PHOTO: Dr. Daniel Cassell giving his political speech in the Church
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The Political Leader of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP), Dr. Daniel E. Cassell has challenged Liberian religious leaders in the country to use their holy pulpits to loudly speak out against bad governance in the country and other societal ills.
He cited corruption, partisanship, injustice and tribalism as some examples.
According to him, bad governance practices and other social vices are negatively contributing to the backwardness of Liberia and its citizens.
Dr. Cassell said Bishops, Pastors, Prophets, Prophetesses, and Imams should also summon the courage to call out the perpetrators of wickedness, bad governance, corruption, ritualistic killings—no matter who they are, without fear or favor.
The businessman and now opposition politician was speaking at a thanksgiving service held at the First Presbyterian Church in Monrovia on Sunday, October 17.
Dr. Cassell maintained that the Church of Liberia must once again be the ‘Moral Conscience’ of the Liberian society, if the legacies of Bishops Michael Francis, Harris Brown, Arthur Kula, Fr. Robert Tikpo, Mother Dukuly, Shiek Kafumba Konneh, and others must be preserved and pioneered onward.
“These were great people of God who fearlessly spoke truth to power and rose to become acclaimed bulwarks of social justice in our country. We heard their piercing voices pitched aloud against misrule, repression, corruption, impunity, partisanship, injustice, tribalism, regionalism, nepotism, and other vices that permeated the Liberian society at the time,” the PLP leader said.
“Fellow compatriots, people of God, may I seize this moment to respectfully call on the Church and the Mosques to stand up against the wickedness and the debauchery obtaining in our country”.
He observed that in Liberia today, the Churches and Mosques are shockingly silent in the face of reigning evils.
“Today, the Council of Churches and the Interreligious Council are tight-lipped amid all the horrible things happening in the country. Today, we see Bishops, Pastors, Prophets, Prophetesses, and Imams gladly accepting political appointments and sadly abandoning their spiritual duties. Where is Liberia heading, my friends?”
Dr. Cassell emphasized that though Pastors, Bishops, Imams and others were called to be “God’s stewards and to do the work of God”, few of them have turned to politicians by accepting political appointments, adding, “let the Church and the Mosque be the Church and the Mosque”.
Speaking further, Dr. Cassel observed that acts of corruption remain excessive and institutionalized under the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government of President George Manneh Weah.
He maintained that the barbaric act of ritualistic killings has also become pervasive and continue to capture the news headlines.
According to the PLP leader, hate, malice, division, exclusion, and vicious witch-hunting have sadly replaced love, unity, togetherness, peace, and tranquility in Liberia.
“Truth be told, our country is on the wrong trajectory, and we are in serious trouble. The government is callously insensitive to the plight of its people. While poverty is skyrocketing and extreme hunger and curable diseases are painfully decimating the precious lives of our people by the day, the “Governors” of our country are acquiring luxurious condos, exotic homes, expensive vehicles, flying private jets, and living garishly,” Dr. Cassell added.