The People’s Liberation Party (PLP) has rated the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led-government role in the demolition of the Buduburam Camp in Ghana as poor.
For some time now, the Government of Ghana has been requesting thousands of Liberians residing on the camp to vacate and true to their request; there was an agreed deadline for said action.
The country’s security actors embarked on a demolition exercise to compel the over 30 years of stay refugees turned settlers to relinquish the camp to make way for development initiatives.
Meanwhile, the PLP’s Vision Bearer, Dr. Cassell, noted that it is appalling that while Liberians are faced with a “painful and unbearable humanitarian crisis in a foreign land, the George Weah-led government has said and done absolutely nothing to address the plight of its citizens on the Buduburam Refugee Camp.”
His observation along with a passionate plea was contained in a press statement issued in Monrovia on Tuesday, October 5, 2021 adding, “I would assume that considering the circumstances besetting our people, a responsible, sensitive and patriotic government would by now be deeply engaged with the Government of Ghana to halt the demolition exercise and forge a workable outcome to ending this nightmare suffice.
“By now, we expect to see representatives of the Weah government in Ghana comforting and instilling hope into our brothers and sisters, but sadly, it seems the plight of Liberians both at home and abroad doesn’t matter to the government of Mr. George Weah as we recently saw how the government insensitively and recklessly responded to the scaring waves of mysterious realistic killings across the country,” Dr. Cassell outburst.
Dr. Cassell noted that it marvels Liberians that while young girls and ordinary citizens are being murdered in cold blood and body parts gruesomely extracted, President Weah and his confidants are fabulously celebrating his birthday party for days at the expense of the already strained national coffers.
“If such behavior is not insensitive, careless, wicked and unremorseful, I know no other way to describe the continual disposition of the Weah government,” he added.
Dr. Cassell then called on the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the United Nations (UN), the International Red Cross, Medicine San Frontiers (MSF), and other humanitarian groups to intervene and engage the Government of Ghana over its planned demolition of the famous Buduburam Camp.
He said regional and international bodies should swiftly intervene to ensure that the Government of Ghana exercises some level of restraint and due consideration as they have done for the people of Liberia for several decades.
He noted that the engagement or intervention of these bodies will help find the best solutions to ending the crisis and preventing thousands of Liberians from further “despair and trauma”.
“Consequently, In the spirit of the African Solidarity which Ghana has pioneered for several decades, I, on behalf of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) would like to seize this opportunity to humbly appeal to the Government and people of Ghana to exercise restraint and due consideration as they have always graciously done for our people over twenty plus years, to halt the ongoing demolition exercise and allow negotiations to prevail from which a possible and amicable solution to end what now seems to be a humanitarian crisis be reached,” he appealed.
Dr. Cassell pointed out that though all efforts to reclaim the land on which the Buduburam Camp is, it borders on the sole purpose of national development, the government and good people of Ghana would never be happy “to see thousands of homeless Liberians languish in the streets of Accra to the peril of their safety”.
“Henceforth, we plead with them to pause the demolition to make way for possible interventions to suitably bring this crisis under control. And while pleading for the compassion of Ghana, we call on our people to remain calm and refrain from all acts that have the potential to further exacerbate the crisis afoot,” Dr. Cassell stated.
He added that though the PLP and other well-meaning Liberians are not happy to see the homes of their fellow compatriots being demolished with no immediate hope of a reasonable alternative to salvage their well-being, the Government of Ghana must also be appreciated for the “incredible and historic show of generosity in hosting thousands of Liberian Refugees in their country for well over twenty years”.
In every respect, he added that, Liberia owes Ghana a depth of gratitude for such degree of kindness that cannot be quantified in any quantum.
Dr. Cassell further expressed his prayers and solidarity with fellows on the Buduburam Refugee Camp and pointed out that the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) will over the next few days dispatch its Acting National Vice Chairman for International Affairs to Accra, Ghana to meet with fellow Liberians so as to assess the humanitarian conditions on the Camp”.
According to him, the visitation will also help to establish how the party can effectively mobilize needed support for Liberians enduring this painful and demeaning condition.
“To the government and dear people of Ghana, I once again express abundant thanks and appreciation for all you have done for our people and plead with you to allow the “United Africa” solidarity championed by your founding father Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to prevail now and always. We are One Africa and Africa is home to all Africans, no matter which geographical location an African finds him/herself”.
At the same time, Dr. Cassell has expressed disappointment over the lukewarm attitude being shown towards the situation which currently persists in Ghana by the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) led-government of President George Manneh Weah.