By Neywon Mengonfia,mmenginfia@gmail.com
Thursday, September 3, 2020 is the date set by Liberian President George Manneh Weah for a national conference on the increasing wave of rape across the country.
President Weah’s disclosure this week came after three days of anti-rape protests in Monrovia held last week by youth groups and other anti-rape activists. Their protests were prompted by official statistics recording over nine hundred rape cases being perpetrated in the country between January to June this year.
The Liberian leader, who failed to personally received the anti-rape petition as demanded by the protesters, this week said rape is not bigger than citizens of the Country and as such all hands need to get on desk to end rape by 2022-2223.
The Liberian leader and members of the taskforce which comprised of Ministries of Gender, Education, Health, Labor Information, Finance and Development Planning and Internal Affairs were locked up in the meeting held at the Ministerial Complex in Congo Town.
After hours of deliberations, President Weah in a brief interview with reporters described the issue of rape as a sensitive issue that needs to be looked at by everyone in the Liberian society.
In this effort, the Liberian government is poised to convene a National Conference on rape and Sexual Gender Based Violence in the Liberian Republic beginning this Thursday and Friday.
“In 2017, we marsh in the street for rape and I am going to say something to you here” president Weah said indicating that because of their match, current Monrovia City Corporation boss, Jefferson Koijee went to jail on the Anger Tokpah case.
Accounting to him, their action in 2017 was meant to put an end to the issue.
He went on to say “rape is something that should not be in our society. So, we are doing our best to make sure we stop rape.”
The Liberian leader rallied the efforts of civil society organizations, the Legislature, the media and Liberians in general to join forces in making sure that rape becomes something of history adding “it is not bigger than us. The press needs to join the government, because you are the voice of the voiceless and I am inviting you now to join us to create awareness that Liberians are serious about rape.”
Speaking to the recent actions of the Anti-Rape protesters who refused to present their petition to Gender and Children Minister, the Liberian Leader said he had his deputy who should have represented him at that time.
“If you do not give your message through the deputy that I sent, then you do not want me to know what your issues are” the Liberian leader indicated looking directly in the faces of the reporters.
He has advised every Liberian to respect each other
According to him, on July 29, 2020, he and his cabinet ministers met at the Ministerial Complex to discuss rape issues.
Last week, Liberians (young and old, boys and girls gathered in the Monrovia, Liberian Capital with a three-day protestation intended to draw the attention of government.
With the expected conference and onwards eagle-eyes placed on the issue of rape, one could say the light will come after the thunders.