MONROVIA-Feb 5-President George Weah on Sunday February 5, lashed at Nimba County Senator, Prince Johnson saying his party will not bow down to any form of blackmail at the sometimes denying plot to assassinate the senator.
He spoke during a Church service at his private worship center, Forklay Klon in Monrovia.
In recent times, officials of the Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MRD), have accused the government of planning to assassinate their founder, Senator Johnson. In recent times, senator Johnson has been critical of President Weah saying the political coalition entered between his party-MRD and CDC in 2017, has not been respected. That president Weah failed to give top ministerial positions to members of his party as agreed.
“Only one post office ministerial job they gave to Cllr. Cooper Kruah. But all the top positions, he gave it to his people from the South East. The political mirage is over and if we will need to support him this time, we will need to sit and discuss,” he told this paper last week.
“Anybody that will not vote for us, because they want to support my party, they can go but we will not be blackmailed. Anybody that wants to ask my party for money, I will not do it. I rather give the money to the people of Liberia,” President Weah said.
Senator Johnson was a former rebel leader who killed former president, Samuel Doe in 1990. His party has in recent times said it will put out a presidential candidate-Senator Jeremiah Koung to contest against president George Weah in the upcoming presidential and legislative elections in October this year.
President Weah said, his government has no intention to kill Senator Johnson. According to him, maybe the ghosts of those he (Senator Johnson) killed were hunting him.
“Who are you that people will want to assassinate? Who are you? Are you infallible? If you want to go, you can go anywhere. Who government wants to kill you? We are not afraid of anybody,” President Weah added.
He described Senator Johnson’s threat of leaving as a form of blackmail that his government will not yield to.
“This government will not be tied or blackmailed by anybody. This coalition brought everybody on board and if you the leader of the coalition leaving, you got to leave with all your people. For those that are in the job, we will move them and give others space. For your own livelihood, do not follow them–your leader,” he further said.
Following the statement made by the MDR leadership that it would not support President Weah, Deputy Comence Minister for Administration, Wildfred Bangura who is also the vice Chairman for political affairs of the MDR pledged his support for president Weah. A committee was set up by the Executive committee of the MDR to investigate Bangura for making such statements. The outcome of the investigation is yet to be released.
He added, “it is everybody’s business. We will not give five cents to anybody if they are not supporting us.”
President Weah addressed supporters in Gborpayee, Nimba County, in 2022
He described Senator Johnson’s threat of leaving as a form of blackmail that his government will not yield to.
“This government will not be tied or blackmailed by anybody. This coalition brought everybody on board and if you the leader of the coalition leaving, you got to leave with all your people. For those that are in the job, we will move them and give others space. For your own livelihood, do not follow them–your leader,” he further said.
Following the statement made by the MDR leadership that it would not support President Weah, Deputy Comence Minister for Administration, Wildfred Bangura who is also the vice Chairman for political affairs of the MDR pledged his support for president Weah. A committee was set up by the Executive committee of the MDR to investigate Bangura for making such statements. The outcome of the investigation is yet to be released.
He added, “it is everybody’s business. We will not give five cents to anybody if they are not supporting us.”