By: Emmanuel wise Jipoh
The Chair of Team Cummings, Ambassador Lewis G. Brown, says President George Manneh Weah has embarked on intimidation and threats to silence him, after his clarion call to Liberians to come out on December 17, 2022, to protest peacefully.
Team Cummings is the campaign team of opposition leader, Mr. Alexander B. Cummings, who wants to defeat President Weah at the poll in 2023. Mr. Cummings is current standard bearer of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) and leader of the Alternative National Congress.
Tagged “We tire suffering”, the planned protest is aimed at drawing the Weah administration’s attention to severe economic hardship in the country, characterized by systemic corruption and constitutional violations.
The government here recently increased the retail price for a 25kg bag of rice, Liberia’s staple, by US$4.50 amid salary cuts and delay.
Addressing a news conference, on Tuesday, December 6, 2022, at the headquarters of the CPP on 19th Street in Monrovia, Amb. Brown said attack on him late Monday, while returning from a live talk show, was masterminded by Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Tamba Koijee. Mr. Koijee is also secretary general of President Weah’s ruling Coalition for Democratic Change.
Youths believed to be supporters of the CDC attacked Brown, as he left the live broadcast where he had maintained that the December 17 protest will go ahead as scheduled, despite efforts by the government to stop the gathering.
The former Liberian diplomat says the attack against him on Monday was orchestrated by Mayor Jefferson Koijee, who he claims, was sent by President Weah that is worried about the planned protest, just eight months to elections.
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Brown believes that the planned protest will send out a clear message to the world that Liberians are tired of the level of suffering the Weah-led Administration is inflicting on poor Liberians, making them poorer.
He angrily blasts the President for being unfit for the Presidency and warns him to stop sending people after his life, only because of power.
Ambassador Brown: “Mr. President stop; tell people your fault, you should know me by now. I stated in your face that you were not qualified to be President and you have proven it in five years, how unqualified you’re, so trying to kill me won’t stop me from telling you that you are unfit for the Presidency. So, you need to stop your threats on my life. I’m Lewis Brown, I’m not afraid of you. December 17, peaceful assembly of the suffering masses must go on as planned, and I dare you to stop it.”
For his part, a stalwart of the opposition Unity Party, Mr. George Wisner, who has declared support for Mr. Cummings’ bid for the Presidency, says President Weah has lost his ground in retaining the country’s highest seat, so he is trying to mastermind conflict to disrupt the upcoming elections.
According to Mr. Wisner, President Weah and his allies are already aware of defeat come 2023, adding that Mr. Weah will not be President of Liberia beyond January 22, 2024.
According to him, failure of the President to transform the lives of Liberians has led to him (Weah) losing ground in his quest to seek second term in office, so the only option left is to infuse conflict and scare the opposition from speaking out. Editing by Jonathan Browne
