An “abandoned” soldier of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), Capt. Varney Adolphus Sirleaf, has mustered the courage and strength to speak out against the leadership of the military, openly writing President George Manneh Weah about the damage being caused by the army while portraying itself as a “Force for Good”.
In his open letter to President Weah dated December 13, 2022, Capt. Sirleaf wrote, “His Excellency Sir, I believe it is important to inform you, Mr. President and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), His Excellency George M. Weah, that I, Captain Varney Adolphus Sirleaf OF/2013-116, Pilot of the Armed Forces of Liberia, have been abandoned in the United States by the leadership of the Armed Forces Liberia and the Ministry of National Defense after sponsoring myself to a flight school. His Excellency, the Armed Forces of Liberia leadership promised to refund me and thereafter takeover sponsorship of my training through a letter addressed to the Embassy of the United States of America near Monrovia, a copy which I have.”
Capt. Sirleaf’s letter stated, “After exhausting all means and channel of communication through my chain of command, including direct communication with the Chief of Staff, the school finally terminated my status and requested for my immediate exit from the United States. Mr. President, How is this in the good interest of Liberia? How is the AFL leadership having the interest of the military?
“Mr. President, the Chief of Staff recently invited a delegation of Nigerian Air Force personnel on a discussion centering on the re-establishment of Liberia Air Wing while one of the pilots who sourced for his own training is abandoned and the other pilot is currently on ground in Liberia doing office work when there have been so many means of keeping them operational. It’s been 4 years since we became pilots and the idea to invite the Nigerian Air Force was turned down by the leadership. Mr. President, for the love of country, I have to do this. I want you to know that it takes courage and strength to speak against the military. The leadership have caused a whole lot of damage than good to the AFL. My family is in the barrack, I am still being paid salary and I weighed all these options and yet decided to speak knowing that good will always win over evil. I don’t want to be one of those professionals who leave and never look back.
“I humbly and respectfully ask for your timely intervention as I wish to come back after acquiring all the experience and skills to serve my country.”
The letter of the “abandoned” pilot, addressed with Miami, Florida, USA, comes at the time President Weah is attending the Biden US-Africa Leaders’ Summit in Washington, D.C. and exactly on the day he spoke at the forum.