PHOTO: Assistant Veteran Affairs Bureau Director, Ophelia Hinneh flanked by Mary Allison, Musu Kermue and Oretha Tweh of the AFL widows
By Augustine Octavius, augustineoctavius@gmail.com
The leadership of the widows of the Armed Forces of Liberia has made a 360 degrees turn in their stance against President George Manneh Weah and his CDC government, backing down.
They have apologized to President George Weah for the wild cat protest staged at the Star Base located on the Bushrod Island outside Monrovia in demand of the benefits. But why?
Recently, some widows of the AFL staged a protest against the government in demand of their benefits of their loved ones killed in the service.
Some of them even went further by accusing the Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol, Ambassador Finda Bundo of beingn behind the failure of the government to settle them
But addressing a joint press conference held in Monrovia this week, the leadership of the AFL Widows apologized to President Weah and Ms. Bundo for the embarrassment cause as a result of their protest.
The Vice Chairperson for Operations of the widows, Oretha Tweh said the differences amongst the widows have been resolved and they are now speaking with one voice.
According to him, they shall never take the streets in demand for the government to address the issue of the benefits of the widows.
For her part, the Vice Chairperson for Administration, Musu karmue, who described Finda Bundo as their daughter appealed to her put the past behind and open a new page in there advocacy.
She assured President George Weah to forgive them for the manner in which they have champion the cause of widows in recent days because it was due on pressure from their colleagues.
In remarks, the Chairperson of the AFL widows , Mary Allison, who described the widows CDC women, appealed to the Liberian leader to have mercy on his women .
She assured the Liberian government that the widows will never take to the street in demand of any benefit but rather seek advice from Finda Bundo on the way forward on the advocacy.
Madam Allison thanked the Director General of the National Bureau of Veteran Affairs, Edwin Goodridge, for taking the initiative for bringing peace among the leadership of the AFL widows
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Veteran Affairs through its Assistant Director General for Women and Children, Ophelia Hinneh, also appealed to the President and the Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol for forgiveness of the AFL widows.
She assured the widows that the bureau will always work with the relevant authorities in seeking their welfare in accordance with the mandate for which it was established.
The apology of the AFL widows followed a mediation among the divided leaderships by the management team at the National Bureau of Veteran Affairs.