By Lewis S Teh
The Commander-In-Chief of the opposition Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia (EFFL) Emmanuel Gonquoi, terms President Weah’s final State of the Nation address as devilish and unpatriotic to the people of Liberia.
“We want to consider President Weah’s final message as unrealistic expression of a disjointed logic author at a state-style funeral service of a man who committed genocide.”
Gonquoi made the characterization on Wednesday, February 1, in a news conference held at the EFFL head office in Congo Town.
According to him, during President Weah’s first annual address in 2018, the President spoke of 25 percent reduction in his salary and benefits and called on all elected officials to do same.
But he says unfortunately, throughout the President’s six years, there was legislation or practical action taken to reduce his benefits, and that regrettably, President Weah will be remembered for taking steps to reduce civil servants’ salaries and not paying them in time.
He notes that the government failed in corruption and the rule of law throughout President Weah’s tenure, saying the President showed no interest in fighting corruption, evidenced by the broad day butchering of the Constitution to weaken the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC).
“Fellow citizens, the President lacks moral standing to brag about fighting corruption or protecting human rights when under his administration, Liberia has become a state of terror, lack of hope and uncertainty”, he adds.
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Gonquoi argues that blatant refusal of government officials to declare their assets in accordance with existing laws has simply dashed the President’s promise to stop making corruption a way of life in Liberia.
“Fellow citizens, the President’s refusal to take legal decision against sanctioned former government officials, including his right-hand man Nathaniel McGill, whose senatorial bid is heavily financed by the government in order to prevent him from indicting other officials, is just another classic example of the President’s lack of moral and political independence to deal with corruption and other forms of abuses in Liberia.”
He claims that many persons who supported President Weah in 2017 considered him the best person to have implemented the TRC recommendations and to create an anti-corruption court, before the elections that brought him to power.
Following President Weah’s inauguration, the EFFL joined many Liberians in protesting and demanding the implementation of the TRC report and the creation of an anti-corruption court to demonstrate the government’s commitment to fighting corruption and ending the culture of impunity, he adds.
“Unfortunately, the President, throughout his entire time in office, has shown total disrespect for those who have painfully lost family members in the Liberian Civil War with no interest in healing our beloved Republic”, Gonquoi observes.
He says if the President is to be seen as a reconciler as he said, he must take concrete steps to implement the TRC report and stop accommodating warlords within his government.
He reiterates that a good leader would not think about future elections, but will always think about his or her legacy, and that is the path Liberians expect the President to take. Editing by Jonathan Browne
