Weah’s “Trouble”

By Jackson C. Clay, Jr., Joycelyn Wea

An Anti –Weah protest organized by  The Coalition of Citizens United to Bring Our Money Back (COCUBOMB) almost brought the city to  a halt on Monday   when several business centers  were shut down.

The protesters vented their anger against the Weah-led government’s clear explanation about the alleged missing of  L$16Billion dollars  over US$100M. They  termed  the alleged missing  money as broad  day robbery by the Weah led government by being unable to account for it.

The streets of Monrovia were quiet in the early hours of Monday when  Store and shop owners stood in front   to observer. Some financial institutions opened certain part of their banking doors.

Later in the day, pocket of demonstrators started to emerge from different street corners gravitating towards the US embassy on Benson street   to read a petition to the US government.

Many protestors expressed their anger at the way in which president Weah is running the country.

“Weah is not on top of anything here. They keep fooling him by the day. At the end of it, his government’s name will be tarnished as the worse government in the history of this country,” Cecelia Kolie said.

“For me, I think he needs to resign soon so as to avoid disgrace.  To run a country is not the same as playing football on the field. Those are two different things. He needs to be careful how he runs this country, “ Paul Segbeh, a protestor said.

Weah called Rogue’

Many of the protestors described president Weah as a ‘rouge’.   This refers to theft or anyone who steals.

The group, which predominantly comprises of  young Liberians, is the conglomeration of various opposition political party   youths, students and civil society groupings in the country.

The protesters are carried placards and wore  T-shirts with some  inscriptions like: “Bring back our Money, Weah Must step down, we need good roads and this joke must end,” among others.

The group  also chanted  anti-government slogan like “rogue, rogue, George Weah and ma Ellen, We want our money, we are the masses, we can’t get tire.” As  they paraded the principal streets of Monrovia. Some said, “No more country giant, no more country giant. Container giant. Weah, container giant.”

Speaking to this paper during the protest, Michael Taypison of the United People Party (UPP) and the chairman of the opposition political parties youths in the country said  “the protest is not about opposition, but to ensure that the right things are done for the good of Liberia and its citizens.”

Taypison stated that even though he supported President Weah and the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), he would not hesitate to bring the government to check when the right things are not properly done in the name  of the ordinary Liberian people.

“This is not about opposition, because I am a partisan of the CDC. I supported President Weah in the run-off election and everybody in this country is aware of that,  but this is about our country. Do you know how many kids are not in school? So we cannot allow this to continue,” Taypison stressed.

For him, their action  is to ensure that the  alleged missing  L$15billion Liberian banks note would not end until the money is properly accounted for by the George Weah led administration. He did not however say whether they would continue  their protest in the days ahead.

He went further to day that the  protest could even lead to the possible shut-down of the CDC led government under the leadership of former football icon President George Weah.

“Our aim and objective is to bring back our money but if this government remains adamant to this call, then it should be prepared to shut-down,” Taypison noted. He did not say  by which means.

For her part, Jestina Garley, representing the Liberia Local Women Business Association said that the money issue is not about the President as an Individual, but the country as a whole.