Liberia: Yekeh Needs 'Water Baptism'

opinion

NR: Several supporters of the Unity Party (UP) have sharply reacted to Montserrado County District #10 Representative, Yekeh Kolubah'srecent 7-day ultimatum to President-elect, Joseph Nyumah Boakai to disclose the source of the L$10 million and 200 bags of rice given to victims of the tanker explosion in Totota, Bong County.

In an exclusive interview, former Deputy Presidential Press Secretary, Abel Nyumah Plackie said Yekeh has begun speaking loosely without facts. "Yekeh needs water baptism because his action is a complete showmanship," Plackie added.

He said Rep. Kolubah's first step if he was interested and sincere in knowing the source of the L$10 million and rice, should've gone to the President-elect or get to the Unity Party in his quest to know the source of the money and rice donated to families of the more than 70 persons who lost their lives as a result of the tanker explosion in Totota, Bong County.

"We are cautioning him to stop speaking loosely, this is a new political dispensation and people like Yekeh must be careful how they speak to issues," Plackie added.

He said when elected as President, Amb, Boakai as President-elect, received gifts from friends, loved ones, and others; while during the campaign period, lots of money was raised by the party to support Amb. Boakai so there is no need for Rep. Kolubah to question the former Vice President.

Though Mr. Plackie also declined to disclose the source of the money and rice donated to the victims' families, he described the lawmaker's action as elementary and mere showmanship intended to gain political relevance. "What stops him from going to the President-elect or the Unity Party to get the facts? Plackiequestioned.

When quizzed whether the source of the money and rice donated was part of the campaign fund or gifts given to the former Vice President when he won the election, Plackie declined to respond but stated that the President-elect received lots of gifts when he won the election and there is no need for the lawmaker to question him over whatever donation he made to the victims' families.

At the same time, several other Liberians who are supporters of the Unity Party have strongly reacted to the assertion made by Montserrado County District #10 Representative Yekeh Kolubah for President-Elect Joseph Boakai to disclose the source of his 10 million Liberian Dollars donation to victim's family of the tanker fire tragedy in Totota Bong County.

According to those Liberians who came in defense of the Liberian President-elect against Representative Kolubah, the lawmaker was in the know that the President-elect was not finically potent but he was able to run a campaign against the ruling government and defeated President George Weah.

Phoning in on KOOL FM 91.9 Tuesday, January 9, 2024, in Paynesville, some of the supporters of President-elect Boakai told Representative Kolubah that it was the Liberian people who sponsored the campaign of the President-elect and the Unity Party of which Kolubah benefited from such finical support that he was fully engaged with funding from Boakai's friends and supporters.

"Kolubah was given money to run Boakai's campaign, what happened was he did not inquire about the source of funding when he was getting money and gas for his cars, let him go and rest, we will not give credence to such a loss talker," they indicated.

Some of the callers described Representative Kolubah as a noisemaker who can only gain relevance through falsehood and distraction.

"If Yekeh was in other countries he was not going to come closer to the Legislature, he is not a lawmaker material, but this too is Liberia," the callers said.

The UP partisans' reaction came as a result of Representative Kolubah's recent press conference descending on the President-elect for the L$10 million (approximately US55,000.00) donation to the tanker victims recently in Totota, Bong County.

Representative Kolubah during the media engagement gavePresident-elect Boakai a seven-day ultimatum to declare the source of the 10 million Liberia Dollars and two hundred bags of rice he donated to families of victims of the tanker fire tragedy.

Rep. Kolubah further disclosed that if the President-elect doesn't disclose the source of the money, he will inform the Liberian people of the source of the money.

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