-Refugee-led Campaign to stop US foreign aid to corrupt dictatorships in Africa
By our Reporter
A US-based African human rights group, Universal Human Rights International (UHRI) is taking the case of 500,000 registered Liberian voters to the American people “to demand an end to sponsorship of the corrupt system of governance in Liberia.”
According to the head of UHRI, Toli Kruah himself a Liberian based in the American city of Boston, says the Liberian voters “desire a government of the people, by the people and for the People.”
The US-based rights group says it’s pursuing a “two-prong strategy to terminate corruption in Liberia.”
Ahead of the November 7 runoff elections, the two frontrunners in the October 10, 2017 presidential elections–George Weah of the main opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) and incumbent Vice President Joseph Boakai of the ruling Unity Party (UP) a 48-hour ultimatum “to repent of their sins of accepting excessive salaries and benefits.”
Both men are being called upon to commit themselves to holding a sovereign national conference to create a new constitution and a participatory democracy in Liberia.
This, the UHRI says will “empower citizens, not politicians to propose laws directly, set the salary and benefit of politicians and repeal bad laws as well as recall corrupt officials.”
“The Liberian system of governance was designed to enrich and empower politicians while keeping the people poor and illiterate. Nothing will change in Liberia as long as the excessive salaries and benefits of politicians that robs citizens of a chance for security and equal opportunities is terminated and retired,” a press release from the group says.
Another strategy the UHRI says is being used to hammer home the case of 500,000 registered Liberian voters is “Educating Americans about the reality in Liberia and demanding no more support to poor countries where politicians earn salaries and benefits higher than American lawmakers.”
The issue staggering salaries of Liberian lawmakers has generated huge national debate in this West African country over the last 12 years of the current regime, as each member of the Legislature makes between US$12,000-15,000 a month, while the monthly wage of an average civil servant is around US$125.
“It makes no sense and Americans should not continue to be deceived in supporting murder and corruption,” the rights group says.
UHRI said: “Unless the American people are aware of the current dictatorship and excessive salaries and benefits that fuel ritualistic killings and corruption in Liberia, American taxpayers will continue to support murder in Liberia.”
It has become a tradition in Liberia to see an upsurge of alleged ritualistic killings in the country in the period leading up to elections. Ahead of the October 10, 2017 elections, there were reports of mysterious deaths of several persons claimed to be be killed for ritual purposes, with some parts extracted from remains found.
Torli Kruah has meanwhile frowned on the United States of America which he says “sponsors corrupt dictators worldwide using taxpayers money.”