Monrovia — Liberia's main opposition, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), has warned the government against inviting instability and chaos in the country through its alleged actions.
CDC Chairman Atty. Janga Kowo told a press conference on Monday, 29 April 2024, that President Joseph Nyumah Boakai's mandate for the General Auditing Commission (GAC) to audit the Liberia Telecommunications Authority (LTA) allegedly contravenes the GAC's Act.
At the press conference in Monrovia, Kowo alleged that the GAC doesn't need anyone mandating it to conduct an audit.
"We call on all our international partners to take due notes on all of the violations being perpetrated against the state and its people," said Atty. Kowo.
Kowo suggested that it was a mockery for the government to the ruling of the Supreme Court ordering a withdrawal of nominations made in tenured positions.
The suspended LTA officials who have been ordered to face audits were among those who won their tenure cases at the Supreme Court after challenging President Boakai's nomination of officials in tenured positions that were still occupied.
The immediate past ruling party urged the Unity Party (UP) )-led government to refrain from creating situations that have the propensity to cause instability and chaos across the country.
"The government you inherited was never a military takeover, instead, it was a democratic turnover of power," he continued.
"As such, we expect the Unity Party government to do what is right and stop the continuous violation of human rights," he stated.
The CDC additionally cautioned the UP-led government not to interfere with the peace and stability of the country, which was never maintained by any group or political party but by the people.
Regarding President Boakai's first hundred days' deliverables, Atty. Kowo believed it was unrealistic, urging the president to be truthful to the Liberian people.
He also blasted Executive Protection Service (EPS) Director Sam Gaye for allegedly ill-treating EPS officers.
He described Mr. Gaye's action to retire officers deemed unqualified for the service as irresponsible, reckless, and anti-peace.
Kowo suggested that anyone who intends to protect the office of the president will not get involved in undermining the peace of Liberia by allegedly attacking citizens who once served the force.
According to him, all the EPS officers that the CDC-led government inherited were maintained, adding that at no point in time did the CDC try to dismiss any of them.
Atty. Kowo further accused Liberia National Police (LNP) Inspector General Col. Gregory Coleman of allegedly committing a 'classic abuse of power' over LNP officers' discharge of live bullets against demonstrators in Kinjor, Grand Cape Mount County.
At the same time, Kowo frowned on the government's public safety measures restricting commercial motorcyclists from riding in major routes considered no-go zone areas.
The CDC chair argued that motorcycle and tricycle riders are part of society and that, therefore, the restriction would go against their 'rights' as citizens.
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"You can't use regulations to intimidate or stop the survival of citizens of the country," he claimed.
He said it was a deliberate policy of the Weah administration not to harass any motorcycle and tricycle rider.
Barely five months into the UP-led regime, Kowo lamented that it is unacceptable that the government is allegedly going after the cyclists.
"We want to encourage our cyclists, shoeshine boys, petit traders that we will defend your rights at all times," he noted.
"To the government, we think there are more pressing issues that need to be settled rather than going after citizens that [are] riding motorcycles for survival," he continued.
He stated that the CDC will remain robust in its advocacy to protect the lives of the citizens.
