BY: MARK B. DUMBAR (Intern)
MONROVIA-The Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson T. Koijee has distanced himself from a riot that erupted during one of the home-going programs in honor of departed former interim President, Dr. Amos Sawyer.
The MCC boss disclosed that the March 26, 2022 riot that broke up and resulted to people getting injured and properties being destroyed, was not masterminded by him, as it has been insinuated by many in the public.
At a news conference recently in Monrovia, Mayor Kojiee explained that the late Prof, Dr. Sawyer has been one of Liberia’s best brains that has greatly impacted many political leaders in Liberia.
He said February 28, 2015 the late Dr. Sawyer mustered the courage to walk on the grounds of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) where he contributed to the dollar rally and he also inaugurated the then newly elected CDC’s youth leaders.
He added, “We thought it was appropriate to restore honor to the late Dr. Sawyer.”
The Monrovia City Mayor Koijee furthered that as a party that believes in tradition, it was prudent for all partisans of the CDC to honor the late Dr. Sawyer adding, “because we believed in honoring the dead, it is our party’s tradition that cannot change.”
Justifying his innocence, the MCC boss said he was informed by the chairperson of the CDC to make representation along with Montserrado County Chairperson, Anthony Alexander V.S Saydee on the grounds of the University of Liberia for late Prof. Dr. Sawyer.
“Additionally, they have been at the campus of the University of Liberia all day long singing songs of praises and dancing in respect to the late Dr. Sawyer, whom they believed has greatly impacted many political leaders in Liberia”, he said.
He added, “I got on the ground of the University Campus and suddenly, I encountered partisans from the Coalition for Democratic Change who were sent by the party chairperson and they asked me to get out of my vehicle and walk with them along with Alvin Wesseh and they took us to the auditorium, which I did, he noted.”
According to him, while sitting and after the song has been sung by the partisans, just in a few minutes the late Dr. Sawyer’s son walked up to him and asked as to what was happening outside, “Which of course I had no idea as to what was happening and then I decided to get out of my seat and to make my way out to know what really was going on outside.”
According to him, he asked what was going on there, “Let us continue this program immediately, I was told by one of the men that no! We’ve been attacked from outside since we came in here, there are people at the back of the fence that are pretending to be students and they are throwing a stone at us.”
According to him, he decided to make his way through to know what was really happening.
He explained that he went at the door and noticed the rioters’ major target.
“I was their major target and while standing at the door they began throwing stones at me, but the stones could not reach me. But in a mix of the incident, people’s children got injured and properties got destroyed; even the vehicle of the CDC chairperson was destroyed”, he narrated.
The MCC boss wants the authority of the University of Liberia and the Liberia National Police to investigate the matter and the perpetrators to face the law of Liberia.
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