MONROVIA – In the aftermath of the US Treasury Department sanctions slammed on three former officials of the Weah administration, which led to their suspension by President George M. Weah and their subsequent resignation, a stalwart of the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) has warned of an imminent implosion that may affect the presidency, especially in the eventuality that another sanction befalls the Weah administration, leaving his government vulnerable to further manipulations by sinister-minded people around him.
The stalwart, Dr. Lester Tenny, one of the known party ideologues who is renowned for speaking truth to power, made the assertion Tuesday, September 13, 2022 when he addressed partisans of the CDC in a live podcast shared on several social media groups, where he warned of an imminent implosion that could leave the Weah government crumbled.
“There is a dangerous unfolding event. The President is in a dire situation that needs urgent intervention. If the members of the Coalition for Democratic Change do not take “seize” of the government, President Weah is going to get himself entrapped with dangerous folks with a competing agenda.
“The Congress for Democratic Change gave birth to the Presidency through its coalition members. Don’t allow the situation where there will be fighting within the government. The party must take a radical position right now to “besiege” the president that all other appointments must be made through the consensus of the party or through the party. The party needs to develop a plan B and deliver a strategy, so in the eventuality there may be another sanction, the party must take charge of the process. If the party does not do that now, competing forces with sinister motives will manipulate the presidency and you will have another dangerous McGill situation that may unfold,” Dr. Tenny warned ominously.
The vocal CDC stalwart said, with few months to the 2023 election fast approaching, at a time when President Weah is vying for reelection, a lot of dangerous scenarios are unfolding, citing the recent Magnitsky Sanctions and the rumor of more to come. Dr. Tenny furthered that in the wake of these near-imploding occurrences, there was a need for the party to start adopting strategies so that it can be able to “absorb the shocks” from any eventuality. He said as it stands, the President is being placed in a dire situation that portends danger for his government if nothing is done for the party to avert the unforeseen circumstances ahead.
He challenged Mulbah Morlu to take full charge as Chairman of the party by convening an emergency meeting of the party ideologues to discuss the way forward, stating that the “President is alone, he needs to be rescued. It is the party he comes from. He must go back to the party”.
Tenny said most of the stalwarts made some grievous mistakes already by allowing others to manipulate the system, warning that if the party does not act in the right time frame, “another McGill will sit at the Ministry of State and all the competing forces with sinister plans will occupy government at the expense of the party”.
He also cautioned that with the ensuing 2023 elections fast approaching, “if we have these same people that have different motives being around the President, we will have ourselves to blame.”
Tenny, who formerly served as one of the Vice Presidents at the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) and recently resigned his portion, made specific reference to the sanction and its implications if additional ones are slammed on other government officials as is being reported in some quarters. He said it was necessary to take precaution and be in the state of readiness to “absorb the shock if the eventuality occurs” so that such action will not negatively impact the party, especially its chances in 2023 when President George Manneh Weah will be seeking re-election.
“This is a clarion call now to the chairman of the party. We need to have a contingency plan for any eventuality. If eventually the system crumbles, we need to have the shock absorbers that will have the cushion for shock. We need to have a strategy to address the concerns of the international system, especially the United States. No one jokes with America. So, we have to be more proactive and more serious about how we are proceeding.
“We allowed ourselves and folded our hands and allowed the likes of McGill and few others to damage the future of the downtrodden masses, it is now time that the masses should be heard through their party. I am calling on Morlu, you are the chairman of the party. I beseech you to take charge, convene an emergency meeting of the party ideologues so that we will know the way forward. The party must control the government henceforth”, he said.
The radical economist who is also Dean of the College of Business and Public Administration, University of Liberia, did not mince words for those whom he said are not members of the party but are helping to embarrass the party. He mentioned the names of Mrs. Thelma Comfort Sawyer, the widow of former Interim President, the late Dr. Amos Claudius Sawyer, who is serving as acting Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Senator Edwin Melvin Snowe of Bomi County.
“I read in the United States Embassy communication that they never told the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs to request a biometric sample from NEC. Thelma Duncan Sawyer is not a member of the party. Who is she working on behalf of? What is the motive for requesting the sample? Who has the capacity to duplicate biometric stuff for election?
“The Congress for Democratic Change and associates in the Coalition for Democratic Congress don’t want to rig the election. We are not a party that forges on a rigged process. Something sinister is unfolding. Something very sinister is unfolding. How can an Edwin Snowe be in the forefront of the President when Edwin Snowe is diametrically opposed to the party? How and why should we allow that?” he wondered.
“The party needs to take its rightful place now to protect the good of its partisans and save the country from imminent implosion. George Weah is on a thin thread and we need to as members of the party ensure that the system does not crumble.
“The party must take charge now or else the party will have to blame itself. We all will have ourselves to blame. There are technicians who can cushion the imminent shock. We are around. We are around to cushion the shock. We will work at the level of the party. We have to work and save the standard-bearer from the imminent implication.
“The situation that is unfolding now is dangerous and only the party can rescue the presidency. Only the party and that also goes to my leader, President Weah. He needs to go back to the party because it is where he comes from. What all these actors want to manipulate is for sinister purposes to accomplish their selfish agenda at the expense of the Liberian people and you, and at the end of the day the party will be the ultimate loser.
“We are not going to sit down and allow the system to crumble because we never intervened to assist you. We will force it and simply save you President Weah, he concluded.
Since the imposition of the Magnitsky Sanctions of the three former officials of the Weah administration, in persons of Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel McGill; Solicitor General Syrenius Cephas, and National Port Authority Managing Director Bill Tweaway, this is the first occasion for a ranking stalwart of the governing CDC to sound a warning to his party and President Weah.
Dr. Lester Tenny’s admonishment comes in the wake of rumors that more officials of the Weah government will face the axe of the Magnitsky Sanctions shortly.
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