Min. Nathaniel F. McGill Breaks Silence – Responds To Litany of Allegations

Traditionally, every national leadership under any form of government maintains an inner circle or kitchen cabinet, drawn from that leader’s most loyal and trusted men and women. President George Manneh Weah has got his own. As if it was wrong for him to make his pick of kitchen cabinet, and to name whoever he wants to serve his purpose, there are critics and detractors who continue to demonize the President for his choice of appointees, more so, his choice of loyalists. In the center of all these is the President’s Chief of Office Staff, Nathaniel McGill, who has fallen to insidious censures—one accusation after the other and one insult after the other. As if he does not hear these accusations, the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs had concurrently kept mute, something that has given way the public mixed perceptions. But now it seems Minister McGill is no more letting the barrage of allegations against him lying down. Last week, we spoke to the media, as The Analyst reports.

Since President George Manneh was inaugurated and formed his government early 2018, there have been loud opposition criticisms and direct bitterness and unending stream of accusations targeting specific officials of his government. The most targeted is the President’s Chief of Staff, Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel F. McGill.
It was under the President’s Chief of Staff’s leadership as Chairman of the ruling Coalition for Democracy (CDC), then Congress for Democratic Change, that the CDC’s 12-year opposition struggle matured into a landslide presidential victory in December 2017.
It would not be a surprise that the political vanquishers’ venom and ire would particularly single out Nathaniel Farlo McGill not only for playing a lead role in their devastating defeat but also for been so closely drawn to the Presidency—being the Chief of Staff to the President.
There has been a litany of accusations and mischaracterization of the President’s Chief of Office Staff and he has largely ignored them either because he doesn’t want to dignify them or he’s just squarely preoccupied with substantive national issues.
But it seems his cup is filled and he thinks a gullible public could misconstrue and misinterpret his long silence.
So, when a few journalists bumped into him Thursday, April 4 at his Foreign Affairs Ministry office, Minister Nathaniel Farlo McGill took off time to address a litany of accusations and fake news hovering over the public space about him, his boss–the President—and the government.

Hosting Ex-Rebel Generals
One allegation he addressed was what had been on some radio talk shows and social media pages, principally emanating from Montserrado Representative Yekeh Kolubah that he, as Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, had convened a meeting with ex-generals of defunct rebel factions. The purported meeting had been interpreted as the Minister’s attempt to form a proxy army for President Weah to settle scores with critics and detractors.
To this allegation, the President’s Chief of office Staff said it would be naïve for him to label Liberians who on the daily basis meet him or who meet the President through him as rebels, non-rebels, foreigners or non-foreigners.
“People from all walks of life, mostly citizens having concerns, do troop to my office and to the President’s office every day,” Minister McGill retorted when he was confronted with allegations of meeting so-called rebel generals. “They come as individuals or as groups. When these citizens enter our offices, we don’t ask them if they are ex-rebels or not. We talk to them as citizens of Liberia. Period!”
He continued: “We meet students. We meet marketers. We meet politicians. We meet various segments of the citizenry. So what will be the crime for meeting ex-rebels or veterans if they had concerns and requested to meet us?”
He disclosed that there are plans to revamp the Veteran Bureau in other to improve the lives of citizens who were demobilized and rehabilitated.
Minister McGill said: “In fact, the other day, we met with widows of dead AFL soldiers. So, what is the big deal meeting ex-rebels. Former President Sirleaf had veterans in her office. Roland Duo, for instance, worked in the former President’s office. We have obligation to talk to every citizen despite their professional, ethnic and political background.”
Minister McGill noted that there is absolutely no reason for him or President Weah to think about forming any security group outside the regular national security architecture.
“Why would I or the President want to form a proxy army using ex-rebels when the President is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces?” the President’s Chief of Office Staff quipped. “The President commands the police and all other security apparatuses of the country. I can only say this information about meeting ex-rebels to form death squad is a diabolical lie and is part of consistent stream of baseless action on the part of some opposition elements to threaten our peace.”

