Last Saturday, a visit planned by the Youth Wing Chairman of the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), Mr. Jefferson Koijee, into Montserrado County District #13 was aborted apparently due to Opposition Youth protest against the visit into the district. Mr. Koijee prior to the planned visit announced that he was to embark on a reconciliatory visit in the district to mend fences with residents following recent District #13 bi-election violence which blamed on him the injuries and alleged death of one person.
Mr. Koijee, who is also the Mayor of the City Monrovia, last week appeared on a local radio station and said that he would visit New Georgia to reconcile with the people of the district for the violence that erupted during the bi-election on the day both Cornelia Kruah-Togba of the Unity Party and John Weah of the Coalition for Democratic Change held their respective campaign rallies.
The bi-election was intended to fill the vacancy created in the House of Representatives as a result of the election of District #13 Representative Saah Joseph to the Senate.
The campaign rally later became bloody when it witnessed a clash between some CDC Sabu Unit militants reportedly led by Mr. Koijee and youth of some opposition parties including Unity Party and the Liberty Party.
Last Saturday, January 12, 2019 the anti-Koijee placard-bearing opposition youth gathered in segments at the Bassa Town Junction with others at the entrance of the Rival Church Center where Chairman Koijee was expected to host his reconciliation meeting.
But the meeting was cancelled apparently after Koijee was hinted that some opposition youth who are also residents of the district were singing revolutionary slogans, protesting his visit into the district. The youth indicated in their slogans, “If Koijee forced it and come in this district today it will be a pay-day for his brutal attacks on us during the launch of the by-election campaign of Madam Cornelia Togba.”
Koijee, the group said, has no moral rectitude to initiate any reconciliation meeting in the Estate that he attacked without remorse.
“Such reconciliation process should be prearrange with the District Representative at the Legislature who should summon community chairmen to draw the attention of the people, especially the youth who fell victim to the election campaign attacks,” Wlemon Mulbah, one of those who was amongst the anti-Koijee placard-bearing group said.
Some said they do not understand what was there to reconcile when the CDC Youth Chairman told the world that he did nothing wrong, a reason for which he said he filed a law suit against Unity Party candidate.
As The ANALYST who was in the district was soliciting comments, a rival youth group emerged, bearing pro-Koijee placards. “No dog can stop the mayor from coming here; if anyone attempts that, this place will be a battle ground,” one of them said.
The pro-Koijee group indicated that Mayor Koijee has the right like any other Liberian to free movement in the country as guaranteed by the Constitution; as such they said it would be unbecoming of any group to forbid him from going to where he wishes to go.
“We are prepared to strongly resist those who want to resist the movement of Mayor Koijee, one of them who warned our reporter from taking photograph of them stated.
Both rival groups were foaming with venom passing by each other up and down the Bassa Town Junction while the sound of an instrumental band apparently hired by the hosts to play for Mr. Koijee’s visit echoed across the area.
The furies from both sides heightened by the minutes as the clock ticked to about an hour past midday when the words went wide in the district that Koijee had aborted his visit. Although no reason was given, speculations have it that it might have been base on the threats made by the anti-Koijee group that if Koijee forced it and come in the district on that day it would have been a pay-day for Koijee’s alleged brutal attacks on them during the launch of the by-election campaign of Madam Cornelia Togba.
Immediately, the guys holding the anti-Koijee placards went marching saying, “We win them, we win them; alligator swallowed them; alligator swallowed Koijee.”
Thereafter, calm return to the politically charged Bassa Town Junction at the estate, same place the campaign riot started when Mr. Koijee and his men who were supporting CDC Candidate John Weah encountered the Cornelia Togba group in the campaign march when both groups clashed with a number of causalities.
Meanwhile, efforts to contact Mayor Koijee on his planned visit and what necessitated its abortion, was futile as his phone could not be reached. The Analyst will make subsequent efforts with the Mayor to bring details about the reported planned reconciliation and reason for abortion of the visit to the New Georgia Estate.
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