PHOTO: Retired Capt. Jerry Kollie, new leader of former disbanded AFL soldiers
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
Tension appears to be mounting between the National Bureau for Veteran Affairs and the disbanded soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia over attempt to enroll retired soldiers for the biometric identification cards.
But the new leadership of the disbanded soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) headed by Retired Capt. Jerry Kollie has threatened to mobilize the 15,000 retired and demobilized soldiers to report to Monrovia in demand of their benefits from the Liberian government.
This is their latest in a series of agitation for benefits, which predates the current administration of President George Weah. Defense officials in the former government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had repeatedly said the former soldiers of the disbanded AFL had since been compensated. Last week, some former soldiers disrupted an attempt by the bureau and the National Identification Registry to begin the enrollment of the colleagues at the Slipway Soccer Pitch in central Monrovia.
Reacting to the action of the former soldiers, the National Bureau for Veteran Affairs Director General strongly warned retired and demobilized soldiers of the Armed Forces of Liberia against acts aimed at obstructing their enrollment for biometric identification cards.
The bureau’s Director General, Colonel Edwin Goodge said the enrollment of retired soldiers will take at the Barclay Training Center in Monrovia later this week.
According to him, any retired or demobilized AFL soldier having problem with the enrollment for biometric identification card should channel his or her grievances through the bureau and peacefully.
“We will not tolerate any lawlessness and disorderliness on the part of any former soldier when it comes to the enforcing the mandate of the government,” he said.
Colonel Goodridge explained that the enrollment of retired soldiers was not concocted by the new leadership at the bureau but it is a policy of the government in order to easily pay each of the retired soldiers in his or her account
The National Bureau for Veteran Affairs Director General is therefore warning all concern to desist from obstructing the enforcement of government’s directive or risk facing the consequences.
The disbanded AFL Chairman, Captain Jerry Kollie called on all retired and demobilized soldiers of the AFL not to turn out for any enrollment for the biometric identification cards any place in the country.
Addressing a press conference in Paynesville, Captain Kollie called on the Liberia Council of Churches and the National Muslim Council of Liberia to intervene now because the move of the bureau has the propensity of creating chaos and disrupt the peace in the country.
“What the bureau is trying to do is push us to the wall and when we bounce back ; it will not be good for our people who have enjoy years of peace since 2003,” he noted
He said the retired and demobilized soldiers will never submit to a ploy aimed at denying the retired soldiers of their just benefit and preventing the placement of demobilized soldiers on pension.
The disbanded AFL leadership also called for the intervention of the national legislature because the soldiers are already angry due to the failure of the government to pay their benefits
According to Captain Kollie, the government should begin the implementation of the agreement between the disbanded soldiers and the Ministry of National Defense when they all reached in the resolved for demobilized to be placed on pension and increase the current payment of retired soldiers from 7,000 Liberian Dollars to 10,000 Liberia Dollars.
The disbanded AFL soldiers warned the bureau against pushing them to the walk because any attempt to disturb them is a ploy to disrupt the peace because they are not interested in this government.
According to observers, the threat by the leadership of the disbanded soldiers to mobilize 15,000 former soldiers to report for their benefit will also encourage over 3,500 AFL widows to converge in Monrovia .
Eventually, former members of the Liberia National Police, the Special Security Service and the Anti Terrorist Unit will also mobilize purposely to demand benefits.
This will not august well for the Monrovia especially in the wake of increment in the number of Coronavirus cases in the country and will also create fear among the ordinary people and international partners.