“We are Harmless”
The President’s Chief of Office Staff also described as preposterous and senseless allegations that he is the mastermind of the killings of Central Bank senior staff Matthew J. Innis and Representative Adolf Lawrence. The Minister said such weird and baseless allegation comes from the belly of evil people.
“Do I look like someone that is capable of killing even a fly? Does anyone see President Weah as someone fit to stand the slaughtering of even a chicken?” the Minister said. “What does it benefit me or President Weah to chase any citizen? Who knows me to be a violent person in Liberia? Even while serving as Chairman of the CDC, did anyone see me advocate for and or form a part of any demonstration or protest in those days? Did I ever insult anybody in the ruling class? When I was in opposition, everybody said I was too quiet and too congenial. Why would I turn into a wolf while I am now sitting up here and getting things done for the people of Liberia? Why would I or President Weah at this point in time want to hurt citizens that we have prime responsibility to protect?”
Minister Nathaniel F. McGill said further: “We are harmless. And good again, we have a President who prays every morning and encourages all of us to know and serve God. Let me assure all Liberians that Nathaniel Farlo McGill is harmless like a sheep. President George Manneh Weah is harmless like a dove. We love our people. We can never hurt a single citizen of this country. Our government was elected to develop our people and to build our country, not to destroy them. Our hope for re-election is based on how much we develop this country and make our people happy. It does not lie in making them sad. So, all the killing allegations are unfounded and absurd. These weird allegations come from people who don’t want peace and development.

DISHING OUT MONEY TO NEC
Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs has been reacting to allegations on the social media and an infamous talk show that he had given thousands of United States Dollars to commissioners of the National Elections Commission (NEC). A talk-show host has accused the Minister of taking the money to the commissioners as their compensation for allegedly skewing elections in favor of the CDC.
Minister McGill said considering the sensitivity and gravity of the allegation, which also indicted the NEC of taking bribe, he was consulting his lawyers on the matter.
“This is a grave matter,” the Minister said. “People tend to be reckless and accuse others without second thought. With this one, we shall do something legally about it. I am not going to respond to it. I am talking to my lawyers on it.”

Delays of Pro-Poor Projects & Endless Foreign Trips
Speaking further to the media, Minister McGill addressed concerns and criticisms that Government’s pro-poor projects, mainly community roads projects, are delayed and abandoned.
Minister McGill said the perceptions about delayed or abandoned projects are wrong because those who live in project communities know that contractors are working hard to meet deadlines.
“Only those who sit on radio talk shows in Central Monrovia from 6am to 6pm know that our projects are delayed and abandoned,” the Minister said. “Firstly, roads are not built in one day. Not even in one month. Road construction takes time. But you will note that a couple of projects were completed and dedicated. Go to Johnsonville and the Pipeline Community area. Go to Tusa Field community or Duahn Town in Gardnersville. All projects initiated are speedily proceeding in progress.”
He told reporters that President Weah means well and will not fail his people. The Minister reiterated the administration’s position on road and agriculture as top priorities to jerking the Liberian populace out of poverty.
“This administration’s road projects are on the top on the scale, and we will build more roads in six years than all political administrations before us,” he said. “And you know that the President was in Israel. He was also in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). All these trips are intended to boost our agriculture production, to ensure food security and create jobs for our people.”
Minister McGill boasted further: “When President Weah travels, he doesn’t travel because he just wants to fly. Before he became president, he had flown all over the world and seen beautiful cities and interacted with famous world personalities. The boy from Gibraltar right here in Clara Town would prefer to spend his time in the interior. He would prefer spending much of his presidential term with his people. But he was elected to transform the lives of his people.”
In a few days, Minister McGill said, the government will play host to 23-man delegation from the UAE and more than 40 investors from Israel.
“All these people are not coming for tourism. They are serious investors who want to help develop every sector that is critical to the transformation of Liberia,” Minister McGill asserted. “Would they have come if the President sat in the opposition noises at home and folded his arms? Whenever President Weah travels, he brings results—substantive results that promise development, jobs and national security.”

Call for Constructive Opposition
“If those calling themselves opposition and critics of this government think they love Liberia, let them go out there and bring investors, and let us see who will stop them from doing so,” Minister Nathaniel F. McGill said, taking to reporters on a range of national issues.
The State for Presidential Affairs Minister said the CDC-led government is open and welcoming to constructive criticisms.
“Criticisms are necessary because they keep us, as the ruling administration, in check and help us not to repeat or continue in errors,” he said and added: “Our only warning is the opposition must stop threatening the peace. If they love this country as they claim, let them go out there and find something good that they will bring in this country for the people of Liberia. That’s constructive opposition. But we will not countenance anyone who threatens national peace in the name of opposition.”

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