The Deputy Commissioner General for Naturalization of the Liberia Immigration Service (LIS) Atty. Asatu Bah - Kenneh is warning Liberians to immediately desist from using less-fortunate youth or wayward youths popularly known here as zogoes to perpetrate violence and become killers in the country.
"I see us going right back to our dark days because we have our less fortunate children in the street and we point to them as our giants when anything happens. We can say I'm going [to] call my zogoes on you. We are using them now to cause violence and [as] killers in the country," she noted over the weekend during a meeting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Monrovia.
Attorney Bah-Kenneth warned that if the situation is not arrested now, zogoes could be used to spark Liberia's next cycle of violence that could return the country to its dark days.
The warning should awaken the consciences of all peaceful Liberians to stamp out violence in our society. Using a group of less-fortunate citizens to rain havoc on perceived enemies or against our neighbors for whatever reason is an uncivilized behavior that has no place in this 21st century.
Lest we forget, the gang we use against our neighbors or those we are in quarrel with could turn against our very selves tomorrow, because the truth of the matter is that they hold loyalty to no particular person but the higher bidder.
No matter what quarrel we may have in our homes or communities, the law should be viewed as the right and only course in seeking redress rather than resorting to the rule of the jungle.
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This issue has claimed our attention because it comes from a senior officer of our national security apparatus. As Deputy Commissioner General of LIS, Attorney Bah-Kenneh sits in an advantageous position to see which way the Liberian society is heading.
It is very unfortunate that instead of helping our less-fortunate brothers and sisters, some citizens would take pleasure in using them as hired predators against fellow citizens. This should not be the kind of Liberia we should envisage for ourselves.
Already challenged by serious insecurity due to lack of adequate budgetary support, thoughtless citizens should desist from fueling the fragility of the State by exploiting the vulnerability of their follow compatriots and turning them into merchants of death.
Zogoes deserve societal attention. They need should be cared for and rehabilitated in order to bring them back to normal life. We should not worsen their situation by fueling gas.
