Embassies urged to deny politicians visas

A Liberian cleric Bishop James A.D. Allison of the Christ Revival International Ministries (CRIM) in Bentol City of Montserrado County, is calling on foreign embassies operating here to place blockade on politicians and their families to prevent them from leaving Liberia until elections cases pending before the National Election Commission (NEC) are resolved.

The Liberian cleric made the call to deny politicians and their families’ visas over the weekend in Bentol City during a news conference. The CRIM Bishop says he has credible information that some politicians are allegedly planning to take their families out of Liberia after holding the country’s presidential runoff election hostage.

But Bishop Allison declines to name the politicians that he is alleging are attempting to send their families out of the country. He however says while he was visiting an embassy in Monrovia, he saw a Liberian politician and his families attempting to obtain visa in order to flee the country.
He alleges that the politician in question is one of the principal actors in the ongoing legal battle against the NEC in the alleged election irregularities and fraud currently being investigated by the electoral house in Sinkor, suburb of Monrovia.

He adds that it would be a complete disservice to the suffering people of Liberia who have been denied their rights to exercise their political franchise in the election of the next president of the country. He then threatened to lead a massive campaign against any embassy in the country that may grant free passage to politicians holding the country’s political process hostage for their selfish and greedy objectives at the detriment of the vast majority of the people.

According to him, his church is currently holding consultations with other churches in the country aimed at communicating their plea to embassies here for the sake of peace and national healing during this crucial period of the country’s political nightmare. Meanwhile, Bishop Allison is urging President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to ensure that the peace Liberians have is maintained and a new president is voted into office before she leaves office in January 2018 in line with the Constitution of Liberia.

By Emmanuel Mondaye–Edited by Winston W. Parley