-As Liberian opposition leader boycotts July 26 official ceremony to cater for orphans
By Staff Reporter
At least one Liberian opposition leader is boycotting the official ceremony marking Liberia’s 172nd independence anniversary celebrations this Friday, July 26, 2019 over claims of lavish spending amidst the serious economic crisis.
The leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC), Mr. Alexander Cummings has turned down President George Weah’s invitation to attend the official ceremony marking the country’s independence.
Mr. Cummings claims that the CDC government is spending one million US dollars on the pomp and pageantry, even though civil servants have not been paid for months, inflation is sky rocketing and the Liberian people are living in serious hardship.
The Liberian government is yet to specific on the level of expenses being incurred, as it has promised to stage “big celebrations” and it has invited at least five West African Presidents and other top dignitaries for the celebrations, just 17 months into the Weah administration.
As the celebrations are being held, the National Elections Commission (NEC) earlier this week made an SOS call on the Weah government to pay the balance one million US dollars needed to hold the delayed Montserrado County Senatorial and District #15 By-elections slated for July 29, next Monday.
Ever since it came to power on January 22, 2018, the CDC government is noted for economizing on transparency in its various financial and economic dealings.
But in a press statement issued in Monrovia on Thursday, Mr. Cummings party said:
“The ANC is unable to accept said invitation to participate in such elaborate celebration which costs not less than One Million United States Dollars (US$1,000,000.00), with executive cars rented from Guinea and executive motorbikes rented from Ghana, during these extremely challenging economic times.
FULL TEXT OF ANC’S STATEMENT BELOW:
UPDATED STATEMENT: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
ALEXANDER CUMMINGS REFUSES TO PARTY WITH GEORGE WEAH AT EXTRAVAGANT JULY 26THCELEBRATION, BUT WILL OBSERVE INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH ORPHANAGES; CONCERNED ABOUT WORSENING ECONOMIC CONDITIONS AND PLIGHT OF SUFFERING LIBERIANS.
Monrovia, Liberia. July 25, 2019: Mr. Alexander B. Cummings, Political Leader of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) wishes to acknowledge and thank the Office of the President, His Excellency George M. Weah, for the invitation to attend the 172nd Independence Anniversary program and luncheon slated for July 26, 2019. However, the ANC is unable to accept said invitation to participate in such elaborate celebration which costs not less than One Million United States Dollars (US$1,000,000.00), with executive cars rented from Guinea and executive motorbikes rented from Ghana, during these extremely challenging economic times.
The ANC does not find pleasure in celebrating when civil servants are yet to be paid their salaries for the months of June and July; when government scholarship-students are stranded and homeless in Morocco for failure to pay their fees; when university faculty members are on strike for a 25% cut in salaries they are yet to even receive; when many families cannot find food to eat for the 26th because of rising prices of food and the declining value of the Liberian dollar; when many parents cannot afford fees to send their children to school; when many clinics and hospitals are without drugs; and when the streets of Monrovia and its environs are in filth and stench, etc.