The new Chairman of the opposition Liberty Party (LP), Musa Hassan Bility has been addressing the integrity problem attributed to him, reacting to the allegation of fraud imputed upon him by saying it is the work of his detractors out of envy. The Liberian politician and businessman clarified that instead of the allegation that he stole 50,000 United States dollars from the coffers of the Liberia Football Association, he has waived 240, 616 USD to the LFA and was given a letter from the LFA expressing gratitude for relieving the Liberian football governing body of its indebtedness to him.
Mr. Bility who further noted that he is being framed up, said that his critics were maligning his reputation on basis of “laziness and envy,” which he said make his critics to say negative things about him.
Appearing on the SKY FM’s 50-50 talk-show, Mr. Bility argued that “If they said I stole from LFA 50,000 dollars, why can’t they go right here in Liberia and ask the LFA?”
His clarification comes in the wake of criticisms that greeted his election to the Chairmanship of the Liberty Party last Saturday for which the party is being blamed for electing Bility with credibility problem to its chairmanship.
His accuser said that he was tried and convicted of stealing money from the FIFA, the world football governing body and was banned from participating into international football. But the Liberty Party Chairman refuted the allegation and said he did not steal from the FIFA, and that the entire allegation is a scheme intended to malign his reputation.
“I am not surprised about the allegation. I know where it is coming from,” he said, adding that when he was serving as President of the LFA, FIFA came to Africa in the form of wanting to colonize African football. I stood against FIFA. I was the only person in Africa that stood against the FIFA’s attempt to colonized African football”
Mr. Bility explained that he took the world football governing body to the International Court of Arbitration. “All FIFA did was to concoct something against me by accusing me that when I was President of LFA, I took 50,000 dollars from the LFA.
“It hurts me as a Liberian when fellow Liberians could not see what I was doing. But guess what! Some of those people in the CAF that did that to me have been removed from office for stealing 24 million USD; some have been jailed and some banned from international football,” he said.
The former LFA President said his regret was that Liberians are not standing with him in this stand of baffling the colonization of African Football, saying that they cannot get anything on him because his credibility is intact.
According to him, he received a letter last June from LFA telling him that the audit of their records and their books show that they owed him 240, 616 USD, and that they did not know what to do because they have no money to pay him at the time.
Bility further explained that out of his volition, he waived the money and was formally commended for the gesture, adding that “It is on the basis of laziness and envy that make my critics to say negative things about me”.
On why should critics bring about these matters, he said “… people are afraid that the LP is about to explode to prominence,” a reason he said they try to malign his reputation. “But my reputation has an elephant skin – good is good and bad is bad; there is no way around it,” he said, adding, “They will never stop me from being the person I want to be.”
On his plan for leadership at the Liberty Party, Mr. Bility said he wants to reconcile and expand the party. He explained how he rise to prominence in the party, saying he is a founding member of the LP.
Mr. Bility further explained that the vision bearer of the party, the late Cllr. Charles Brumskine had wanted him Bility to have a continuous role in the Party and therefore appointed him as chairman of the Advisory Committee created during an executive council meeting in Buchanan, Grand Bassa County.
Cllr. Brumskine then, Bility said, named three persons in whose hand he wanted to entrust the Liberty Party, noting that he was one of those. “He made me the Advisory Committee Chairman with exclusive powers to approve merger and collaboration,” saying that it was in the second year after that the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) was birthed.
Bility who said he engages in business for life but in essence is a politician explained that he started his political career when he worked with Dr. Amos Sawyer, after which he also worked with former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf during her 12 years of rule.
He however noted that the Liberty Party gives him a new perspective of politics which embraces the culture of brotherhood and family life as a group. The strong belief of the Liberty Party is reconciliation, he asserted, makes in-fighting difficult, saying that when he wanted to take the leadership, he opted for the convention in which he contested.
Besides, he expressed the belief that all hands will be on deck during his administration adding that, “The Liberty Party is such that you cannot run it alone.” He promised to expand the party, disclosing his agenda to move the party to Northern Lofa and Nimba to canvass for membership.
“We are going to expand the party logistic wise and membership wise,” he vowed, saying that he and his predecessor Steve Zargo and other officials of the party have an understanding to work together for the growth of the party.
He disclosed how the LP was preparing to take over the chairmanship of the CPP, saying that in the CPP, they LP is going to always negotiate for what it needs and that where negotiation fails it will otherwise opts for a convention.
“We will ensure that when the Liberty Party shows up, they will know that a political party shows up – you will see,” he promised, promising further to expand the CPP under his party chairmanship. The Liberty Party, he disclosed will take over the chairmanship in February (next month).
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