By Bill W. Cooper
The 177th Flag Day Orator, Olubanke King Akerele, tells former President George Weah not to allow his associates incite violence in the country.
Madam Akerele, who once served as the country’s Foreign Minister also urged Weah to take immediate actions to prevent his associates from getting further involved in violence and ensure the safety and peace is sustained for all Liberians and Liberia.
At the Flag Day celebrations where she served as Keynote speaker with the theme: “The flag, a symbol of one Liberia” at the Centennial Pavilion in Monrovia, she emphasized the importance of peaceful coexistence and called on all political leaders to refrain from using violence as a means to achieve their goals.
Her assertion comes as tensions continue to rise in Monrovia following a recent clash between supporters of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and the police at its party headquarters in Congo Town.
But in oration, madam Akerele further Condemning the use of violence, she called on former President Weah to work with the government, ensuring the preservance and maintenance of the country’s already fragile peace.
“Weah, the world hailed you when you peacefully turn power of President Boakai in January of this year, respecting the will of the Liberian people; now is the time to continue and build on that legacy.
“The world is watching you now as the major opposition leader. Ensure your associates do away with violence because we cannot allow our country to descend into chaos and lawlessness; we must uphold the rule of law and rights of all citizens,” she warned.
She also condemned Speaker Fonati Koffa over his interventional plan to stop the violence which did not materialize, adding that the Speaker should have inquire the source of the violence by the CDC supporters and police before arriving at the scene.
The Orator, herself went to intervene but got no attention from the noisy protestors, called on the government of President Joseph Boakai to ensure a thorough investigation into the incident as well as stressed the need for dialogue and peaceful resolution of conflicts, rather than resorting to violence.
The recent violence has raised concerns about the stability of Liberia’s political situation, with many fearing a return of the dark days of civil war and instability.
Liberia has made significant progress in recent years, with a peaceful transition of power in 2018 and improvements in its governance and economy.
On Thursday, August 22, 2024, the joint security conducted a drug raid near the CDC headquarter premises which was misconstrued thereby escalating into wanton violence when CDCians clashed with the police clashed
As a result of the incident, properties got damaged, while others including police officers and CDCians got severely injured coupled with the disruption of normal business and work activities.
Despite series of condemnation from both the opposition and government including Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the recent clash highlighted the underlying tensions and divisions in Liberia politically, with many feeling entitled.
It also raised concerns about the political situation in the country dating as far back to the days of Presidents William R. Tolbert, William V.S. Tubman, Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor among others.
