By Nyema Nma, Jr.
The Executive Mansion has gone mute since the opposition Alternative National Congress (ANC) political leader Alexander B. Cummings’ staggering accusation against the Liberia leader, George M. Weah.
In his latest response to President Weah’s response to his opened letter dated August 27, 2022, Cummings alleged that the Liberian leader spent nearly US$175 to support two of the country’s deadly warring factions during the 13 years civil war.
The ANC’s political leader said, “You cannot credibly refute claims that you contributed and helped to direct the activities of MODEL, a faction group in the Liberian war, including paying for logistical support in 2003 for rebels to travel from Ivory Coast to Sinoe County in Liberia to fight against Taylor’s government.”
Cummings’ second letter was in response to President Weah response to his first letter in which the Liberian leader accused the opposition leader of hypocrisy on grounds that Cummings wined and dined with the very system that he (Weah) is trying to fix.
Many persons in Weah’s camp hailed him for his harsh response to the opposition leader as they believe that the President was fed up with claims and counterclaims from the opposition blog with no tangible advice to proffer.
MODEL was a rebel group that attacked Liberia from its western boarders in Ivory Coast in March, 2003 and its leader, Thomas Yaya Nimely became Liberia’s Foreign Minister on October 14, 2004 during the period of the transitional government headed by the late Gyude Bryant while the current Superintendent of Grand Gedeh County, Kai Farley is also its former commanding general.
In 2003, Farley and his men allegedly looted government-owned and private facilities in Grand Gedeh, Sinoe and Maryland Counties including rubber plantations, the Catholic Church administrative offices as well as store, shops, concessions operating in those areas. Farley and his fighters have denied these allegations and have challenged their accusers to provide evidence.
MODEL was accused of transporting logs from parts of the southeastern region of the country through the Harper Port in Maryland County.
LURD, for its part, became active in the Liberian civil war as far back as 1999 until the resignation and departure of former President Charles Taylor in 2003 as the group’s only interest in the war was to ensure that Taylor left the country and therefore they operated under the theme: “Taylor Must Go.”
However, Cummings allegations against the Liberian leader seem to have silenced the executive and the entire government because there have been no response from government on the ANC leader’s assertion.
Some Liberians seem to be in agreement with Mr. Cummings’ allegations against Mr. Weah, while others have rebuked the ANC political leader, terming it as a mere strategy to gain political sympathy.
“Weah have never supported any rebel group in the country before. In fact, he was sending food and non-food items to some of us in refugee camps in Ivory Coast,” Samuel Bailey of Matidi Estate told this paper.
For Mr. Bailey, like many of his supporters, Weah is a man of peace and could not do such thing as supporting the killings and suffering of the people especially when he was tagged as ‘Peace Ambassador.’
Madam Betty David of West Point observed that President Weah has done for Liberians more than any President in the over 100 years’ history of Liberia.
“They jeh fighting to see the boy fay, but God wey heh him. Dah why dey go bring santion for?” she quizzed rhetorically in her local tune. She urged Liberians to continue to support Weah for the success of the CDC-led government and not to listen to those she referred to as failed opposition.
But Mr. Budu Kla Wilson, a resident of 12th Street informed this paper that there should be some truth in Cummings’ accusation and called on national and international actors to look into those allegations.
“During the MODEL war in Maryland, some of the rebels wore T-shirts that carried MODEL’s logo at the front and had Weah’s inscription at the back. Some of them admitted that it was Weah who supplied them with food and other logistics to fight,” Mr. Wilson said.
“How can the entire government go mute when such indicting accusations are made against the leader of our state?” David Karnga of Logan Town to wondered. “By now, Cummings should have been invited by the state to provide proof to his claims. Maybe, he could be lying or telling the truth. Who knows,” he concluded.
Though Cummings did not provide any evidence to support his claims against President Weah, many Liberians believe that such accusations against the President are grave and need to be given urgent attention by the Weah-led government.