning today, with a condescending description of his bosses at the Liberian Senate.
Speaking when he spoke under the Senate’s flag poles where heads of the aggrieved members mobilized staffers on how to carry out their planned protest that is expected to begin today, Wednesday, Jan. 20, Rev. Holders expressed resentment over the form and manner their bosses (Senators) are treating them.
He repeated portion of his sermon delivered in plenary Tuesday in which he referred to Senators as “Bush Boys” that came from the dust to deliver their people from captivity but failed disappointingly.
“We are men and women that have families. We cannot be treated in this form and manner only because we are working for them” (Senators). Protesters had complained about busses, stationery issues, deliberate delay of just benefits and salaries coupled with the 16-month unpaid salaries in the tone of one million Liberian dollars,” the poised protesters stated.
Rev. Holders said he told the session at which time he asked Maryland County Senator Gble-bo Brown to read his selected scripture from the book of 1-king 2), states: For as much as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of jeroboam and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with”.
When asked by this paper of the interpretation of the above scripture, Rev. Holders indicated that in the past, people that were elected to represent their people like the current senators were referred to as the elites or the “Congo people” who people claimed were not in the interest of the people by then.
But disappointingly, quoting from 1 king chapter 2, which says, for as much as “I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel; and thou hast walked in the way of jeroboam and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with” were referred to as Bush Boys that have failed the people for which they were elected.
Rev. Michael Holders who is an employee of central Administration, Liberian Senate as well, made his meager contribution of LD1, 600 or its equivalence of US$10.00 as a motivation for the architects of the planned protest yesterday.
The protest as was announced on Monday is intended for their bosses to unconditionally pay their one million dollar Liberian dollars salary component that was reportedly milked by Senate leadership under the disguise of “ Harmonization scheme” which they claimed, the Executive has ever since refuted.
The aggrieved legislative staffers of which he is part vowed to stage an unspecified protest if the Senate leadership meeting in Executive session fails to provide their money today or give time to provide it.
Meanwhile, the spokesperson of the aggrieved legislative staffers instructed all aggrieved staffers at the Capitol Building to wear Red-T-Shirts today, noting that failure, such person will be denied entry to meet with Senate leadership today.