Former President George Manneh Weah warns President Joseph Nyuma Boakai here, over Police shooting live bullets against protesters last week in a concession area, who have expressed grievances against operational procedures, leaving at least three persons feared dead.
Mr. Weah, speaking at his Forkly Klon Jlateh Family Fellowship Church in Paynesville, outside Monrovia, Sunday 3rd March 2024, excoriated President Boakai, noting "This situation in Kinjor must be the last; this must not happen again."
He describes such incident as unfair and injustice to a struggle he and his now former ruling Congress for Democratic Change labored for in maintaining peace.
Ground officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP) last Thursday in Tarwon, District, Kinjor Grand Cape Mount County fired live bullets at aggrieved protesting workers of the Bea Mountain Gold Mining Company, demanding the immediate removal of the Company Manager Debar Allen, as well as dismissal of its Human Resource Manager, Jackson Yulk, who they blame for ills affecting them in the district.
The Government of Liberia has launched full investigation into the situation that led to loss of lives and injuries of Police officers.
But speaking to his congregation, partisans, and supporters on Sunday, fresh from abroad, Mr. Weah seems robust as he describes as saddening, news of the shooting of peaceful protesters, taking away their lives.
According to former President Weah, Liberia is a symbol of Freedom, Unity, and Peace, hence, there should be no casualties, when the Police, who he notes, are trained to protect lives and properties, are the "ones now advancing guns to shoot and kill innocent people"
"This is saddening that our people are dying in common protest; Police are now shooting people, this wasn't the consent of our struggle and we cannot sit here and allow this. We must flag it. As they had said doing our Administration, they were going to keep 'our feet to the fire.' We must now keep their feet to double fires", the former President continues.
He also vows to defend the nation and its people, saying that he is ready and prepared to make sure that their rights are heard, whether by protesting or through whatever means of expression, there shouldn't be Police shooting people.
"To Mr. Boakai, don't allow your Police to be shooting innocent people; this thing in Kinjor must be the last, and should not happen again, and when it happens, we will go out there and match the Police Director to court; he must pay for the innocent lives."
"We are prepared for it, and to make sure our citizens have their rights to protest, speak to anyone they want to, express their grieves and concerns in harmony without any fear of Police shooting at them."
Mr. Weah: "So Mr. Boakai, make sure that your Police don't get in the streets to shoot, and if you will allow your Police, we will rebel to the letter, and this is not a threat, but it is our civil liberty and we must exercise it."
He calls on the International Community to investigate the situation in Liberia that led to the loss of innocent lives, something he said is toxic to the democracy of the State.
"I want to send this message to the International Community, to see what is now going on in Liberia. Now Police are shooting at citizens; they were here during our Administration, telling us that the people must protest, and we allow the people to protest, providing food and water for them to exercise their Constitutional rights, and now we have left power, the government that has come to rescue us, are now shooting people. This should not happen and they need to join us and tell the government that the people must protest, peacefully", Mr. Weah underscores.
Weah, who upon arrival last week, said he is ready to speak against ills in the society, by putting the Unity Paty-led government's legs to double fires, as he struck his first fight-back attack against the Boakai- Koung Administration.
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The CDC Standard Bearer says he is back to reawaken CDcians' hope, urging them to not be deterred by the leadership struggles in the party that saw its longest-serving Chairman Mulbah K. Morlu, Jr. resigning.
He admonishes partisans to keep inspiring hope for 2029, as some partisans will come and some will go amid the struggle, but the party he says, remains supreme.
"What's going on in the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), like I said to you before, people will come and people will go' those that believe in the struggle of the people will remain and those who don't understand the struggle will go, but in the midst of leadership struggle, as people are resigning, others are opting to get in that position, but don't be deterred by what is happening, he cautions his supporters.
