Liberia: Koijee Accuses Boakai-Koung Govt of Political Harassment

Monrovia — The Secretary General of Liberia’s former ruling political party, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Jefferson Tamba Koijee says the Joseph Nyuma Boakai-led administration has indulged in acts that target political actors and ordinary people to the extent that some citizens have lost their lives at the behest of state security forces.

He said one stance is the repeated infiltration of the CDC headquarters by the Police in the name of confidence patrol at one point and enforcement of search and seizure warrant in the space of one month. During these provocative actions, ordinary Liberians lost their property and others got seriously injured. “This is not what the people signed up for. These are the undemocratic vices that underpinned the civil war in this country and the scars of those moments are still fresh on the minds of Liberians. We know what happened when certain political parties and stakeholders were targeted. The Unity Party Government is nurturing those ugly moments that we do not wish to be reminded about,” SG Koijee indicated.

According to him, while the dust remains unsettled on the police action, the President is weaponizing the courts against the CDC and other political stakeholders so much that the legal system is becoming inundated with political maneuvering including the manipulation of the case involving owners of the property the CDC occupies as its headquarters to evict the main opposition. “The decision to manipulate the courts against the CDC is counterproductive and tantamount to fermenting chaos in the country. We are asking our International partners to call this government to order,” he emphasized.

He disclosed that President Boakai has deceptively told the world at the United Nations General Assembly that his government is committed to upholding the rule of law and respecting political freedom when the reality back home contradicts that assertion.

“He told the UNGA that his government is committed to upholding rule of law and political freedom but Liberians are being dismissed from their jobs simply because they belong to a political party. He is masterminding the eviction of the CDC from its national headquarters by undermining the legal process through the court that would identify the actual owner of the property to pave the way for negotiation to purchase the facility. This is deception of the highest order,” the CDC Secretary General stressed.

The CDC Chief Scribe told a news conference on the afternoon of September 23, 2024, in Monrovia that the Unity Party that came to power on the pedestal of rescuing Liberia from its nearly two centuries of backwardness has, at the pace of lightning, metamorphosed into a risky mission with tenets of bad governance, widespread looting of state coffers, killing, weaponizing the judiciary against opposition political parties and, the surreptitious altering of national budget to serve of the political interest of the President while critical sectors remain abandoned.

He stated that in June of this year, the National Legislature passed the National Budget with strategic recommendations. The budget was altered by the President’s office through the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning before it was printed into a handbill. The lawmakers discovered that the budget document was altered and an amount of US$20 million was moved to other places not initially considered without the acquiescence of the National Legislative in contravention of the law.

Koijee emphasized that this action is criminal and signals brazen disregard for the country’s governance structure that gives the National Legislature the legal authority to deal with the allocation of funds in the national budget. “It also points to potential corruption at the peril of national development efforts that would benefit the citizenry. This is very concerning and the CDC is demanding accountability,” he stressed.

While civil servants are grasping for straws to feed their families and pay school fees, the former ruling party’s stalwart said President Boakai is allegedly carrying US$100,000.00 on his credit card just for entertainment alone. He added that this is why all the President’s trips have not yielded any tangible benefits because the Unity Party-led government is on a merrymaking expedition with no regard for the plight of the Liberian people.

In addition to the President’s elaborate entertainment funds, the CDC Secretary General raised eyebrows on the recent off-budget expenditures reported by the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning (MFPA) which revealed several controversial expenses by the UP-led government from January to August 2024. “Under one year, state resources are bearing the brunt of wonton looting.

Koijee pointed out that the Liberian government allocated US$2,307,609 to “unexplained miscellaneous” expenses and US$2.5 million for covert operations through the National Security Agency (NSA). The House of Representatives spent US$1.5 million on special sessions, while the Senate expended US$812,612 for similar purposes. He bemoans the astronomical amounts being spent outside of the budget leaving much to desire for a struggling nation like Liberia under a government that promised to offer the Liberian people better leadership and governance.

“It is sad that the government, under the leadership of President Boakai is spending millions of United States Dollars on covert operations like the country is in danger especially when hospitals and schools are in dire straits for support.

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The Secretary General of the CDC Koijee is also calling for further investigation into the death of Miss Charloe Musu, since Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott was acquitted by the Supreme Court. The 39-year-old CDC stalwart of the former ruling party said “Those who accused me of masterminding the death of this promising young lady are now in power. I want them to investigate this matter and bring the perpetrators to book. I am available to face any investigative panel if invited. The hasty request by the family to bury the remains of Miss Musu is worrisome and a potential attempt to undermine any effort to find the real killer of the late Charlotte.

The fact that the former Chief Justice went to jail on allegations of murder and criminal conspiracy should push her to seek further investigation to find the actual killer instead of hurriedly seeking to demand that the girl be buried.”

He added that all those named by Cllr. Jerome J Verdier Sr. are still available to face any investigation to find the perpetrator. “We were in power and they accused us of not doing the right thing to find the alleged killer. “We are not in power anymore. They (our accusers) are in power now. Let them investigate the matter to give the young lady justice,” he added.

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