“We Are Listening To Henry Costa, Not MO Ali” –MICAT Deputy Boss; Denies Printing Of New Banknotes

By Bill W. Cooper
The Deputy Minister for Press and Public Affairs at the Ministry of Information (MICAT), Eugene Fahngon has disclosed that the government of Liberia will not give credence to statements emanating from the acting chairman of the Council of Patriot (COP), Mohammed Ali that their December 30th planned protest is not for President Weah to ‘step down/resign’ but instead statements coming from the Chairman of the COP, Henry Costa presently in America threatening to “forcefully” allow the President to ‘resign/step down.’
Minister Fahngon’s exertion came about recent press conference addressed by the COP’s acting chairman that their December 30th planned protest is not intended to ask the President to ‘resign or step down’ but to holistically act upon their June 7 petition presented to the government and other grievances ranging from civil servants’ salaries and the salary harmonization process among other things.
It can be recalled that since the pronouncement of the COP’s planned unending December 30th protest aimed at calling for “President Weah to step down” by one of its members, Jeremiah Wapoe sometimes in October, there has been some contradictions emanating from strong stalwarts of the COP which has sparked up missed reaction from the public concerning the protest.
Owing to the fact that since the December protest pronouncement by Jeremiah Wapoe, hierarchy from the COP including the Chairman, Henry Costa and Representative Yekeh Kolubah has of recent on various platform and in a live Facebook screening been buttressing the press statement from the COP that the President should step down as their people are suffering and corruption being on the increase among others.
But what seems as total contradiction on the part of the COP is that their previous press statement in October clearly called for the President to “step down” and was strongly reiterated by the COP chairman and one of its members, Rep. koluba, while on November 11, 2019, the COP through its acting chairman Mo Ali wrote the Justice Ministry requesting the government to provide security and protection for would-be peaceful protester on December 30th 2019.
Barely months after the letter was given to the government through the MOJ of their protest, the government of Liberia on December 2, 2019 issued a two-page statement to the acting COP chair, Mr. Ali stating “with several public pronouncements emanating from the hierarchy of the COP charactering the assembly as the beginning of a “Weah Step Down” campaign are without legal authority to grant you permit, protection and/or approval to undertake an act which is, indisputably, in clear violation of the Constitution and statuary laws of Liberia.”
Based on the denial from the government and the numerous public outcries concerning the protest, the COP through its acting chairman Mohammed Ali on December 11, 2019 addressed a major press conference responding to the government stating, “There were nowhere in our communication to the government that talked about us embarking on a campaign to ask the President of the country to step down/resign.”
Addressing MICAT’s regular Thursday briefing, the government Deputy spokesperson stated that Mr. Ali’s words are not something that the government will take serious as he is just acting in the place of another person but words coming from the chairman, Henry Costa in one of his live Facebook video stating “the governments are a bunch of jokers and I will come to Liberia to force the President to step down,” something he described as treasonous and unconstitutional.
Buttressing the MOJ statement, Minister Fahngon quoted article 15 and 50 of the Constitution which calls for every citizens to have the right to freedom of expression, but being fully responsible for the abuse thereof and 50 says, The Executive Power of the Republic shall be vested in the President who shall be Head of State, Head of Government and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia. The president shall be elected by universal adult suffrage of registered voters in the Republic and shall hold office for a term of six years commencing at noon on the third working Monday in January of the year immediately following the elections. No person shall serve as President for more than two terms.
He added that there is a difference between peaceful protest and overthrowing, stressing, “We are waiting patiently for him and the government will use every resource in keeping with law of the land to protect the peace and stability of the country.”
In another development, the deputy MICAT boss denied the statement emanating from District #10 Representative, Yekeh Koluba that the government has printed new LD banknotes and brought into the country without the knowledge of the Legislature.
Minister Fahngon said that the government has never printed new LD banknotes and will not do it under any circumstances without the consent of the Legislature as the constitution calls for the Legislative branch of government to give the Executive branch the green light to print new banknotes, stressing, “It is unfortunate that some of our lawmaker do not know their functions as a Representatives.”