-Following invasion at his church by NPP and CDC youths
Normal worship service at the Christ Chapel of Faith Church of Senator Prince Y. Johnson was disrupted on Sunday when men believed to be partisans of the National Patriotic Party (NPP) and Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) youth wing stormed the premises of the church chanting anti-Prince Johnson slogans.
The former warlord turned politician and preacher is the head pastor of the Church. Relations between him and the ruling CDC have turned sour since he withdrew his support for the government.
Some NPP members at the PYJ Church compound
The group besieged the church premises following reports that Sen. Johnson had planned to respond through a sermon to Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor's claim that he (Johnson) has plans to take over the Liberian Presidency through his kinsman Sen. Jeremiah Koung, the running mate to former vice president Joseph N. Boakai.
The men dressed in both NPP and CDC party paraphernalia chanted slogans and held banners and placards with inscriptions such as: "We Want War Crimes Court, "Warlord must face trial, "National Patriotic Youth Wing Support War and Economic crimes court, Senator Johnson must stop using pupil to denigrate pupil officials among others.
But Sen. Johnson who has repeatedly accused the ruling party of bad governance and maltreatment of Liberians and should be butted out vowed a full-scale revenge.
He accused Vice President Howard-Taylor, Liberia Maritime Commissioner Lenn Eugene Nagbe and Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee of being the key masterminds of government plan to assassinate him.
"Let me say this to President Weah when I supported you, I was a holy ghost. Now, that I have withdrawn my support from you, I'm a War criminal and you want to kill me that is your plan. But you can not kill me, and I cannot run away. The fact I'm 70 years old tells you I'm well protected. So, if you continue to push an attack against me, there will be no other options left but for me to defend myself and I have forces to do that," he warns.
Johnson further reiterated that he is not afraid of the establishment of a war crimes court here and would love the War Crime Court to come to Liberia.
He said he would also love to know what happened to the innocent people killed doing the July 1990 St. Peter's Lutheran Church massacre, and would love to know how Nimba citizens, were slaughtered during the war.
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"I am not afraid of war crime court because I would love to know how those innocent Nimbaians were slaughtered and those that were killed in the Lutheran Church. But going about bringing a war crime court, shouldn't be an attack on me, it's not to tease one person about the Court, and we will all face it," he said.
"I don't want war, I really don't want anything, I have people who can stand up and resist those against me but for the sick of peace, I submit to you, Vice President Taylor, but if you continue to push me, there will be a defense, he said.
It could be recalled that Vice President Taylor warned Liberians that a God-forbidden victory for the Unity Party's standard bearer Amb. Joseph Nyumah Boakai and his running mate Senator Jeremiah Koung in the October polls might land Senator Johnson the presidency.
VP Taylor said it is not an open secret that the former Vice President has a fragile health condition, and if elected president, he might die in office. And when that happens, Senator Prince Johnson will run the show, instead of Senator Koung, who is being dubbed as Johnson's "political godson."
Meanwhile, Senator Johnson has promised to next Sunday, May 28, 2023, deliver his sermon and warned anyone that will come into his backyard and invade his Sunday service, "If you come in my backyard and attack me, we will defend ourselves.
