CDC Raises “Security Concerns” -Accuses PYJ, Koung of threatening Nimbaians -Says Abe Kromah, “Butt Naked Recruiting Militias

MONROVIA: Ahead of the presidential runoff tomorrow, the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has raised what it called “serious security issues” and accused key members and supporters of the Unity Party (UP) of fomenting trouble, citing the alleged instances of Senators Prince Yormie Johnson and Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Vice Standard Bearer of the Unity Party as well as the “recruitment of militia groups by a former Deputy Inspector General of Police for Operations, Abraham Kromah and a former war lord Joshua Blahyi aka General Butt Naked, saying these acts are calculated attempts to plunge the country into chaos and confusion thereby disrupting the ensuing runoff slated for tomorrow, November 14, 2023.

Speaking at a well-attended pressing conference held at the National Headquarters of CDC in Congo Town yesterday, Sunday, November 13, 2023, the national campaign manager, Lenn Eugene Nagbe said CDC has decided to bring these cases of direct provocation and attempts to ignite crisis that could beyond what the opposition is pursuing because the CDC and its leader, President George Mannneh Weah subscribe to ensuring that the peace that the country has been enjoying since the end of the hostilities will be unhindered “as President Weah took to protect lives and properties of citizens and residents and to ensure the peace of this country is not jeopardized.

He said ahead of the runoff, the opposition “already smelling defeat is hanging on the last straw to disrupt the process” by inciting violence, attacking and intimidating “CDCians and other Nimbaians in Nimba County because they do not subscribe to the ideology of Senator Prince Johnson”

“There are cases of threats against CDC partisans in the county, including Garrison Yealuue, the Deputy Campaign Manager of CDC, who was accosted by UP thugs while he was a live radio show in Saclepea and threatened with death. It was not the first time. accosted live on radio and threatened with death. It was by the grace of God and the solidarity of the people that he managed to escape”.

“Not the first time, our campaign team went to Loguatuo to engage our people, thugs from the MDR/UP stopped them from entering the town, threatened them and they have to leave for the sake of peace.

“We will campaign in Butuo, Saclepia, Karnplay, we will engage our people in every nook and corner of Nimba because the CDC is a national party. Our supporters are everywhere, Nimba is not a personal property of Prince Johnson; Nimba is a property of Nimbaians, property of Liberians so Nimbaians who decide not to support the wicked ticket will not be coerced”, he said

Nagbe said while they accepted the result of the first round to be in favor of UP that should not stop CDC from going back to Nimba to campaign towards the runoff which has provided an opportunity to the party to showcase what it has for the people and the people has the right to listen and accept any contending party of their choice.

Nagbe said because of the nature of the what was happening in the county he had a conversation with Senator Johnson and he said he was recording me and I also told him also that I was recording him as well; I told him as a Senator he has a responsibility to ensure there is peace in Nimba and that we will not allow his thugs that he leads to disrupt our democratic process”.

Nagbe who was obviously furious about how his partisans and other supporters of CDC are being intimidated and harassed even in the presence of the security forces, took a swipe at some members of the national security apparatus for being partisan and leaning on the side of the opposition and cautioned them to be neutral while discharging their duties to the country and its citizens.

“To our security apparatus, remain neutral. When President Weah took over this country he did not purge the security apparatus. We kept you there. If you feel some of you individually that you owe loyalty to a particular political godfather, you will end up not being a godson.

‘If you refrain from being neutral and from protecting all citizens as you should then the government will not allow it. Why am I saying this? The UP/MDR thugs after committing violence, some of them went to Sekepah to commit havoc, and the compromised security officers went ahead to arrest some of the kidnapped victims and put them in jail. We demand their immediate release.

“Senator Johnson and Senator Koung have no right to arrest any CDCian and turn them over to the police to hold them. While our legal team is exploring the legal route, we demand that all the CDCians that have been arrested should be released immediately.

“After being attacked? What is this? Yes we agree that Nimba was won by the opposition in the first round, but we will not allow anyone to trample on the rights of any CDCian. What has happened to the situation in Lofa where there was the case of death and shown on live video.

“So we are sending out the caveat already that it is the right of every Liberian to choose who they want. You can call us any name CDCian, uneducated CDCian but in the end, it is about who votes for whom?”, he said

Nagbe also stated that one of its strong supporters, Anthony Quiwonkpa, a son of the late General Thomas Quiwonkpa, former Commanding General of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), and others were attacked in Zuolay, Nimba County, who were wounded in the process and are receiving treatments for various kinds of injuries and the security has not done anything to apprehend the culprits.

“There are Nimbaians who do not subscribe to your ideology, you have to stop coercing them or you can be made to stop and if you do not stop, you will be made to stop”

Speaking further, Nagbe dwelled on the alleged activities of a former Deputy Inspector General of Police for Operation, Abraham Kromah and an ex-warlord, Joshua Blahyi who he said were recruiting militia groups, an act he described as a total threat to the peace and security at this crucial time of the country’s democracy. He said the two men purportedly told people that the groups were to protect the votes of the UP during the runoff “but it is not true; these groups are there to intimidate CDCians and our supporters and instill fear in them during these elections”

“We are in government. You can’t intimidate us. President Weah took an oath to keep the peace and he will do it. The formation of militia groups by Abraham Kromah and Butt naked will not be tolerated and some elements of the security apparatus are sitting by supinely and are willing participants in this but there is nothing that can thwart the will of the Liberian people. We are making use of our democratic space. Mr. President has never ever used his executive power to undermine the democracy of this country even at the detriment of his political interest.

“Of what impact the militia groups you are creating make? Nothing because we are more than you. You are in the minority. What group can you create that will overwhelm the CDC. But we understand their tactics; it is to disrupt, cause confusion and then perhaps, scare people away from voting. It is unacceptable.

“We want to use the opportunity to call on our international partners to take note and act because we have been waiting for three days now but no response.

“Since these guys began to create militias, we know their records, we know what can tame these people. We are not afraid of these people, but we have the responsibility to protect the peace. They do not have a monopoly of what they are doing but because we have the constitutional obligation to protect the peace.

The former Minister of Information took time to send some words of caution to Amara Konneh a former Minister of Finance and now Campaign Coordinator of the Unity Party who according to Nagbe has been “attacking the President on his stewardship, criticizing him for no reasons.

He said he is not bothered by Konneh’s importance to UP as “a new boy on the bloc, whether he has dislodged Dillon and Nyonblee “but any attack on Mr. President will be met with disproportionate force”.

“Your record of stealing USD13m from health workers is there; your record of plunging our country into deficit is with us; the largest budget deficit since 1847 was under you as Finance minister.

“Trucking people to Gbarpolu to win election does not give you any license to attack the unenviable records of Mr. President. The very Boakai, not minding the situation with him, knows what you did to him. We have your records when the consolidated account was audited, we have your records also, so don’t try it. You are the worst Finance Minister for the Republic of Liberia, so don’t put your mouth on Mr. President”, Nagbe said

He told Liberians to be wary of those who are “reinventing themselves into the new messiahs because they are actually evil doers” and challenged Konneh to come clean of what he wants to say against President Weah who has done “extremely well to correct all the errors they left behind”

“Under President Weah we reduced the budget deficit; under President Weah, we grew the economy; what you want to tell us. Those who know him, please tell him we have his records”, he said.

He said against the 12 years the UP ruled the country, President Weah actually worked for 2 and a half years because the about 2 and the half years were wiped off by the Covid-19 epidemic yet the President was still able to undertake and execute monumental projects around the country.