-Disbanded AFL soldiers, ex-security officers threaten
By Augustine Octavius
The leadership of the deactivated state security officers has threatened citizen arrest against President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, after she leaves office for allegedly failing to pay their benefits for their service to the country, their spokesman retired Col. Wolo Nagbe said in Monrovia at the weekend.
But questions have been raised about the authenticity of their claims of not been given their benefits.
Defense Minister Brownie Samukai and other Liberian government officials have always insisted that government has settled and does not owe any former state security officer a dime.
However, Retired AFL Col. Wolo Nagbe, Chairman of the national executive committee of deactivated security personnel said since the disbanding of these security institutions over the years, all efforts aimed at getting their legitimate benefits have proven futile.
According to him, when the soldiers were disbanded in 2003, the generals including the Chief of Staff were given 4,000 each while the enlisted soldiers were given 540 United States Dollars each as resettlement.
The deactivated state security forces, including the disbanded soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AF), the notorious Anti-Terrorist Unit, the Special Operation Division and Special Security Service, are said to be 25,000 in number.
Colonel Nagbe pointed out that the government gave executives of the NOCAL over 75,000 each, after serving three and breaking down the company.
Initially, he went on, the deactivated state security officers were demanding 20,000 Unites Sates Dollars each for officers and US$10,000 for enlisted soldiers each, totaling 300 million USD.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the former commanders of battalions and units of the deactivated state security forces, Colonel Alexander Geor, claimed that neighboring Ivory Coast has paid each of its demobilized soldiers 26,000 United States Dollars each.
Concluding, Colonel Geor has therefore ordered the former commanders of battalions and detachments to return to their respective sub political divisions with their respective elements pending further instructions from the national executive committee.
Recently, the National Christian Council of Liberia in collaboration with the Liberia’s Peace Ambassador, Reverend William Tolbert, negotiated a 3,000 United States Dollars agreement between the former state security officers and the Liberian government.
During an audience with the leadership of the deactivated state security officers last week, President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf reportedly rejected the deal asking, should government pay the soldiers for killing “our people”?
At the end of the meeting, the Liberian leader presented US$10,000 and 200 bags of rice as a Christmas package.
The Comprehensive Accra Peace Agreement called the AFL and other state security apparatus be restructured and all irregular forces were to be demobilized.
From all indications, this issue claims of benefits and counter claims between the government and former state security officers seem far from been resolved.