By Bill W. Cooper
The Girls Alliance for Future Leadership (GALF) has expressed with concerns about the level of insecurity in the country.
The group is calling on the Liberian government to make as his government number one priority his government’s willingness to fight crime.
“As young people, we are living in fear. We pray that our future will not be derailed by the level of uncertainty in the security of this country. W are also calling on the Judiciary to ensure justice for women and girls through the length and birth of this country,” the group through its Advocacy Officer, Kadiatu Bah stressed.
Speaking during a program making the 5th observance of what they termed as ‘Angel Togbah’ day in Monrovia, Ms. Bah, among other things, emphasized that abuse against then female gender especially the girl child is at crisis proportion.
According to her, sexual contact with a minor in Liberia is statutory rape, and therefore, the need for the Justice Minister to enforce the law and ensure that all Liberian girls, no matter their family background, feel safe.
Commenting on the death of Angel Togba, she said, “Today, November 30 is and will forever be Angel Togba’s Day in Liberia because it was on this faithful day that our beloved sister was sexually abused and murdered in cool blood.”
“So, on this day we the girls of Liberia now and in the future will remind ourselves about not only Angel Togba, but the many other angels from West Point, New Kru town, Caldwell and all impoverished communities across this country who go through all kinds of abuses and neglect.
“That is why we are gathered here for just one purpose and that purpose is to remember the late 13-year old Angel Togba. Because it is 14 years now since we ever heard her voice and the most scaring part of it all is that her killers are free today only because few people on the Supreme Court bench said so,” Ms. Bah averred.
Earlier, the Secretary General of the GALF, Faith Courage Smith, noted that the GALF which was founded in 2010 by a group of 8th graders from the William Lee Bonner’s School who were all females in their teens.
She added, “We are calling on all females 17 and above to consider participating in this initiative. We are not a political party and have no intent of aligning with any political group or persons. Girls Alliance welcomes everyone.”