The Mayor of the city of Monrovia, Jefferson Tamba Koijee, has emphasized the call to increase budgetary allotment for the Liberia National Police (LNP) to augment their capacity to protect life and property, and as well uphold the peace and security of the country. Mayor Koijee’s call comes a few days after the LNP amicably handled the “FixTheCountry” protest of the University of Liberia-based Student Unification Party (SUP).
On Wednesday, August 24, 2022, militants and stalwarts of the Student Unification Party (SUP) continued their “FixTheCountry” protest, which began during the July 26 Independence Day celebration. The July 26 protest did not end well—SUPists were resisted and chased by members of the Coalition for Democratic Change-Council of Patriots (CDC-COP), leaving a member of SUP, Christopher Walter Sisulu Sivili, severely injured.
In a dramatic twist to what many thought would be a scene of carnage, a delegation of the Liberia National Police (LNP), headed by the Inspector General (IG), Patrick Sudue, met with the students ahead of the protest. During the protest, LNP officers were seen providing protection for the public and guiding the protesters along the principal streets of Monrovia.
The protesters were provided a safe space to execute their demonstration and express their differences with the administration of President George M. Weah. At the end, a LNP pick-up was seen distributing hot meal and bottles of water to the SUPists who had spent the entire day parading the streets with placards and chanting anti-Weah administration slogans.
The LNP effort in turning the scene into a peaceful one has been commended by Mayor Koijee, who congratulated the Sudue-led police for a remarkable job.
“As Mayor of the City of Monrovia, I would like to congratulate our police for a remarkable job done to feed protesters of the August 24 protest in Monrovia and ending it all amicably; this is indeed a new day—that we have moved from the ugly past when protesters were tear-gassed, shot at or hurt and imprisoned,” the Mayor of Monrovia stated.
Mayor Koijee said President Weah has again proved that he remains one of the country’s most peaceful individuals, who continues to steer the affairs of the country in a very impressive way.
“That’s why I am using the occasion to plead with His Excellency to increase budgetary allotment for the Liberian National Police (LNP) as they move towards more democratic efforts. At the same time, we called on our traditional allies, the United States of America, to support the LNP in capacity building and help them to move more into democratic policing.
“For the August 24 protesters, we understand your disagreement and respect your different calls for shifts in our governance structure as well as your magnanimity to accept meals from the police; such co-existence is rare and commendable. This is true nationalism!” he added.
However, Mayor Koijee warned that mis- and dis-information has got no space in the nation’s democracy, and could be termed as human rights violation. He also warned opposition leaders to stop their “misleading and manipulative” efforts in getting the youthful population to destabilize the peace and plunge the nation into chaos.
“Let it be clear that no one can lie their way to power, and that being opposition should not get anyone to hate or destroy those in leadership, for the only way to win the minds of the Liberian people is to engage them, sell your vision and make impact in their lives,” the Lord Mayor observed.
According to him, “Ahead of the crucial 2023 general and presidential elections, it remains our hope that we all will engage peacefully, knowing that Liberia is all we have and respecting the sanctity thereof.”
Mayor Koijee made the remarks on Friday, August 26, 2022 when the he honored an invitation from the Center for the Exchange of Intellectual Opinions (CEIO), Carey Street, after weeks of engagements in Washington, D.C., United States of America. Mayor Koijee is the Youth Chairman of the CDC.
“We would like to congratulate the leadership of CEIO for extending us an invitation as Chair of the CDC Revolutionary National Youth League following our weeks of engagements in Washington, D.C.
“We remain particularly grateful to the cross-section of young people who turned out in their numbers to hear us address a series of national and international issues that border on our sovereignty,” the mayor noted.
