‘Heartless, Cruel’ -Citizens Bark at Majority Bloc for ‘Financial Violence’

MONROVIA – A Liberian comedian, during the war days, while mocking ‘freedom fighters’, would say, “they told us they were coming for Doe, but they are also taking all the doors and windows”—meaning why President Doe was the target of the fighters, they were also killing innocent civilians and looting anything that came their way. The ‘majority bloc’ of the Legislature, which has as its target for ouster Speaker J. Fonati Koffa, and his allies for reprimand, has similarly gone awry, preying on innocent staff as if the aggression, hate and cruelty has got no borders. But as The Analyst reports, Liberians on radio, on social media and in an interview with this paper, have been grilling the ‘bellicose and cruel’ bloc, variably calling their action ‘mother of all cruelties’.   

A number of Liberians have been reacting to reports that the majority bloc of the 55th Legislature – which purportedly has overthrown Speaker Fonati Koffa, refused Supreme Court edict to follow the rule of law, who suspended their dissenting colleagues for allying with Koffa and denying them benefit – has also gone most ridiculous yet again: refusing to pay legislative staffers in the offices of “minority bloc” members suspended.

This action by the ‘majority bloc’ comes as Liberia joins other Christians around the world to celebrate Christmas and its associated festivities, which amongst other things entail buying and sharing drinks, food and catering to children, wards and other loved ones.

Under the weight of the punishment, several of the legislative staffers have been sharing their stories on their Facebook pages and in chatrooms, not only decrying the action of the ‘majority bloc’, but also lamenting hardship it poses particularly during the festive season.  

Poetically amplifying and corroborating the ordeal, Speaker Koffa, who is under sustained onslaught from “majority bloc”, resorted to his social media page and wrote: “When they were illegally removing the Speaker many in the political class said ‘it’s a numbers game; leave the legality, it’s political, move on.’ Now they have illegally seized the salaries and benefits of their colleagues and staff during Christmas season.

“Is this the numbers games too? To not pay the staff whom they believe did not support their illegal acts? Is this a numbers game too? Scores of families are without Christmas because of this numbers game whose rules are set by the ‘majority’. Is this the country we want? It reminds me of the poem at the Holocaust Museum: First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—Because I was not a socialist.

“Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—

“Because I was not a trade unionist.

“Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—

“Because I was not a Jew.

“Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.”

Liberians React

Using various platforms, Facebook, radio call-in talk shows, and interviews by The Analyst, several ordinary citizens have been reacting to the majority bloc’s reported denial of salaries and benefits to colleagues and their staff, something many unanimously condemned, describing cruel, mean and uncalled for.

James T. Nardor, a community chairperson on the Bushrod Island, situated his reaction in the context of Liberian laws and international conventions and protocols, which according to him, contained rights that are violated.

In an interview with The Analyst, Nordor said: “I think huge violations are at play in this situation. Whether it is Koffa, or his associate lawmakers, or their staff that are being denied benefits, there are violations, the majority bloc is a violator of fundamental rights of people. The Liberian constitution is elaborately clear on citizens right to hold opinion or not to; to associate or disassociate. It also protects citizens’ rights to decent earnings, to property and that none should be taken away without due process. Citizens are punished for holding alternative opinion, for associating, or associating with Koffa. Whether it is the Liberian Constitution or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, or the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the so-called majority bloc is culpable. It is in violation.

“The bloc is punishing or denying people the right to decent living, to employment and to earn an income because they make choice to associate with an opponent or for taking a side or expressing a contrary view. I don’t understand if this action by the bloc to withhold these citizens’ wages and benefits is consistent with House’s rules and orders. Even if they did, that is a total violation. The right to choose a political side should not be cause to deny anyone his income. Even assuming that the punishment is based on an alleged absence from work, then I ask: which one of the lawmakers, or staff of the House, has been working? The Supreme Court has just declared the sitting and activities of lawmakers ultra vires because they were not consistent with the law.”

Speaking on one of the many nocturnal radio-talk shows, a caller who called himself Johnson Teah Nimely, angrily said: “I don’t understand where these the Unity Party crooks got their huge entitlement to this country, that whenever they take power, they often consider other citizens lesser Liberian or nobody at all. Who told them this country belongs to them alone, that they can stop and deny other lawmakers – who are equally elected by their constituents – from getting their salaries and benefits. This is a complete provocation. What if the constituents of these lawmakers and staff decide to overrun that capitol building until their elected representatives and staffers get their pay. This is totally uncalled for; calling other Liberians uneducated, illiterate, when the fact shows that they are the dullest and insane bunch of people. What give them to right, the audacity and entitlement to act so very arrogant and heartless.”

“Heartless and cruel, drunk with pride and arrogance, these majority bloc people are given a free ride in this country; they need to be challenged to the core,” said Stevena P. Milton, a youth activist, speaking to The Analyst over the weekend.

She continued: “I don’t blame them for seizing the pay of their colleagues and staff. Those who planned the last demonstration and cut it short prematurely when people’s children were already beaten and teargassed for noting are to blame. Cowards. Why did they pluck their fingers into the honeycomb, provoking the bees, when they were not ready to pick the honey? These Unity Party rascals don’t deserve a one-day protest.

“The kind of arrogance being displayed by the majority bloc lawmakers deserves months-long protests, making Capitol Hill ungovernable, until a solution is found. What right are they to deny their colleagues and other Liberians salary when all of them have not been working in the last three months? What the crimes of the denied lawmakers and staff have committed. Again, as an activist in this country for the last 15 years, I know that cowardice is the problem here, and very soon it would produce and embolden baldfaced tyranny as the majority bloc is testing the waters. If allowed, they will grow with impunity.”                   

Legislative staffers who prefer not to be named in print say there are contemplating various actions that they will stage soon if their bosses don’t do anything soon about their situation.

“We are looking up to our bosses to address our issue with their majority bloc colleagues very soon,” said on staffer. “If they are lenient with these vampires calling themselves majority bloc, we won’t.”

Asked what possibly they would do, another staffer interrupted. “We have options. They are many. If someone illegally block your pay, particularly during these hard times, you will not sleep until you get it. And they will not also sleep until to give it out. All are options are acceptable actions within the context of democracy.”

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