MONROVIA – The Political Leader and Standard Bearer of the Alternative National Congress (ANC) Mr. Alexander Cummings says “it is time for real change and serious leadership in our country, a time to stop this lack of accountability in our country, when a government official steals will end up in the same common jail as any other rogue because that government official is a rogue”.
Mr. Cummings, addressing the Liberian media yesterday, Wednesday, August 17, 2022, accentuated that justice must not and will not discriminate under a Cummings-ANC leadership of the country but rather must and will be served equally and blindly to the big and small as well as to the haves and have-not, alike.
The political leader of the ANC was reacting to sanction slapped on the Minister of State for Presidential Affairs, Nathaniel Falo McGill and two others including the Managing Director of the National Port Authority, Bill Tweahway, and Liberia’s Solicitor General, Saymah Syrenius Cephus for their complicity to the commission of pervasive corruption in the country, which the ANC leader noted, speaks volumes about how President Weah has continued to poorly perform his duties and manage the country’s resources
“For too long, the Weah administration has misled the country and has failed to take the necessary actions to address the many scandals and reports of stealing and human right abuses of the administration; for too long in the administration of our country, too few Liberians have continued to illegally and corruptly enrich themselves while too many ordinary families have had to go to bed hungry; too many schools are without teachers and adequate learning implements; too many young people are unemployed and unemployable, while teachers, doctors, nurses and civil servants are grossly underpaid; and too many hospitals are without medicines and beds – all of these neglects of the suffering people while officials are stealing and enriching themselves. This is wicked and unacceptable leadership,” Mr. Cummings exclaimed.
He said the wealth of Liberia belongs to all Liberians and that it does not and should not ever be seen to belong to only public officials, or some officials of government. “It is wrong to steal from the people. Even worse, it is deeply offensive for rogues to publicly boast of stealing from babies, children, pregnant mothers, students, unemployed youths, the elderly and struggling families, and then arrogantly and unbelievably ask the people they have stolen from to applaud and reward them for doing so.”
He said this is how we will change the country and truly lift the Liberian people from poverty by holding each other accountable and to higher standards, furthering that Liberia is too rich for Liberians to be so poor. Liberia cannot continue to be a country to be repeatedly exploited by its leaders while the majority of Liberians live in worsening conditions of hardship and backwardness.
Commenting on the substance of the sanction on the three officials and the president’s response to the sanction, Cummings said firstly he it should never require the intervention of the United States Government for President Weah to act against the pervasive wave of corruption, explosion of crimes in our streets and communities, violation of human rights, and abuse of public offices which continue unabated under the watch of this administration. President Weah may pretend all he wants, but the corruption, lawlessness, and unaccountable behaviors on his watch are well-known to the Liberian people.
Secondly, the ANC political leader said Mr. Weah and his administration have announced several investigations into murders, mysterious deaths and disappearances, and corruption in the past, and that results of many of these investigations have yet to be made public, or to lead to desirable outcomes. He therefore opined that announcing yet another investigation amounts to a cover-up that deceives only himself.
Thirdly, Cummings intoned that in many cases of corruption, including accusations involving President Weah, he has not acted to hold his officials accountable or to even clear his own name, as stealing in government has increased manifold and the actions of public officials have proven to be increasingly abusive.
Fourthly, he emphasized that President Weah has emboldened his officials to steal and behave unaccountably by his very bad examples of suddenly coming into unexplained wealth which he began to publicly display in the purchase and building of personal condominiums, resorts, and even an entire personal city, immediately after inauguration. “This is after declaring to a United States Court that he was indigent and incapable of meeting his father’s responsibility to a mother and daughter,” he further indicated.
For these reasons, the ANC welcomes what its political leader noted is an important public accountability action by the United States Government.
The Alternative National Congress Political leader has said therefore said President George Weah’s mere suspension of his officials and close confidants is not good enough to address injuries caused the Liberian people by the actions of these individuals, nor is it enough to exonerate the President from the growing public impression of his participation in the commission of these high crimes
Mr. Alexander Cummings strongly urged the President to therefore dismiss the designated officials sanctioned by the United States Department of Treasury, and formally requested the assistance of the U. S. Government to prosecute them in keeping with Liberian law as this is not the time for bogus suspensions, cover-ups and fake investigations; The Analyst reports.
Saying the character, image, and values of the Minister of State Nathaniel McGill are a direct reflection of President George Weah and therefore Weah lacks the moral authority to fight corruption in his government, Mr. Cummings pointed out, “A fish rots from the head. President Weah is the head of this rotten fish which his administration is being shown to be.
He said as President, Weah has not just disappointed the Liberian people and disgraced our country by his lack of leadership, but also, he has continued to encourage stealing by his public officials, especially those very close to him, both by his bad examples and by his seeming complicity which makes him incapable of acting against his officials for stealing,” Mr. Cummings indicated
The one time executive and now politician said government officials have no longer declare their assets because the President does not declare his, and likely will embarrass himself by declaring his assets publicly, and furthered that obviously, President Weah lacks the will and standing to fight stealing in his administration.
“It is telling that the officials targeted by the sanctions are the most powerful members of President Weah’s inner circle,” saying that the performance and activities of the President’s Chief of Staff and gatekeeper over the last five years has to be rightly viewed as reflecting the image, character and values of the President.
If Weah did not know what his gatekeeper was doing, Cummings noted then Weah is an incompetent and inept leader. Alternately, “If President Weah knew what his gatekeeper was doing and he did not act to stop him, which appears to be more likely the case, then he is a partner, enabler and facilitator of the stealing,” he averred.
The ANC political leader maintained that as president, the Liberian Chief executive has a duty to protect and preserve the integrity of the country and the best interest of the Liberian people. “These sanctions speak poorly about how he has continued to perform in carrying out the duties to manage our country and its resources. The sanctions are therefore serious and should be responded to seriously,” he added.
Pointing out that the President is a “partner, enabler and facilitator” of the stealing of the Liberian people resources and money, Cummings said President George Weah and his administration of thieves are continuing to disgrace our country and worsen the living conditions of all of us, pointing out that such is the seriousness of their stealing from the Liberian people that three of President Weah’s closest members of his inner circle have been sanctioned by the United States Government.
Accordingly, he reiterated that it is time for real change and serious leadership in our country, the ANC leader maintained that it is time to stop this lack of accountability in our country, noting that under a Cummings Administration, if a government official steals, he or she will end up in the same common jail as any other rogue because that government official is a rogue.
Accordingly he emphasized that justice must not and will not discriminate; it must and will be served equally and blindly to the big and small as well as to the haves and have-nots, alike. He said this is how we will change the country and truly lift the Liberian people from poverty by holding each other accountable and to higher standards.
He then concluded that Liberia is too rich for Liberians to be so poor. Liberia cannot continue to be a country to be repeatedly exploited by its leaders while the majority of Liberians live in worsening conditions of hardship and backwardness.
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