Hailing “April 12-Demo” Negotiations, But…

It is well known now that the planned demonstration earlier scheduled for this Friday, April 12, has been called off. The decision by the planners/organizers of the protest is a result of a number of interventions by Inter-Faith Council, civil society organizations, as well as diplomatic missions, women’s groups, Vice President Joseph Boakai, near Monrovia, among others for the past two weeks.

The mere fact a group of Liberians, for whose sake this country may have undergone various unfortunate crises, especially during its early stage of governance, would choose a day such as national fast and Prayer day to demonstrate made it un-blessing for the nation and its progress. Even though the organizers may have called off the Friday Demonstration to escape God’s wrath on them, having defied His   Mandate for all Liberians to observe the day as National Fast and Prayer Day, the we do believe that the decision to suspend their action was timely, as well as in the supreme interest of preserving the peace of the country.

It would have been unfair to the nation and very insensitive to the numerous pleas to the organizers to call off the demonstration had they continued threading such path.  In as much as they still stood by the issues raised with the Liberian administration, promising to keep pushing for redress to their concerns, it is hope that this will be done with the peace of the nation in mind.

While there may have been disagreement with the organizers of the demonstration, most especially on the selection of Friday, April 12 completely ignoring the fact that it was a major religious holiday in the country, it is also important that the administration lives up to whatever commitment it made to the organizers, as it relates to the issues raised by them. Since the Government of Liberia accepted to negotiate, it must also live with the good intent and spirit of the negotiations which have brought us thus far.

The organizers of the April 12 demonstration, Government of Liberia and organizations and institutions, whose initiatives and efforts have made Liberians not to reflect any more on negative side of the month of April in Liberia.

For those who still harbor the belief that the “Almighty God must physically speak with them” before listening, they may as well do whatever they think. But the wrath of the Almighty awaits them on National fast and Prayer Day-Friday, April 12. Our only plea to them is for them to call their plan for Friday a quit, as they await redress to their grievances by the Liberian administration.