MONROVIA – Being totally against the allegation that certain persons are being denied the opportunity to enroll in the ongoing biometric voters registration in the country, the Lord Mayor of Monrovia, Mr. Jefferson Tamba Koijee has said it was wrong to treat people whom he considered as citizens of the country by mere looking at the names to deny their the right to obtain their voters registration card which is a channel to exercise their democratic rights.
This assertion formed part of the various trending national issues he addressed through his official Facebook page while he is currently in the United States of America on national assignment.
“We are getting information that people are being denied registration by NEC because they carry names like Jalloh, Barry, Kamara, and Fofana. We want to say these people are Liberians and anyone found preventing them from registering is a form of discrimination and a violation of their rights. People shouldn’t be denied because of their last name when they are legitimate citizens”, he said.
The timely statement from Mr. Koijee who is also the National Secretary General of the Congress for Democratic Change will go a long way in dousing the confusion and frustration associated with some people who may have been getting it tough to register based on the insinuation that they are not citizens despite the fact that there are verifiable documentary claims that they are legitimate citizens.
He said he was hopeful that the ongoing registration process be extended for at least a week to see more people participate in the registration, emphatically frowning on alleged denial of some people not to register based on their names. He however congratulated all Liberians who are queuing in at various registration centers to register so as to participate in the ensuing General and Presidential elections slated for October this year
Mr. Koijee also said despite being out of the country to attend an international engagement, he will also “take up considerable time engaging my lawyers on a possible lawsuit against Liberian citizens based in the US who have since bent on a character assassination and propaganda against my person” just as he categorically condemned the violence that erupted in District #10, Montserrado County over the weekend.
“People must be held accountable for what they spew out against others and we are committed to ensuring that happens because as leaders of our generation we can’t sit idly as these things continue to happen, like it’s said “Silence means consent.”
“On the national front, we condemn any act of violence perpetrated by anyone. The police should be impartial in their dealings. You can’t disallow one group of people then allow people like Dillon along with opposition members to parade in the same place. The police have the responsibility to protect our democracy. The act in District #10 is thereby condemned by us, hoping an investigation is launched”, Koijee said
Speaking on the purpose of his visit to the United States, Koijee said it has been “a fruitful engagement here in New York attending the UN 2023 Water Conference, a year to showcase commitments regarding the use of water and sanitation”.
He described the conference as a once in a generation opportunity to unite the world around solving the water and sanitation crisis.
“An official site of the UN 2023 Water Conference states “National governments and stakeholders from all levels of society will collaborate to make voluntary commitments to accelerating progress on SDG 6 and other internationally-agreed water-related goals and targets.”
Mayor Koijee also used the medium to speak on the crucial match between the Lone Star of Liberia and the Bafana Bafana of South Africa, a must win for Liberia and also felicitated with the Muslim community on the ongoing observance of Ramadan month.
“As we head to a crucial match on Tuesday with our National Team taking on South Africa, we like to wish them victory and that the remarkable spirit placed in us by drawing abroad can continue as we set a new history for our country and people under this stewardship of His Excellency, George Weah.
“Finally, we wish all our Islamic friends home and abroad a wonderful time of prayer and fasting during this Ramadan. May God continue to use you to bestow blessings, peace and harmony on our nation”, he concluded.
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