“We will Protect this Country at all Cost” -Greg Coleman Talks Tough Against Lawbreakers, Disinformation

MONROVIA – The Inspector General of the Liberia National Police (LNP), Colonel Gregory Coleman, has sent a strong caveat to anyone planning to disturb the peace that the LNP under his watch will protect lives and properties in conformity with the law. IG Coleman also voice his concerns over the incessant and unprecedented disinformation attacks being perpetrated against the police, noting that the work of the police is being impeded by these attacks.

Proffering his concerns during the weekend at the Center for the Exchange of Intellectual Opinions (CEIO), the Police Inspector General said law enforcement under his watch is going to move to a different level and that Liberians will have to understand that there are laws that govern the country, and that everyone must live within the confines of those laws.

“If you want, move to a bush where you have jungle justice outside of Liberia where you can do anything you want, anything you want to do. You want to climb the tree and break your neck, go to that place. But as long as you’re here, if you decide to kill yourself because you don’t understand the value of your life, I will tell you that you are a treasure to this republic, and I will make sure that I do everything to preserve your life. That is my only input in all of this.

“We are here for you. This is the Liberian people’s police. But the disinformation attack that we are under is unprecedented, we have never experienced such before. The time that we are supposed to be planning to do other things to move forward, we are there responding to a whole group of people who made it their business just to lie and cause chaos in this country.

“There are some miscreants who are grieving; they have mismanaged their grief for loss of authority, and just think that they can do anything to destabilize this country, not under my watch. It’s not going to happen. No way, absolutely no way,” Colonel Coleman said.

With LNP, no business as usual

The Police Inspector General also used the occasion to speak to the growing trend of lawlessness pervading the Liberian society, especially where everyone wants to break the laws as they wish, without any reprimand.

“We are living in a time where enforcement of the law is a cultural shock. The people wonder why are you even doing this. Leave the people, let the people eat. Let the people sell. Let’s reason together. Should we leave marketers to get on the road to just sell? Should we allow anybody to go anywhere at any time anyhow whether in a sales position or not? That’s not a nation. This responsibility that has been given to me at this point in time, first and foremost, power is ordained by God because all power comes from above; it is for a purpose in this country, and it is to make a contribution to restoration of the dignity of this country. We are sworn to it, and we will continue to do it.

In cases where you don’t understand our action, we will make it our duty to come and explain why we do what we do. But our actions are a must if this nation is to move forward. There can be no economic development and prosperity of the people in the absence of security,” Col Coleman reiterated.

A polarized country

IG Coleman further used the occasion to call on the citizens to commit to patriotism if Liberia must prosper, noting that the country is at a place where everyone is polarized by politics.

“We have to all commit. We are at a place where the country is held hostage by politics. The death of patriotism has held this country hostage. In any normal society, after elections people take off that political cap and they come together as a people to move their country forward. But it is as if people feel that they can possess power in this place to obstruct the other person from not forward. We will go nowhere. I am not a politician; I am a law enforcer. But I can tell you that we need to move forward as a people. We can’t do the same thing every day and expect different results. Fifty percent moving forward, fifty percent pulling backward, we are going nowhere. Let us unite as Liberians. Those of you spin this disinformation and misinformation campaign, you don’t stand to benefit anything from it. You are only supporting a few that have terrorized this place, embezzled and enriched themselves and they just use you all to do what they want to do to advance their own agenda. Think about yourself. What have you benefited from? What kind of Liberia do you want to see in the next five to ten years? Should we wait for 2029 for the next president to come before we move forward? The time is now to move forward my people,” Col Coleman implored.