PHOTO: Cllr. Gongloe in Liberian traditional shirt flanked by supporter after the petition program
By Never Garmah Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
The human rights lawyer and former president of the Liberian National Bar Association now a presidential aspirant Cllr. Taiwan S. Gongloe said the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change has become a producer of poverty.
He made the assertion as he accepted a petition by cross-section of Liberian citizens headed by a young Lawyer, Cllr. Jimmy Bombo to contest the 2023 presidential election in Liberia.
The petitioning ceremony was held in his home county of Nimba at the United Methodist School gymnasium in the commercial city of Ganta on Saturday, December 4, 2021.
Cllr. Gongloe said that the Liberian people will definitely vote CDC out of office in 2023 adding that For the Liberian people to make progress, CDC must be kicked out of office in 2023.
His acceptance of the citizens’ petition to run for President of Liberia in 2023 come just a week after he ended his three years term as president of the Liberian National Bar Association (LNBA).
“These people are virtually living in heaven on earth. The question is where are they getting all this money from? How come in less than four years some people in government, who were even struggling to pay rent, or buy a car has all become rich overnight,” the prominent Liberian human rights Lawyer said.
Cllr. Gongloe, who served as Labour Minister in the former Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government, said there comes a time in life when a man or a woman must make a serious decision in the interest of his or her country.
Gongloe and platform guest at the occasion
“Today, December 4, 2021 is my time to make a very serious decision in the interest of my dear country, Liberia, the country that was meant to be a land of liberty for all its citizens, but a country, that has always been a land of liberty, mostly for a few greedy men and women, from one generation to another, to the exclusion of the majority of our people.”
According to Cllr. Gongloe, the current status of government officials are virtually living in heaven on earth saying that, “the question is where are they getting all this money from?”
Said he: “Our history has shown that the suffering of the masses of the Liberian people has not been based on any tribal or religious differences, but by people who have over the years have come to power only to satisfy themselves. When a few people take and enjoy what belongs to all citizens of Liberia, the rest of the citizens are left with nothing and therefore, they suffer. This kind of leadership increases poverty, unhappiness and hopelessness, even where those in power were elected on the promise that their government would bring “change for hope.”
“Whatever this rather strange expression means, the words change and hope made a majority of the Liberian people to vote for the party now in power. But some Liberians knew that the expression was strange and confusing that it would not bring the change that the people hoped for, because normally people hope for change and not “change for hope”.
“Today, prices of food and other essential commodities have gone up; as a result, life has become so hard and tough, especially for the masses of the people who voted for the party in power. Given this development some of our citizens are now saying that they will never vote again.
“In other words, the change that the voters thought was meant to bring hope has brought hopelessness and despair thereby making life meaningless for the masses of the people. Yet, those who promised change that would bring hope to a majority of the people are living, virtually in heaven on earth. In less than a year many of the promisors of change for hope, including their chief, built mansions, as if they were money magicians.
“Now, the people know that this promise of “change for hope” was meant exclusively for a few Liberians; not all the Liberian people. These few Liberians play with millions of brand new Liberian notes, every day as if each of them has a money machine. They throw money at the people, as if they are feeding their chickens or dogs.
“The CDC, having made a majority of the people so poor, some of its partisans in power are now presenting themselves as saviors of the poor. The Liberian people know better. They will not accept this falsehood,” Cllr. Gongloe’s statement added.”