PHOTO: (L-R) Cummings speaking and Musa Bility listening @ LP HQ on Wednesday
By Garmah Never Lomo, garmahlomo@gmail.com
The fractious nature of the four-party opposition Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) is playing up in the open by the day, with clear rift being manifested in the Liberty Party of Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence and the former ruling Unity Party of ex-Vice President Joseph Boakai over rival support for Boakai and ANC Alexander Cummings to occupy the CPP Standard-bearer post.
Ahead of Mr. Cummings’ return to Liberia from the United States on Wednesday, October 27, 2021, tensions flared within the LP Chairman Musa Bility and the National Executive Committee’s decision to grant ANC’s request to hold the arrival program at the LP headquarters in the Sinkor suburb of Monrovia.
LP political leader Sen. Karnga-Lawrence resisted the use of the her party’s HQ for Cummings welcome ceremony on grounds that she was not aware, according communication seen by this Reporter dated October 26,2021from the Liberty Party Political leader.
Mr. Bility and his Secretary General went ahead, thus causing many to expect some sort of interruption, but that wasn’t the case. The Liberia National Police officers were on hand to ensure law and order.
LP Secretary General Martin Kula was heard on various radio talk shows early this Wednesday morning saying that it was the National executive of the party whose made the decision to allow Mr. Cummings to use their Party’s headquarters for his welcoming ceremony, after the ANC wrote them through communication.
Assuming that the National Executive of the Party took the decision to allow Mr. Cummings to the use the Liberty Party headquarters, but why the political leader not allegedly informed?
Partisans of the ANC were seen chanting slogans at the Liberty Party headquarters on 19th beach side, “our real pa coming, step pa in worry”.
Right from the Roberts International Airport, Mr. Cummings was greeted with battle cries by the crowd who gathered, close to five hundred or more.
In his welcome remarks, LP Chairman Musa Hassan Bility told Mr. Cummings that he doesn’t need permission to anytime to use his Party headquarters whenever he has program.
Mr. Bility said they were earlier worried that there might be a damages but he smartly told Mr. Cummings to add insurance on his team, if there might be damages but from the peaceful gathering, the insurance team will go safely.
The Liberty Party’s Chairman, who favours Cummings as CPP Standard Bearer to contest the 2023 presidential election, added that the CPP will survive and Mr. Cummings is next President of Liberia because every knows where country coming from and heading.
For his part, ANC chairman Senator Daniel Nathan of Gbarpolu County said, Liberia needs real change especially a decision that was made in 2017 which is affecting everyone negatively in the Country.
Senator Nathan assured partisans of the ANC that the CPP will hold together indicating that Mr. Cummings took the CPP from straps and brought it to prominent but today people want to waste dirty water on him something he said will not happen.
He further added that they will go through the process of the primary and they will come out as being the head of the CPP.
Cummings says CPP will survive
Speaking at his welcoming ceremony, Mr. Cummings lauded his supporters for out “in their numbers” to welcome him.
The ANC Leader promised his partisans and the Liberian people that he will work harder so that everyone will see the real change they want.
Mr. Cummings assured his partisans and the Liberian people that he remains committed to the CPP to making sure CPP works but at the same time will fight for the Liberian people.
“I will also make sure the system that has been corrupted for 174 years ago change Mr. Cummings told his close to five hundred partisans who came from Bomi, Margibi, Bong and other nearby counties,” the former Coca Cola Africa executive said.
According to Mr. Cummings, everyone is suffering and the only way is to change the system and makes it work.
The ANC political leader said he will no longer spend time on the Internal conflict of the CPP but rather will focus on the suffering of the Liberian people.
He at the same time pledged to his supporters to the Liberians that if elected President, he will change the country, so that everyone can benefit their natural resources and he will also stop the suffering and stealing in Liberia.