‘MY LIFE IS IN YOUR HANDS’ -Snowe Complains GoL, Feeling Scare Amid GoL Verbal Hostility

MONROVIA – Opposition lawmaker Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe appears to be facing the staunchest battle of his political existence. But this time around, unlike in 2009 when he was forced to resign as House Speaker over the Taiwanese brouhaha, Snowe says the Joseph Nyuma Boakai-led government has threatened his life, accusing him of subversive maneuverings akin to destabilizing and overthrowing the government. In a no-nonsense posture, Senator Snowe on Tuesday, May 27 addressed the Senate plenary over a government press release that he says accuses him of attempting to destabilize and overthrow the Boakai-led government when he recently prayed for the government to be a one term administration because, as an opposition politician, he will never wish the ruling party to succeed itself in 2029. The Analyst reports.

In a rather pensive mood, Senator Snowe, after being given the opportunity to address his colleagues by the Vice President of Liberia who presided over the Tuesday session, did not waste any time to register his anger and frustration over a Ministry of Information press statement that reportedly accused him of treasonous utterances.

“Thanks to the presiding and my colleagues for giving necessary attention to this letter,” he said, on his feet and wired mic in one hand. “Mr. Presiding, the Government of Liberia, through the Ministry of Information, has accused me for treason. They have accused me of wanting to overthrow the Liberian government.

 “Presiding, treason in our constitution is no small charge. You either go to prison for life or death. The press release from the Ministry of Information is alluding to that. We may be young, there may be a few senators here in their 60s, but we remember the days in this country where people will lie on people and they would go to jail and were killed. This political dispensation should not allow that to happen.”

He continued: “So, Mr. Presiding, I want to publicly thank you and the Pro Tempore. When there was misinformation about utterances I made which I will repeat, that I want this government to be a one-term government, and I stand by that statement, it was misconstrued. And under your leadership, as President of the Senate, you arranged a meeting with me; you, headed by the Pro Tempore, to meet with the president. The president was extremely cordial and magnanimous, and as far as I am concerned, we laid down the issues.  I told him what I said: where I stood as an opposition and he respected that. We left and I even did a post. While I was out of the country, you even called me and said the president just gave you the hard copy of the picture we took so you could give it to me. I said, ‘Mr. Vice President, I am out of the country, when I come I will get it from you’. So we believe the meeting was in good faith.”

But according to Liberia’s most prominent representative on the ECOWAS Parliament, he was taken aback when over the weekend he saw a statement from the Minister of Information accusing him of treason, of trying to destabilize the government of Liberia, and for using his connections in ECOWAS to undermine the government of Liberia.

“Mr. Presiding, since that statement, if you look at my phone, the threatening messages my family and I continue to receive. My life is being threatened, Mr. Vice President. This is not politics; it is about my life. Today, I may be seen as an opposition senator. Tomorrow, anyone of you will be senator and opposition as well. Our constitution calls for multiparty democracy. There will always be an opposition in this country.”

Continuing his testimony, the Bomi County lawmaker said: “One of my closest friends in this country is you. I never called you as an opposition, and you didn’t take my call. I’ve been to your house, you’ve been to my house as friends, despite you being a member of the ruling party and I am of the opposition. This is what democracy calls for. But such a statement is all over. I received calls from outside Liberia, from security apparatus, that I am trying to overthrow the Liberian government. Presiding, this is no small crime.

“I am asking the Senate to guarantee my security, my family and I security as of today. My security is in the hands of the state. If I die today, I want the Liberian people to know that Minister of Information issued a statement that has threatened my life, and if I die today or my family is harmed, you should be prepared to answer that question.  It’s not a joke, Mr. Presiding.”

Snowe added: “I am asking the Senate to take the necessary action. Please conduct your investigation, and I am only asking for two things. Let the investigation outcome be public, and let the world see the outcome of the investigation. Or, let the Ministry of Information retract their statement and issue an apology. I don’t want any politics on this. If I am guilty for my charges, I am prepared for this senate to recuse me from all of my amenities and let me face the full weight of the law. If I am not guilty, let them retract the statement and let them offer an apology. This is my life. My life is threatened. My 90 years old ma, her pressure has been up since she heard this thing on the radio. My entire family was hiding it from my mother. Somebody called my ma and told her that the government is accusing your son of trying to overthrow. My ma was in hospital. My Ma turns 90 on June 16. I am not ready to lose my ma. This is very serious, Mr. Vice President.”

Senator Snowe lamented bitterly, after which some of his colleagues jokingly remarked why he bearing such a distraught countenance when he delivered his complaint to the senate.

“Are you afraid to die?” one of the senators teased, to which everyone erupted into laughter, in a bid to apparently ease the tension, a situation that saw the peeved senator himself laughing.

Presiding Speaks

Delivering his ruling at the end of Senator Snowe’s deliberation, Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, who presided as President of the Senate, assured Senator Snowe of Government’s fullest protection, not only for his person, but all citizens and residents within the bailiwick of Liberia.

“Under this government we will protect all opposition. You are free to speak and we ask everybody to speak. On the issue of the investigation, I will ask you to provide the panel with the facts and based on the facts the leadership here will act. This government will continue to protect everyone in this country, whether opposition or not. You are protected,” VP Koung assured.

Post Senate Hearing Confab

Perhaps in a bid to further elaborate on the peculiar circumstances that he is facing, Senator Snowe organized a post-Senate hearing press briefing where he explained the genesis of his ordeal.

“In April I appeared on the Spoon Talk Show and we spoke about a lot of things. We gave the government a tap on the back where it was necessary, we expressed our criticism where it was deemed fit. And we were asked a specific question: do you think the government is performing? And we said not up to expectations. And we further said that when we voted for Mr. Weah in 2023, somewhere in our subconscious mind told us that if Mr. Boakai won the election, we will still have a better Liberia because Mr. Boakai comes with a rich governmental experience. Then he said, do you think his performance is meeting expectations? I said, ‘I don’t; it’s up to expectation’. We talked about the issue in the House of Representatives. We talked about the tenured positions. We talked about other issues. Then I further said, if he fails, if he doesn’t do well, I pray he fails, then it means he will only have one term, then we will move them from power.

“If the government or the public feels that that statement is against the interest of Liberia, then we can sit down and discuss the statement. I am a human being. Yes, I want the government to have one term. I am not going to back off from there. But if by saying ‘fail’ and people construe it as you want the government not to provide basic services, then we can look at it.

“When former Vice President Boakai attended the Weah Step Down Campaign, I don’t think it was intended for Weah to succeed and be second term president. It was for him to step down then or for him to have one term – which was Mr. Boakai’s right under our democracy. There will always be dissent. We can either agree to change the form of government or we can have a democratic form of government. We will disagree; we will always disagree. But should we do it for love of country? Yes, we should.  And I want to reiterate that my love for this country is unquestionable. I want Liberians to succeed.”

He further explained: “Today, I was just in the Pro Tempore’s office, taking photographs supporting Liberia’s bid for the UN Security seat. Do I want the government to succeed itself after six years? No. I want it to be a one term government. If that means destabilization, then I am guilty. But I was shocked,” Senator Snowe lamented, noting that he is prepared to give up his ECOWAS representation position if that is what the current fight against his person is all about.