By Alex Yomah
Five Liberian Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have recommended stern punishment against officials of government the group believes provides misinformation to President George Weah.
The CSOs includes, the National Civil Society Council( CSO Council) headed by Loretta Alethea Pope Kai, along with Naymote Partners for Democratic Development, NAYMOTE, presided over by Eddie Jawolo, Integrity Watch Liberia, headed by Harold Marvin Aidoo, Accountability Lab Liberia that is represented headed Lawrence Yealue, Institute for Research and Democratic and Development ( IRRED) also headed by Matthias Yeanay.
In a joint press statement issued on Monday, CSOS GROUP indicated that George Weah’s Presidential projects that he spoke about was replete with embarrassing lies.
“We call on the President to take stern administrative action against ministers and officials of government who knowingly and blatantly provided false and misleading information on completed infrastructure projects as reported in the state of the nation’s address,” the group noted.
“The Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs must set up an independent monitoring framework outside of CE that is credible to follow up to ensure that the implementation of the President’s promises (presidential projects) across the country are fully completed to ensure value for money, transparency, and accountability to the Liberian people,” CSOs group indicated.
In a statement, the group revealed that fact-checking carried out showed that all of the completed projects that President Weah spoke about are all unfounded facts.
For instance, CSOs stated that under infrastructure as reported by Weah, “We are utterly dumbfounded by the high level of dichotomy in the President’s report on Infrastructure accomplishments across the country,” the group said.
Following the President’s State of the Nations address, the group indicated that there were follow-ups done to ascertain the truthfulness of these completed projects.
“We were dismayed to learn that most of the reported completed projects in the address were not factual,” a statement read by Loretta Alethea Pope Kai(CSO Council) stated.
“For example, in Bong County, the President reported 100 housing units’ construction and the project in Bong County was completed. Our verification shows that only 10 housing units were identified; in Nimba County, the President reported 100 housing units completed, but our verification showed that less than 15 units were identified; in Gbapolu, the President reported that 100-bedroom hospital was completed, but our verification showed that the project is not completed but rather has gone 90% completion, the market buildings in Salala and Gbarnga were reported ongoing, but our verification showed that the project has not started just to mention few,” the report averred. The rights groups described as Atrocious crime, for officials of government to mislead the President to report fallaciously.
Meanwhile, the Civil Society Organizations expressed disappointments in the President due to failure to mention key venerable groups and other burning issues in his State of the Nation Address.
The group also expressed disappointment in the Liberian leader noting that despite the national security threat posed by the growing number of vulnerable youths (ZOGOS) in the country, the President’s statement failed to lay out a clear strategy to address the menace.
The group told newsmen that Liberia’s population is posing increasing threat to the peace and security of the state.
As civil society leaders, “we believe that no other platform was not appropriate enough than the SONA, to lay out a clear vision as to how the Government of Liberia will reduce or end this nightmare”.
“Security and Human Rights In 2021 the nation witnessed a series of unexplained deaths across the country, widespread violence against women and children, increase in rape cases and reported murder of citizens including the death of truck driver Alieu Sheriff in Montserrado County, the death of motorcyclist Modacious Nyema in Maryland County, the killing of the Executive Protection Service (EPS) agent, Melvin Earley, and the Deputy Grand Gedeh County Police Commissioner, Alexander Saye, Liberia’s Peace Ambassador Dr, Rev. Willan R. Tolbert, II, the Land crisis in Ganta, Nimba County, as well as over crowdedness and unconducive prison condition,” CSO said.
However, the rights group expressed frustration-stating that despite the gravity of these security and human rights related concerns and issues, the President in his statement did not mention these critical human rights and security issues.
“We wish to note that the rights of citizens to safety and protection irrespective of gender, ethnicity and class is fundamental and for these issues to be muted in the SONA; in our opinion was quite unfortunate,” the Group intimated.
Adding, “The holding of credible elections is inextricably linked to advancing democratic principles, peace, and stability. Howbeit, the President did not make mention of elections and series of violence that were meted against women candidates and the increased number of electoral disputes that ended up in courts.”
“We are similarly disappointed that despite all the recommendations made by national and international partners to improve electoral integrity, increase women representation and a clear framework for dispute resolution, there was no mention of the government’s effort towards electoral reforms and measures to protect women candidates as we move towards the 2023 legislative and presidential elections,” the group said.
However, CSO recommended that government makes a clear commitment to establish rehabilitation centers across the country for vulnerable youths to address the situation with the vulnerable youths (Zogo’s).
“We call on the Liberian Senate to pass the Drug Bill as a matter of national security emergency”.
“We call on the government to publish all the investigation reports, i.e. Niko Ivanka cargo ship sinking, the missing children, the killing of truck driver Alieu Sheriff, motorcyclist Modacious Nyeman, EPS Agent Melvin Earley, and the Deputy Grand Gedeh County Police Commissioner, Alexander Saye, the Lawrence Bropleh Investigative Committee report and all other investigation commissioned”
“We call on the Ministry of Gender to publish the full disclosure of the money towards the implementation of the SGBV road map”.
“We call on the legislature, particularly the Liberian Senate to subject both the Arcelor Mittal and Bao Chico Concession Agreements to extensive pubic consultation and public hearings in order to ensure the best deal for Mama Liberia,” CSO stated.