By Lincoln G. Peters
Former ruling Unity Party (UP) says it is not worried, nor threatened by the initial campaign team announced by the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) standard bearer Mr. Alexander B. Cummings.
“When you see the whole list announced by Mr. Cummings yesterday, a number of them work in the UP administration,” UP Secretary General Amos Tweah told a press conference Wednesday, 5 October 2022.
“But we are not worried by that. We tell and wish them best of luck,’’ Mr. Tweah continued.
He said all those that left the UP without tendering their resignations are at liberty.
The UP chief scribe explained that they have the freedom to peacefully associate and disassociate with an institution as provided by the Constitution of Liberia and the party’s constitution.
Tweah contended that it’s important that people understand that as a democratic institution, UP knows that every Liberian is entitled to their democratic rights under the Constitution of Liberia to associate or disassociate.
However, he noted that UP has a specific provision in the party’s constitution that binds partisans to support the party.
He said any partisan that doesn’t support the party’s values is acting against its interest.
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But he said UP does not have a problem with any partisan that left the party without tendering their resignation.
Tweah stated that UP’s important focus is to make the necessary case regarding Amb. Boakai’s vision is to transform the country as soon as he becomes president in 2023.
Mr. Tweah described the UP as the beacon of knowledge in the political arena of Liberia when it comes to the governance of the country and it’s something that every politician knows about.
Addressing the shortage of rice in the country, Mr. Tweah claimed that the rice crisis is the making of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government to profiteer on the back of the struggling people.
“The Weah-led government placed US$11m in the 2022 budget to subsidize the accrued cost of rice import by importers,” said Mr. Tweah.
“[Before] that, US$5.5m was placed in the 2021 special budget to provide subsidies to importers,” he added.
Out of the US$5.5 million allocated in the Special Budget of 2021 for rice subsidy and the US$11 million allocated in the 2022 budget, Tweah said the Ministry of Commerce has informed the public that it has received and disbursed US$14m to importers without any detailed breakdown.
He alleged that a high-ranking member of the House’s Committee on Commerce has credibly informed the UP that out of the total amount received by the Ministry of Commerce, only US$3.5million has reached the importers while the rest of the money cannot be accounted for.
He added that because of the alleged reckless handling of the rice crisis by the government, has angered importers.
On the basis of the government’s alleged stance, he said importers are demanding the government to pay this money before they can bring in further supply of rice.
He demanded that the relevant agencies of government including the Ministries of Commerce and Finance explain to the Liberian people why the full amount approved in the budget has not allegedly been disbursed.
“In addition, we specifically call on the Ministry of Commerce to provide [a] full list of importers and the total amount they have so far received from the government,’’ Tweah continued.
He termed the entire subsidy program by the government as a big scam designed by the CDC government to loot the coffers of the state and create a monopoly in favor of rice importers.
Mr. Tweah alleged that the UP is told that other importers that have refused to give kickbacks are yet to receive a dime from government subsidy.
Fouani, he said, is so far the only group that has received some of the cash.
