LPP candidate blames past leaders for economic crisis
Opposition Liberian People’s Party (LPP) Montserrado County District #8 representative candidate Mr. Bella Diallo has blamed past leaders for some of the economic problems facing the country.
Mr. Diallo claimed Wednesday, 20 September at his party office on Capitol Bye-pass that there is economic problem in the country due to past leaders’ reluctance to implement the Liberianization Policy. The LPP representative candidate says he will seek the full implementation of the Liberalization Policy as contained in the party’s platform.
Mr. Diallo who has been in Liberia during the era of President William V.S. Tubman, accuses “non-negro traders” of monopolizing wholesale, retail and import of all commodities in Liberia.
He adds that the policy which was adopted by the Tolbert Administration was meant to encourage all Liberians to engage in business activities to reduce poverty, but observes that such policy has not been implemented by succeeding administrations before and after the civil war. He further says the policy was never implemented by President Charles Taylor, the interim governments that came during the war, and incumbent President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf.
He has therefore encouraged Liberians to elect experienced and matured people who have the development interest of the country at heart to implement the policy in the National Legislature. Mr. Diallo believes that Liberia should by now be engaged in manufacturing of raw materials into finished products, such as vehicle tires from rubber and steel from iron ore.
The opposition candidate notes that despite operation of Firestone Rubber Company here since 1926, Liberia yet to process rubber into finished products to create jobs for Liberians. In Kenya, he says President Jomo Kenyatta made sure that raw rubber produced in that country is manufacture into tyres by factories to meet the demands of other East African countries, thereby creating jobs for the citizens. Mr. Diallo argues that Liberia needs food security, good governance, peace and stability, good roads and health centers.
By Emmanuel Mondaye–Edited by Winston W. Parley
