UP Youths Disrupt Major Conference -Issue Ultimatum to Standard Bearer

MONROVIA – Nothing has perhaps further exposed the citizens’ anger and frustration with the harsh economic conditions persisting in the country than what transpired yesterday Thursday at the National Headquarters of the Unity Party on Broad Street when angry youths of the ruling party stormed an ongoing Youth Congress presser in the unruliest fashion, disrupted all of the designated speakers, jumped on the conference table and turned the entire press conference into a Duala Market-like bedlam situation which left the media confused but mildly bemused that a ruling party could behave in such an undignified manner. As The Analyst reports, the ruling party youths’ dissatisfaction with their government can be summed up in their ominous ultimatum for President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to either address the dire conditions of the youths who brought his government to power or be prepared to face more disruptions from his own party.

It all started when journalists had assembled at the Unity Party headquarters for a presser organized by the Unity Party Youth Congress, and Youth Congress Spokesperson Jusu Kamara started to provide a backgrounder of the conference.

“As the indomitable National Youth Congress of the Unity Party, the lifeblood and organ of the institution that has the statutory responsibility to cater to the wellbeing of all the young comrades of this revolution, we’ve come today after a year of service to exercise the mandate of this youth congress. We know that over the last one year, since the historical defeat of the Weah tyranny, we now have the government that came to power on the collective sweat, the blood and lives of the Liberian people.

“After a year, we do understand that there are problems, and we own up to the challenges that the young people of this party are faced with in terms of the lack of opportunities, in terms of empowerment endeavors, and in terms of support to comrades who stood up for this revolution. We come today, as leaders of the Congress, to say to the National Executive Committee of this party, and precisely the standard bearer who is the president of the Republic of Liberia that it is on the back of this institution that this collective struggle endeavor was won….”

At this point, all hell broke loose, as angry partisans of the Youth Congress cut off their spokesman Jusu Kamara and started to bang on the conference table, yelling: “We will not listen to you. Nobody will listen to you. We are tired with the rhetoric! We are not here to listen to what Weah didn’t do. What have you done for us?”

The situation from thereon degenerated to the extent where angry UP partisans broke protocol and jump on the conference table, disrupting other speakers who tried to address the media.

Following the unexpected turn of events, angry youths of the Unity Party who later converged in the open space of the national headquarters did not mince words to condemn their party for what they termed as abandonment by their party leadership.

“The party promised the youths that when they take over, they will provide us job opportunities. But even if job opportunity is not there, they should provide us scholarship. But the party issued us rhetoric. Majority of the people you see here went to school. We are disenchanted. Our next plan action is that we have been using the diplomatic approach, but this time around, we will carry out a radical approach,” an aggrieved partisan of the ruling Unity Party stated bitterly.

Said another ominously: “After the SONA (State of the Nation Address), if the president doesn’t address the plight of the youths, we will take a mass citizens’ action.”

“We are calling the government to undertake inclusive empowerments for all Liberians, not only Unity Party members,” another angry partisan said.

“We are giving this government another month, if Unity Party can’t take care of its partisans, there will be a bitter Unity Party, I promise you,” said one visibly frustrated youth congress member.