Police urge students to join peace efforts

Deputy Police Inspector General for Operations Col. Abraham Kromah has pleaded with students at the United Methodist University (UMU) on Ashmum Street to join an ongoing peace effort between the Liberia National Police (LNP) and the All Political Parties Youth Congress, reminding them that Liberia has never had a peaceful transition for some 73 years.

The meeting with students on Friday, 24 November at UMU was part of a four – day Police and Parties Youth peace initiative that kicked off at the LNP Headquarters on Capitol Hill earlier last week and extended to Kakata, Margibi County.

“This is time for us to make our history … let’s work with the political leaders, and let’s work with Madam Sirleaf in her agenda to transform this country peacefully,” Col. Kromah says.

Col. Kromah extends appreciation to political parties here for taking peaceful steps towards the legal process here, saying it is about time that “we” utilize what “we” have peacefully.

He says to the students that he is moved by the Inspector General of Police Col. Gregory Coleman’s understanding of the role the young people play here, noting that Col. Coleman has mandated him to continue with the engagement.

Col. Kromah says the LNP is the keeper of the peace, but it recognizes also that it is not alone in the process and therefore sees it necessary to engage the young people through the community policing arrangement.

During the engagement, Police Spokesman Sam Collins told the students that the various political parties that took part in the October elections were represented at the meeting by their youth leaders.

Spokesman Collins says the LNP believes strongly that the police engagement with the young people triggers down to the other youthful generation at various universities, at markets, churches and mosques, among others.

The parties youth leaders told their fellow young people on campus that they had gone there to engage them and spread the message of peace, saying they got to protect the what they have.

The party youth leaders, in their separate comments, indicate that while they are young people and energetic, they must not use their energies to be enemies but to remain peaceful until they have arrived.

By Winston W. Parley