Urey sets benchmarks for change

The opposition All Liberian Party (ALP) presidential candidate businessman-turned politician Benoni Urey says while he strongly welcomes generational change, it requires qualified, competent and experienced person with requisite skills to bring change to Liberia.

“We at the ALP, we welcome generational change, but that change needs a qualified and competent person, someone that has lots of experience with the requisite skills to bring that change to Liberia,” says Mr. Urey.

Speaking to this paper on Monday, 2 October at his Lonestar Cell MTN office in Congo Town, the ALP Standatd Bearer expresses hope that President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s idea for a generational change includes competence, requisite experience and education, rather than just a generational change.

According to him, Liberians don’t want change just for change sake, noting that the change that every Liberian needs takes into account someone with the specialized skills and technical knowhow to put Liberia on the right trajectory of its developmental plans.

“This is what we should be careful about, we must be careful with the kind of change that we want. We want a change that will carry Liberia to where it should be instead of carrying it backward,” Urey cautions here following a closed doors meeting members of the National Imam Council of Liberia.

Reacting to the way others have interpreted President Sirleaf’s “next generation” of leaders comment during her recent address at the U.N. 72nd General Assembly, he says everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, adding that the President is no exception.

He notes that if President Sirleaf believes that there should be a generational change here, she is entitled to it, but the ALP does not criticize her for such comment.

He continues that the party recognizes that it’s about time for younger people to take over government.
President Sirleaf has given clarity on her comment about next generation, saying the statement in no way [impugn] anyone who is not young.

Meanwhile, Mr. Urey reminds Imams in Liberia that they have played a meaningful role as religious leaders.

“…And we thought to invite them in order for them to pray along with us and the nation to have a peaceful, and transparent election that is the purpose of this gathering here today,”

By Lewis S. Teh–Edited by Winston W. Parley