Liberia News: THEY REFUSED TO ATTEND

By: Jamesetta D Williams

Monrovia-May-21-TNR:Deputy Information Minister for Technical Services, at the Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, Daniel Otis Sando has clarified that some high opposition politicians deliberately refused to attend this year’s National Unification Day celebration held recently in Monrovia.

Addressing the regular press briefing of MICAT over the weekend, Deputy Minister Sando disclosed that the Boakaiadministration is not a government to force opposition to attend programs that are non-political.

Speaking about the main opposition political party, the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Minister Sando added that with such attitude of opposition they will always be the people they want to be.

Deputy Minister Sando said the government as a representation of the people, the state organized a national event that is non-political with an open invitation to opposition but they vehemently refused to attend the ceremony. He said all those who consider themselves mean opposition failed to attend the program despite the invitation from the Liberia government.

Deputy Minister Sando added that if the opposition has any reason best known to themselves that caused them to stay away they should not blame the government of not inviting them to the national program.

Deputy Minister Sando further clarified that the program was a state event organized by the Ministry of State, Ministry of information, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He said it was the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ Protocol division that sent out an open invitation to all Liberians including those in the opposition.

The Deputy MICAT boss noted that there was no need for the cancelation of the program as requested by some opposition members only because some of them feel that the country should not move forward because of them.

He said some of those who consider themselves opposition are former leaders who should not be calling for the cancellation of a national event only because they are not President terming same as a disrespect to the government.

“To satisfy the concerns of citizens and some opposition leaders, the government decided to invite every Liberian but some within the opposition elected to stay away from the ceremony. This speaks to a greater stand about the mindset that they have,” Deputy Minister Sando said.

He disclosed that the past administration never organized such occasion for unification during the past six years but this administration decided to organize a national event to bring unity amongst Liberians.

He said the past administration was not concerned about the historical past of the country adding that a government that is concerned about the future of the country would organize a unique occasion, like the National Unification Day. He said some opposition leaders decided not to attend because they were there and they didn’t do what this government is doing now.

He said the weak mind of opposition has managed the country in another level of selfish thinking and will lead the country to the line of demonization because the country has been through a lots. “Unification is about being united, coming together and this was a day set aside for Liberians to come together in unity,” he emphasized.

Wilson