Monrovia — A former Representative candidate of District #16 is calling on President Joseph N. Boakai's government to lift the executive order on rubber exportation in Liberia imposed by the then George Weah government.
Mr. Archie Sarnor stressed that the monitoring of the executive order was intended to give Jetty Rubber Company the leverage under the canopy of building a factory to process rubber, but the main aim of the rubber factory was just to mislead the Liberian people so that they can export unprocessed rubber.
Mr. Sarnor voiced that Jetty Rubber Company was built with Liberian people's money that was stolen from government entities under the then George Weah administration and given to Jetty to be used as their fallback position, so they can oppose and receive money from the company to undermine President Joseph Boakai's government.
He emphasized that Weah announced the executive order in December 2023 to ban the export of rubber as a result of the huge sum of money he got from Jetty to finance his campaign. He alleges that Jetty is exporting unprocessed rubber out of the country, while other Liberian rubber containers at the port have been denied for exportation because Jetty is the only entity in charge of rubber exportation in Liberia, which is causing a setback to rubber production in the country.
Sarnor said, 'From all indications, the aim of Weah's Executive Order is intended to secure means of fundraising to undermine the JNB government because Jetty is in partnership with Weah's former finance Minister Samuel Tweh, former Minister of State Nathaniel McGill, and Emmanuel Nuquay. These three former CDC officials are the brains behind Jetty's partnership to deny other businesses.'
He stated that recently, George Weah and members of his past government officials held a meeting with the alleged intention to impeach President Boakai, alleging that the finances would come from Jetty rubber factory. Sarnor claims Jetty is the only entity exporting rubber out of Liberia now and that they wanted to do the same thing with Foani Brothers to monopolize palm oil production in the country, but the Senate at the time went against it.
'We are appealing to President Boakai, whom we elected, to seek the interest of the Liberian people because the government cannot provide public positions for everyone. So, other Liberians who have the capacity to venture into other sectors should be given the necessary opportunities to carry out their business functions in line with paying their respective taxes,' Sarnor continued.
He further argued that a monopoly market is not good and that the country should continue with the free market systems that have been going on among business institutions. This system, according to him, allows anybody to buy, process, and export goods, creating competition and encouraging more farmers to produce more goods.
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'If President Boakai fails to listen to our calls, it would be at his own detriment because it is alleged that Jetty is spending money on the current Agriculture Minister to maintain the executive order imposed on rubber export by the Weah government. If so, it would cause a major blow to the farming community of the country, showing that the government is not interested in local farm production,' he continued.
Sarnor added that Jetty was not in good contact with the former Agriculture minister under the Weah-led government and that Jetty is now in serious talks with the current Agriculture Minister to help maintain the executive order imposed on the exportation of rubber out of the country.
Mr. Sarnor continued, stating that Liberian rubber farmers and dealers are appealing to President Boakai not to allow a monopoly in the market system to deny Liberians in the interest of foreigners. He alleged that bribery is involved in maintaining the ban on rubber exportation, benefiting Jetty's company and the Weah government officials, which is not in the interest of the country and its people at all.
On the other hand, Mr. Jetty denied Mr. Sarnor's allegations leveled against him regarding his involvement in the Executive order imposed on rubber exportation out of the country.
Mr. Jetty made it clear that the Executive order imposed on all rubber exportation out of the country applied to all rubber companies, including his own. He stated that at no time did his company give money to support Weah's campaign in the 2023 general and presidential elections.
