MONROVIA-The People’s Liberation Party (PLP) Political Leader’s liberty has finally been seized in America while on one of his regular visits by the security for criminality.
At that, he was compelled to change his elegant dress code to the globally known tainted orange jumpsuit. His political quest to become president of Liberia seems to be bleak; rather he is telling his stories to his friends inmates.
Impossible considering the years he’ll spend behind bars if he is found guilty; could well go far beyond 2023, the time Liberians are expected to elect a new president.
Dr. Cassell who became a political “hot potato”, too hot to handle, and the newest “cash sensation” on the heatedly crowded political landscape, upon establishing his political party, extended helping hands to some people including a women group with a campaign attached flavor.
But more equally so, presiding over his company through partnership; had a rough fray with the government about the alleged denial to land his helicopter in the country.
Meanwhile, the government through the Ministry of Information warned the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) of any unauthorized protest.
Information Minister, Ledgerhood Rennie told the media Thursday, October 28, 2021 in Monrovia that anybody wishing to demonstrate must get permission from the Justice Ministry, but anything short of that by putting people in the street will not augur well.
He then reminded would-be marchers that Liberia is a country of law and order, and not men of lawlessness that would cause the destruction of lives and properties as anybody involved will be arrested.
“Going back and forward carrying complaints to international missions or embassies here will not help you because these people will not demean themselves in these kinds of domestics politicking,” Rennie noted.
This is in response to the three-day ultimatum given the government by the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) who claimed that their helicopter has been denied landing rights by the regime.
Commenting on other state matters, Rennie urged public officials or political leaders in the country to lower their tones of raining insults mainly at the presidency which does not augur well.
He said that nowadays statesmen and women are fond of insulting each other has become a political culture that is not helping the future generation who listen or read about them daily.
At long last, what appears to be the final nail to the political coffin of the People’s Liberation Party’s (PLP’s) Political Leader, landed much sooner than later with skeptics, detractors and critics asking; if he (Dr. Daniel Cassell) did not know it was a long time coming or he did not know that whatsoever is done in the dark shall surely come to light?
In the words of the late Reggae King Bob Marley, “if the night could turn today, a lot of people would run away”; with Dr. Cassell now canned in an American prison, being no exception.
With such criminal weight pulling him down so profoundly, many pundits are anxiously worrying, if such action will not kill his political dream, despite according to them (pundits), being dubbed as one of Liberia’s political seasonal presidency-seeking-tourists; Dr. Cassell’s PLP rains cash in the political arena; although he stepped on some political toes in the process, his unexpected incarceration in the United States took most of his partisans and supporters as well as sympathizers by a breezy shock and grave surprise, thus leaving the party’s fate in limbo briefly with the partisans being caught between the rock and the hard place.
With the unchangeable culture of Liberian political parties almost being always established, financed, and supported by an individual, and not being institutionalized, again, pundits foresee financially-troubled times ahead for PLP, if they are determined to continue the political venture, let alone capture the presidency in 2023.
At the same time, now that Dr. Cassell has been incarcerated in the United States, the questions that are being asked by many Liberians are:’ how his inheritance in Liberia including his political party, commercial busses that are presently transporting passengers from Montserrado County to other parts of the country, his Bell 430 helicopter including the Kwenyan company, and Associates among others.
It can be recalled that when the embattled vision bearer of the People’s Liberation Party (PLP) Dr. Daniel E. Cassell served as Guest Speaker in the USA at the Association of Liberian Journalists in the Americas(ALJA), deliberated on several developments and happenings obtaining in Liberia.
Dr. Cassell now incarcerated, spoke to (ALJA) during its 2021 Convention in the United States that Liberia is currently enduring what he termed as “Vexing Paralysis”.
The jailed politician indicated that every segment of the Liberian society has painfully nosedived to nothingness. Governance is quite dismal, to say the least. Health care is bad. Education is substandard, arguably the least in the sub-region. Roads are horrible. Electricity is inadequate and unreliable. Water is almost non-existent. No job creation. No foreign direct investments.
According to him, public transport is on the verge of collapse due to corruption and gross incompetence. The private sector is in the hands of Lebanese and Indians. Liberians are not in charge, contrary to what Mr. Weah pledged to the Liberian people, that “they will not be spectators in their economy”.
The economy is virtually weak as the balance of payment is very low. Transparency institutions are submerged into a functional coma because the Weah regime has no interest in accounting for state resources.
These anomalous conditions besetting the country, Dr. Cassell pointed out must claim the attention of the Liberian media and cause journalists to ask hard questions to those who are at the helm. Why is wrong with the country? Why are Liberians starving? Why the cost of living is so ridiculously high? Why lawmakers are allotting US$30K plus more to themselves amid a decimating Covid#19 Health Crisis instead of directing funding to the health sector? Why cost to clear a 20-foot container at the free port of Monrovia is outrageously astronomical?
He continues, why is the state-run University of Liberia lying in filth and professors underpaid? Why are teachers, nurses, police, and others serving our country underpaid? Why are road and building contracts being awarded to Lebanese in disregard for the PPCC laws and regulations? What became of the US$30 million stimulus package? At this juncture in our national existence, I would like to respectfully admonish The Liberian media to summon the courage to move from “official sources” reporting to crusading and advocacy journalism with emphasis placed on the governance of the country and the well-being of the squalor-stricken Liberian masses.
The People Liberation Party (PLP) is of the ardent belief that Liberia can never be a wholesome functioning and civilized country without an independent, sustainable, and ethical media. Liberia cannot fight and minimize corruption and impunity, reduce poverty, and ensure adherence to the rule of law, transparency, accountability, and good governance without a progressive, pragmatic, productive, and impartial media.
“This is why the PLP is solely committed to working with the Liberian media to build its capacity in terms of logistics, training, and in other critical areas primarily to strengthen and empower the Liberian media for the good of our nation. PLP under my visionary stewardship remains open to working with ALJA and PUL to identify possible opportunities to build the capacity of the Liberian media and may I say, please consider us a ‘willing partner comes asking”.
He continued: “We are no doubt cognizant of the harsh economic hardship in Liberia and the media is not spared, but realistically, the media cannot make money or improve in a country badly governed. The media cannot flourish when the economy is contracted and businesses are unable to give ads to the media. The media cannot pay its workers fairly and regularly when there are no foreign companies to give huge ads.
Journalists cannot make fair earnings if the media institutions they work for are broke and poor. If Liberia is governed well the economy will grow and bloom and the media will make money and journalists can become rich like lawyers, doctors, and engineers. Journalism is not a peasant profession as we see around the world. Media owners and journalists are millionaires right here in America and other parts of the world.”
When the current acting political leader, Mr. Tarplah Doe was contacted, he said; the party is going on well with its agenda but warned that he would not make any comments without the consent of Dr. Cassell’s lawyers.
He is however confident of Dr. Cassell returning to Libera when the investigation is completed.
“He will be coming back; he is doing well in the states. The party is going ahead. It is going ahead with its agenda. We are doing just as we have done in the past. This is a political time here,” he concluded.
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