-As Youth and Sports Ministry condemns City Hall disturbance, but conflicting accounts of what happened
By our Staff Writer
Student leaders at the state-run University of Liberia are demanding that President George Manneh Weah declares his assets before the 171st July 26 Independence anniversary or they will stage a protest, in the wake of conflicting claims as to what triggered Monday’s arrests of a few youth and student leaders at the Monrovia City Hall.
A press statement from the Student Unification Party (SUP) on Tuesday said: “If President Weah does not declare his assets before or on July 25, there will be a mass protest on July 26, 2018. We call on marketers, pen-pen riders, motorcyclists, taxi drivers, and the masses to join us on July 26, 2018. If you cannot join us, we call on you to boycott the National Independence Day Celebration.”
Ever since taking office on January 22 this year, President Weah and his officials have failed to declare their assets, liabilities and Income as required by the National Code of Conduct Act which mandates that elected and appointed officials in the Liberian government must do so “prior to taking office”.
In Part 5 Section 5.2 (1) of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) Act of 2008 it is an “obligation to file asset declaration statements” by officials of government. And Part 3 of the LACC Final Regulation deems that it is an infringement for any official to refuse to submit asset declaration.
In the absence of his asset declaration, it’s not known how much the 51-year-old Liberian leader is worth or how much liability he has.
President Weah’s apparent reluctance to come forward with his asset declaration has sparked serious debates in many quarters, since in fact he has said that his CDC government would be a champion of transparency and accountability.
Besides its demand for assets declaration, SUP is calling for a national boycott of this Thursday’s Independence Day Celebration ‘because it is worthless. There is nothing to celebrate when extreme poverty, economic hardship, and police brutality are on the increase.”
SUP is the oldest student political party in Liberia and its statement comes after the arrest of youth and students leaders at the Monrovia City Hall on Monday, ahead of a scheduled meeting between President George Weah and youths.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports (MYS) in a statement on Tuesday “condemned in the strongest term the action on Monday, July 23 of some members of the Liberian National Student Union (LINSU) which disrupted activities towards the conclusion of a youth interactive dialogue at the Monrovia City Hall.”
According to the Ministry, “the disruption ensued when the contending LINSU members moved to prevent the union’s acting president, Mathias Yeaney, from making remarks at the MYS-organized forum, claiming he’s not their legitimate leader.”
The Youth and Sports Ministry said that “all efforts to put the situation under control by senior government officials at the function proved futile.”
But SUP said that its “Standard Bearer, FLY President, and Others Ordered Flogged and Arrested by Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee,” something that officials have denied.
Reports said those arrested have since been released,
SUP condemned the arrests and reported flogging of its officials and that of the Liberia National Students Union (LINSU).
But in its statement, the Youth and Sports Ministry “describes the disorderly behavior as unacceptable and will take necessary actions to prevent future occurrence of such actions.”
Monday’s Monrovia City Hall dialogue was arranged as part of events marking the country’s 171s Independence which falls on this Thursday, July 26.
Instead of dialogue, there was a big row.
“Yesterday’s crackdown and vicious arrest of students and youth leaders (especially SUP Standard Bearer, SUP Militant Chair, FLY President, and FLY SG for Program) is a clear indication that Liberia is slipping back to its dark and ugly past under President George M. Weah. SUP demands the immediate and unconditional release of Cde. Flomo Mau, Cde. Augustine S. M. Tamba, Cde. Amos Williams, Cde. Seawon S. Lawaiyee, Cde. Abigail Freeman,” SUP said in its statement on Tuesday.
However Matthew Nyenplu, a Journalist formerly with the local private radio, Prime FM has blamed the youths and students for Monday’s disturbance at the Monrovia City Hall, describing it as “disgraceful” and an act of “hooliganism”.
“Yesterday we missed the first and glorious opportunity for President Weah to hear directly from young people of all persuasions in Liberia. The young people shot themselves in the legs by being disrespectful and rude to the first ever occasion organized by the President to hear from them. I continue to say the level of hooliganism and thuggery taking over young people is all but concerning,” Mr. Nyenplu writes on the Social Media platform, Facebook.
The former Prime FM’s talk show host adds: “Please don’t blame President Weah when he decides never ever to sit down with young people all because a few decided to be rude than civilly engage the President. It was a disgraceful moment that holds no justification.”