“…In the midst of the police, the people attacked my place. The police brought the people for them to implement instructions from the president. The police came to move into my residence, but when they saw that they couldn’t move in, that’s when they decided to give backup to the people to move into my residence. I have evidence. Jefferson Koijee, Ambassador Weah will be taken to the Hague. What the people want me to do is to surrender to the CDC. Ambassador Weah knows. But I will never be a CDCian. Don’t waste your time. A member of the House told that if I don’t surrender to the CDC, this is what will continue happening to me and I will not be protected…”
Those were the shocking words of Montserrado County District #10 lawmaker, Yekeh Kolubah, when he spoke to the press on Monday after suffering a brutal attack on his Sinkor residence by alleged state-sponsored marauders. Every room in his home was systematically looted, all of the vehicles in his compound destroyed, in an ugly reminder of events that had once led to the April 6, 1996 Monrovia fighting when then rebel leaders-turned Councilmen, Charles G. Taylor of the NPFL and Alhaji G.V. Kromah of ULIMO-K, ordered a full-scale onslaught against General Roosevelt Johnson of ULIMO-J in a brazen show of force.
The attack on Representative Yekeh Kolubah’s home occurred immediately after the District #10 lawmaker had just completed a tour of District 17 with Rep. Hanson Kiazolu and Senator Darius Dillon, and when he got home, he said he saw Monrovia City Mayor Jefferson Koijee’s bodyguards around his residence.
“In the midst of the police, the people attacked my place. The police brought the people for them to implement instructions from the president. The police came to move into my residence, but when they saw that they couldn’t move in, that’s when they decided to give backup to the people to move into my residence. Their main aim was to get rid of me. But they don’t know how I got out of here by 12:30 to 1:00 in the morning. When they gave order to people to stone my compound, I also ordered my people to return with stones. The police then allowed the people to enter my compound. They looted from me and even those that are renting from me. Are we back in the war days?” Representative Kolubah wondered.
He said a police officer only identified as Zee Mo fired at the light pole so the place could be dark.
You can’t go and complain to the police. The police had already resolved that I should be killed. They said it is a land issue. So land issue caused the whole group to break into my place? The police said they called me and I didn’t go. I challenge them. I will bring my call log to the public. The police are now a faction,” Rep. Kolubah further lamented.
Though his vitriolic utterances and unorthodox approach to President Weah and his administration’s governance style have often invoked the wrath of the governing party and at times even embarrassed some members of the opposition bloc, Yekeh Kolubah remains one of the most critical opposition voices in Liberia today.
Representative Kolubah was part of the CPP and ANC political leader Alexander Cummings’ southeast tour when the team got mobbed by angry Grand Gedeans who said they would use violent means to oppose Representative Kolubah’s uncontrolled verbal attacks against President Weah.
Of late, the once cordial relationship between Representative Kolubah and the Council of Patriots hierarchy even seems to be thawing, to the extent that Rep. Kolubah has suspended his membership from the CoP. But the latest attack against Yekeh could actually serve as a tour de force for the opposition to rethink strategy.
“The opposition needs to put themselves together. When they throw ten rocks, we throw 20. That’s the only thing Ambassador Weah understands. Enough is enough. Too much is too much. When the opposition comes together, we can contain this thing. But we have people in the opposition that are diplomats, so maybe we need to send some of them as ambassadors. You cannot be diplomat with someone that came to power by toting caskets, by being rude. Diplomacy cannot work in Liberia right now,” Representative Kolubah stated angrily.
Immediately after the attack, Council of Patriot’s newly appointed Secretary General, Mulbah K. Yorgbor Jr., visited Representative Kolubah to take stock of the situation and sympathize with the lawmaker.
“This is unspeakable. This should not happen to anyone. Yekeh is a critical voice in Liberia. We need to document these things to present evidence against the Weah government. We may not do everything swiftly, immediately, but let’s document everything,” Mr. Yorgbor emphasized.
According to other bystanders who spoke to the press after the attack, all of the attackers had guns, and that they attacked Representative Kolubah’s residence twice.
“I recognized Keita who once worked with Yekeh, and is now working with the DEA, as one of the attackers. The police commander on the ground in fact fired at the light pole to extinguish visibility for attackers to carry out their criminal activities on Yekeh,” one of the bystanders disclosed.
Although police spokesman Moses Carter had earlier stated that the raid on Representative Kolubah’s residence was a result of land dispute, the police later came out to say they have made some arrests.
Meanwhile, The Alternative National Congress (ANC) has condemned in the strongest terms the increasing acts of state-sponsored violence which have come to characterize Liberia’s political space. The ANC forcefully further said it condemns the ghastly attack on the residence of Hon. Yekeh Kolubah, a stalwart of the ANC and Montserrado County District #10 Representative in the National Legislature of the Republic of Liberia.
“This is unacceptable and counterproductive to the maintenance of peace and tranquility for the benefit of the people of Liberia,” the ANC stated Monday, September 28, 2020 in a press release.
Pundits are of the belief that if the Weah government doesn’t act swiftly to curtail the spiraling political violence that is permeating the country, especially targeted against the opposition, the hard-earned peace could be derailed sooner than later.
“Liberians are hard to learn lessons from the past. Despite all of the criticisms directed towards Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf for supporting what she called a generational change in national leadership, President Weah is not justifying the confidence that the voters and Madam Sirleaf reposed in him. He should learn from the mistakes of President Samuel K. Doe, from President Charles Taylor. You cannot continue taking the Liberian people for a ride so go scott free,” Justin Jaleibah of Caldwell cautioned.
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