By Lincoln G. Peters
The leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia (EFFL), Emmanuel Gonquoi says President George Manneh Weah’s denial of Coalition for Democratic Change Council of Patriots (CDC – COP) is broad day dishonesty.
Speaking in an exclusive telephone interview with this paper Tuesday, 2 August 2022, Gonquoi claimed that the ruling CDC lacks every democratic credential to run the state.
“The President was completely dishonest to the Liberian people on Monday in his speech to denounce the CDC-COP,” Gonquoi alleged.
Denouncing the group six days after they brutally attacked students of the University of Liberia, President Weah said in a nationwide address Monday that “we do not have any CDC – CoP” in the governing CDC.
But Gonquoi claimed that President Weah’s statement has the propensity to further intensify conflict in the country.
He urged President Weah to admit the wrong and plead with the Liberian people for forgiveness.
“It’s a clear fact that the CDC has that group and the President is aware of them and supporting them; therefore, let him stop the pretense and ask the country for forgiveness,” said Gonquoi.
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Gonquoi noted that President Weah’s statement reflects the highest level of dishonesty in governance.
The EFFL commander believes that President Weah made the state because he wants to save face.
He also alleged that President Weah and the entire CDC were in support of the counter-protest and the group is allegedly well-recognized by the ruling party.
“The guys are CDCians and they have been recruited in the CDC-COP and other security forces like the DEA (Drugs Enforcement Agency), MCC (Monrovia City Corporation) police to counter peaceful citizens,” Mr. Gonquoi alleged.
He claimed that the CDC-COP is run by CDCians who have academic knowledge but are mixed with gangsters and former armed robbers to counter peaceful citizens.
“Recent history and occurrence have shown that the president is aware and in support of that. Go [to] the party headquarters and see thugs that are [in] the area,” Gonquoi claimed.
Regarding the Ministry of Justice’s justification for not protecting the protesters, Gonquoi argued that the Ministry is under constitutional obligation to provide security for the state and its citizens, whether it is informed about a protest or not.
