By Sallu K.Swaray
The Council of Patriots (COP) has announced that it will shortly stage another all-out, peaceful and nonstop protest in the country to draw the government’s attention to demands contained in its June 7, 2019 “Safe the State” Protest Petition, saying that the George Weah–led Administration has failed to heed to the concerns raised by the COP.
The Spokesman of the Council of Patriots, Henry Pedro Costa, said although the date of the second COP protest is yet to be determined, the Council will made it known to the public at a later date or time.
Mr. Costa spoke yesterday when he addressed a news conference held at the offices of the Roots FM on Ashmun Street, Monrovia.
He doubts that there will be a round table conference as suggested by President Weah who he added has continued to pay deaf ears to the plight of the people but instead chooses to do the wrong things that continue to cause hardship for the country.
The COP observed that the CDC government does not care to find solution to the difficulties and constraints facing the Liberian people but rather continues to do things that tend to bring more economic hardship on the country and its people.
The COP, Mr. Costa said, they are against the proposed cut of the salaries of civil servants by this government. The group of politicians, advocates and civil society actors further stated that such salary cuts or reductions would also have the propensity to increase the burden civil servants who are already been paid small monthly wages.
Any attempt to reduce the salaries of civil servant by 63%, Mr. Costa said will leave the country vulnerable with inflation increase to 26.5% thereby making basic commodities like the rice, oil and pepper price to go up by 25% – which will then cause more hardship for the people in the country.
At the same time, the Council of Patriots wants the government to remove from public payroll, all unqualified CDCians employed not by merit but based on party membership. COP also wants the government to conduct a scale audit and centralize all matters related to the revival and improvement of the country’s collapsed economy.
The Council of Patriots claimed that it did hand-delivered the June 7 Save the State Protest Petition to the Ministry of State’s staff identified as Mrs. Vera Parker to present it to President Weah.
The Council then expressed the belief that the President did received it; and therefore said President Weah must act now on demands contain in the petition to save the state.
The claim by the Council of Patriots that President Weah did receive the “Save the State” Protest comes in the wake of assertions by reinstated Deputy Information Minister for Public Affairs Eugen Fahngon that the government did not receive any petition from the COP concerning the “Save the State” Protest.
The Deputy Minister said the COP had every opportunity to present their petition to President Weah, but failed to do so.
Notwithstanding, this claim by Mr. Fahngon, President Weah in a nationwide broadcast called for a national round table and congratulated the COP for their protest and called on all to bring their expertise to a round table which is now scheduled July 17 to 19, 2019. He did not make any comment on whether or not he receive the Patriots’ “Save the State” Petition.
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