‘Don’t Challenge Weah’

-Traditional Council Warns

By R Joyclyn Wea

National Traditional Council of Liberia headed by chief Zanzan Karwor is warning the public to avoid challenging President George Manneh Weah while performing his national duties.

Appearing at the Ministry of Information regular press briefing Thursday, Chairman Karwor said the council is pleased with the way the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) of President George Weah is proceeding with the affairs of the country.

Speaking further, Karwor vowed that the council will do everything to protect the administration of President Weah.

He said they are fully aware that President Weah is an indigenous son and as such, anyone who will challenge him (Weah) equally challenge the indigenous people of the land.

Although the late Samuel Kanyon Doe served as President of the country, but Chief Karwor said since the founding of Liberia, no indigenous son had ever become president of the country.

According to him, they as traditional leaders and indigenous people of the country will rally around President Weah to ensure his administration succeeds.

He wants Liberians and others to engage in constructive criticisms directed at the Liberian presidency and not things that would carry the country backward.

Meanwhile, the council has threatened to go after anyone challenging the authority of the indigenous people of Liberia by criticizing President George Weah’s administration.

When questioned to state the penalty that would be awarded to those going against the mandate of the traditional Leaders, chief Karwor answered in the affirmative saying “try it than you will see.”

Chief Karwor who is also referred to as ‘father’ of the land, argued that President Weah had just took office and it is fair enough to give him a year period before coming up to speak against the government.

In his usual colloquial English, chief Karwor said “I hear people talking about the president buying plan. It is bad to go against President Weah for buying or bringing airplane. You want our president to go for meeting late? The President should bring two.”

He claimed that fighting leaders cannot develop the country and as such, everyone must embrace the president and work with him for the improvement of the nation.

However, critics had termed the statement by the traditional leader as ‘frustrating and a disservice’ to people of the country.

According to them, fathers of the land are to be speaking against ills in society and making such statements is siding with the government.

In a related development, the chiefs and elders of Liberia have agreed to pay taxes as a mean of preventing and discouraging government from borrowing monies from other nations.

The agreement according to Chief Karwor was reached during the recent traditional council conference held in Nimba County organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Carter Center intended for officials of government to explain the actual meaning of pro poor government to tradition leaders from across the 15 political subdivisions.

According to him, it was also agreed that chiefs and elders go back to the soil and work in order to reduce what he calls the ‘suffering’ of the people of Liberia.

“In Liberia we like free things; chief should go back to farming. No food in the country we are suffering too much,” he added.

He disclosed that the Liberia Revenue Authority which is the institution of government clothed with the authority to generate revenue or collection of taxes will begin to empower chiefs so that they (chiefs) can carry out the awareness of payment of taxes in various towns, clans, and villages across the fifteen counties of Liberia.”

He said it is important for chiefs to engage into farming in order to stop the continuous dependency on other nations for food and other supplies.

Meanwhile, chief Karwar has appealed to the House of Representatives to extend the agriculture break to dry season and not rainy season.

He also stressed the need for lawmakers to proactively engage into farming activities in their respective counties or areas of representation.