Officials Behind “April 12-Demo” Must Be Named

Recently, the National Chairman of the main opposition Congress for Democratic Change or CDC disclosed that the suspended ‘April 12 demonstration’ was concocted by the government’s security apparatus in order to extort money from the presidency. Chairman George Solo told a news conference last Wednesday, April 10, 2013 the ‘would-be April 12 demonstration’ was planned and strongly supported by some government officials, especially high profile security personnel to have more budgetary allotments and misapply the operational funds of their respective institutions under the guise of combating demonstration.

Mr. Solo alleged that security agencies concocted the April 12 demonstration as a means of creating fear among the population to quickly attract their balance allotments as the budget year draws to an end. With the high level of confidence CDC National Chairman may have spoken, one would have expected George Solo to disclose the names of the high profile security personnel or government officials mentioned as being behind the ‘would-be demonstration’.

In as much the CDC Chairman may have also been driving at substantial point-making, he would have done fairness and justice to his conscience and integrity, as well as the national security interest to the people of Liberia had he backed the confidence with facts.

Unfortunately, the national Chairman of the CDC failed to do when quizzed by journalists during his last Wednesday’s news conference. Whether or not Solo was angered by the decision of the planners and organizers to reconsider their ‘April 12 action’, it may just be difficult to assume.  Whoever may have been aggrieved and for whatever reason(s), at least the demonstration was suspended for the sake of peace.

Despite claims and counter-claims of “money changing hands” against the “April 12 demonstration”, one can only attribute the decision by the groups- Coalition for the Transformation of Liberia and Citizens for Change to suspended the demonstration to the consistency employed in the efforts of the Church, the coalition of civil society organizations, women organizations, as well as one to two members of the Liberian Legislature for the ‘April 12 demonstration’ not to take place.

Expectations were that opposition political parties, including the CDC should have found their way positively in the process of averting the “demonstration” as a way of being seen by the people of Liberia as ‘governments-in-waiting’. But utterances from them, most especially the CDC through its National Chairman, only give a different picture of what an opposition party is in our country.

Unless Chairman George Solo can reveal the names of the government officials and security personnel or institutions that “concocted” the so0called ‘April 12-demo’, such revelation may still be considered a political mischief.