President George Manneh Weah addresses the nation today, Wednesday, May 29, at 12:00 noon, according to the Executive Mansion.
The President may have a lot on his menu, ranging from the economy, protest, security and collaboration with the international community to sustaining Liberia’s peace, among others.
Liberians are anxiously waiting to hear what he has to say about the dismal state of economy characterized by rapid depreciation of the Liberian dollar against the United States dollar with the exchange rate currently at LRD193 to one US$1.00 amid rising prices.
Today’s address will be President Weah’s first major speech since the outcome of a fact-finding audit into the US$25 mopping-up exercise by a Technical Economic Management Team (TEMT) chaired by the Minister of Finance and development Planning Samuel Tweah and co-chaired by the Executive Governor of the Central Bank of Liberia Nathaniel R. Patray.
Full accountability on the mop-up of excess liquidity in the Liberian market has raised more questions than answers, including report by the TEMT itself.
The Executive Mansion in Monrovia says President Weah is expected to speak to prevailing national developments, including the state of the economy and the recent report submitted to his office by the General Auditing Commission on the US$25m Mop-up excess.
Also expected in the President’s speech is the planned 07 June protest by activists under the banner, Council of Patriots backed by opposition political parties to demand reforms in the governance system.
President Weah does not want protesters to get in the streets, and every effort he has explored in having the planned assembly called off proved unsuccessful, including a recent meeting with the protest organizers at his temporary office in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
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The President had sought from the organizers their grievances, but they insist to do so only on the day of the protest, something, the government does not want.
However, international partners, including the United Nations, African Union and ECOWAS, remind here it is the rights of citizens to protest, which should not be denied. Story by Jonathan Browne
