At the Friday, January 7 ceremonies marking the kickoff of the Bicentennial Celebration held at the Providence Island, President George Manneh Weah heavily sermonized national unity and peace, encouraging Liberians from all persuasions to join forces in building the country and in celebrating the founding genesis of the country. While he was making the statement, the hall was void of any prominent member of nation’s political opposition community who reportedly were invited to the occasion but did not attend. One person who picked up the situation was Bishop Kortu Brown, President of the Liberia Council of Churches. He sensed that it was not a good beginning. He made known his observation to reporters after the occasion, as The Analyst reports.
The President of the Liberia Council of Churches(LCC) has raised concerns over the absence of opposition political parties at the kick off ceremony of the Bicentennial celebration held on Friday, January 7, 2022, commemorating Liberia’s 200 years of historical reflection when the first batch of free slave arrived from United States of America on the Ship, Elizabeth, on the Providence Island in 1822 and how the country was founded given the essence for shared sense of unity, reconciliation and nationalism.
Bishop Kortu made the statement shortly at the end of the program and offered his thoughts on the attendance after he observed that members of the opposition community were conspicuously absent at the program.
“This is a good initiative but I am bothered when I do not see others over here; their absence shows that we still have work to do, to consolidate national cohesion, reconciliation and peace”, he said.
Expressing satisfaction with the celebration thus far, the vocal Clergyman said he saw the initiative as an effort to give new vigor to the spirit of unity through historical reflection and engagements, but at the same time pointed out that the absence of the opposition political leaders did not augur well in the push for a reconciled nation.
Commenting further he said, “The Bicentennial will help inspire something that will go a long way in trying to revive reconciliation and national cohesion in the country. I think it is now time for us to take action to actualize national reconciliation especially as we go towards 2023, it is obvious that we will be in political competition, we can be in politics and still be united.”
“The objective of the program is to reflect where we come from, that 200 years ago a nation State was established here, at Providence Island. We encourage Liberians, whether from a political party, to join hands to lift the spirit of our country”, he said.
Bishop Brown said that the best the citizens can do for themselves is to continue to forge for national unity, national reconciliation, and also continue to find a way in which they can work together to move the country forward,
While speaking at the program President Weah in his speech said in the spirit of national unity he welcomed the leadership of all political parties, other national leaders to the official opening ceremony of the 2022 national bicentennial commemoration to be held in February 14, 2022, as the nation memorialize peace, unity, forgiveness and reconciliation.
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