Dear Members of the media community
Yesterday, on OK FM, Montserrado County Senator and a staunch supporter of the Rescue Mission, Darius Dillon, extended an open apology to former President George Weah over numerous criticisms of the ex-president’s constant use of a private jet when he was President.
Dillon implied that he and others criticizing President Weah at that time had done so without knowing the compelling need for heads of state to move around in private jets.
The Author, Jonathan Paye-Layleh
He was in essence alluding to the fact that the current President, Joseph Nyuma Boakai, has himself been using private jets.
But we need to go beyond this to know the terms and conditions under which the two Presidents have been involved with the use of private jets, in terms of costs, before agreeing or disagreeing with the vocal Senator. This requires fact-finding.
The media community needs to establish some facts about this for the benefit of the greater public.
I, therefore, write to urge and appeal to you to do an extensive, independent and rigorous investigation into the terms and conditions of the use of private jets involving Presidents Joseph Nyuma Boakai and George Manneh Weah. Are they the same?
The investigation should find out everything, including the conditions under which the private jets were and are involved.
My plea for investigation into the use of private jets comes against my belief that it is not necessarily the flying of private jets that the country is opposed to. Rather it is the cost of doing so that matters.
So again, this is not about condemning Senator Dillon for his assertion or siding with President Boakai. It’s about investigating facts surrounding the use of private jets —- to know what is similar or different, in terms of costs to the nation, in the two Presidents’ use of private jets.
Media community, please take interest in this investigation to enlighten us.
It would be even more helpful if the Senator could assist with information he may have regarding the costs of the use of private jets by the President and former.
Jonathan Paye-Layleh
Liberian Citizen