The Concerned widows of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) have threatened to disrupt the 2024 Christmas celebration in Monrovia, besiege the Executive Mansion, Capitol Building and military barracks if the Unity Party government fails to pay their benefits.
The Concerned Widows of the AFL is a legally recognized institution by the government, with over 2,000 members across the 15 counties, and chaired by Mary Allison.
In an exclusive interview with newsmen at their office on the Bushrod Island, Allison disclosed that despite their consistent calls to the government, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai has not provided a space to meet their leadership since taking office.
“President Boakai has made nine months in office now, but he is yet to call us around the table to discuss how to settle the ALF Widows,” she stated. the Allison also recounted that, when Boakai was Vice President to former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf he informed their leadership that he could not do anything due to the limitation of his duties.
Allison revealed that widows in neighboring Sierra Leone and the Ivory Coast have gotten handsome benefits from their respective governments for their deceased husbands in the military, describing as sad and unfortunate the manner in which they have been treated by the Liberian government.
“We give the government from now to November to pay our benefits; if the President fails to do so I will call all the widows from across the 15 counties to assemble in Monrovia. There will be no Christmas celebration this year: we will block the Capitol Building, the Executive Mansion and the military barracks,” Allison emphasized.
She urged the Liberian leader to stop listening to gossip from others in the public or in government aimed at negatively painting the image of the institution and do the needful. She reminded the President and Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung of the majority of widows hailing from both Lofa and Nimba counties.
“We have gone 23 years now in this struggle, but there is no recognition of our husbands who laid down their lives in defense of this country,” Allison lamented. “See most of these old women here who are Kissi and Lorma… but nothing has caught the attention of this President for reasons we don’t know.”
She disclosed that one of their members died and was buried a few days ago amid the struggle to get their benefits from the national government, while many of them do not have shelter, lack good healthcare and peace, as their children are out of school due to their inability to pay school fees.
In addition, Allison called on President Boakai to appoint the Director of the Veteran Bureau of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL). She noted that this effort should be led by the Defense Minister, Brigadier General Geraldine Janet George. “The Veteran Bureau has no Director and is left vulnerable; unfortunately, the Defense Minister is sitting and doing nothing to seek their interest,” she stated.
Furthermore, the Concerned Widows of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) is calling for the swift intervention of members of the 55th National Legislature, particularly Senate Pro-temp Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence, and Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, whom she believes have close proximity with President Boakai.
“Most of y’all are sitting and talking nothing to us, but thank God we are not afraid of anyone, be it the Liberia National Police or whosoever, because none of them can stop our actions when we’re ready,” she warned.
She stated that the government is supposed to settle each of the widows with US$1,500 as part of the agreement with the immediate past Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) administration. Allison said government is continuity; therefore, the responsibility is upon the UP administration to continue the process of their settlement.
The Chairperson also vowed to gather her women in Monrovia at the Executive Mansion and the Capitol Building, where they will sit, cook and further sleep on the streets if nothing is done about their plights, pointing out that they are resolved to lay down their lives.
“Government officials are taking huge salaries, such as US$15,000 and more, but they can’t seek our interest. We will spoil Christmas, scatter everything and demonstrate if they take our call for granted,” she maintained.
Allison cautioned members of the Liberia National Police (LNP) not to use teargas or any weapon on any of their members during their protestation. “On that day, if any police uses teargas on any of us or use a gun to hurt us, we will resist them, and if they are not careful we will take their own weapons from them because we are also trained soldiers,” she further warned.