Thugs believed to be members of the Liberia National Students Union or LINSU chase out dinitaries here, including Rivergee County Senator Commany Wesseh, the President of the Liberia National Bar Association Cllr. Tiawan Gongloe, and host Dr. Togba Nah Tipoteh, among others at the 14th anniversary of the Movement for Justice in Africa or MOJA.
The ceremoney was ongoing at the premises of the G. W. Gibson High School in Monrovia when thugs attired in blue T-shirts with inscription Liberia National Student Union forced their way into the hall, disrupting the occasion and compeling platform guests to take to their heels.
It all started as a member of the progressive community, John H. T. Stewart, was reading the history of MOJA when over 75 thugs invaded the scene and completely took hold of the podium, compelling Mr. Stewart to quitely leave the stage, as the hooligans sang anti-democratic songs, branding the gathering as a disservice to the student community for selecting University of Liberia student leaders Martin K.N. Kollie and Carlos Edison to serve as discussants and panelists.
The thugs mounted the podium and began to speak in a loud voice, denouncing and warning politicians, including the founder of MOJA, Dr. Tipoteh, Cllr. Gongloe, Aletha Manning, former President of the National Labour Congress of Liberia, Professor Alaric Tokpa, John H.T. Stewart, former Information Minister Rev. J. Emmanuel Bowier and Martin K.N. Kollie himself, to leave the hall.
The dignitaries, apparently left with no alternative, jump into their respective vehicles except for Senator Wesseh, who walked along with journalists to an entertainment spot opposite the Capitol.
The disruption of the occasion came minutes after Cllr. Gongloe had delivered welcome remarks in which he noted that people, who are informed about Liberian history or those who are informed but choose to engage in mischief and misinformation, often say that the Progressive, MOJA and PAL, are responsible for the backwardness of Liberia.
He argue that they are wrong, adding that MOJA was not responsible for the 1980 coup d’etat but rather, the True Wing Party or TWP, justifying that the coup took place because the True Wing Party-led government was so weak that it didn’t command the loyalty and support of men and women of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL).
Cllr. Gongloe adds that the coup also took place because the True Wing Party was so divided by greed for power so mcuh so that its leaders failed to even act in their collective interest.
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He continues that at MOJA’s March 1980 Congress, it was resolved to form a political party to contest the presidential election that the military government of former President Samuel K. Doe had promised to hold in 1985.
However, in reaction to the disruption by the thugs, veteran politician Senator Commany B. Wesseh, who was expected to speak on “The Justice System and Rule of Law”, expresses serious disgust over what he describes as reckless behavior.
None of the politicians present at the ceremony engaged the angry thugs for fear that they could be physically attacked, quietly remaining in their respective seats.
Attempt by reporters to solicit responses from Cllr. Gongloe, Dr. Tipoteh, John H.T. Stewart and others about the disruption of the 14th anniversary of MOJA proved fruitless as they hurriedly rush to their vehicles and drove away.
The purported LINSU members similarly decline to speak to the press, but forcibly ended the ceremony. No injury was recorded.
Organizers attempted calling in the police, who did not respond until the school campus became empty.
By Emmanuel Mondaye –Editing by Jonathan Browne
