The Founder and Executive Director of the Emancipation Movement of Liberia (EMOL) has made a passionate appeal to the members of the 54th National Legislature to pass a law requiring the two cell phones companies (Orange and Lonestar Cell MTN) operating in the country not to charge extra fees for calling the other number.
Jarwinken Wiah asserted that the truth is the citizens are entitled to communication service which, according to him, is the obligation of the Government of Liberia (GoL).
“One should not have the choice to choose between buying a cup of gari and making a call to another cell phone company in the country,” Wiah asserted.
Speaking to newsmen recently, Wiah pointed out that the National Legislature has the right to pass a law requiring the two cell phone companies to provide the same services at the same rate. “The choice to select Lonestar Cell MTN or Orange should be based on the coverage they provide to the citizens,” he said.
“In the Unites States of America, we have more than two million cell phone companies, but one is required to use one. So the Liberian Legislature should pass the law: the citizens should not be punished by paying extra charge. The question is: Are you going to have 10 different numbers if you have 10 different cell phone companies? So members of the Liberian Legislature were elected or hired by the Liberian people to work for them, and not any cell phone company or any other major company,” the head of EMOL uttered, decrying the situation.
“They should be reminded if you say vote for me, it means you are asking the people to please give you work. They truly work for the Liberian people in line with Article One of the 1986 Liberian Constitution. Liberia is the oldest in Africa; other countries should be leaning from her, and not the other way round,” Wiah, a former journalist, averred.
“Vote for me means hire me to work for you—that means the presidency down, all are working for the Liberian people. The Liberian people are their bosses because they hired them through the power of their votes,” the prominent Liberian, who current resides in the United States of America, disclosed, citing articles one 1 and 15 of the Constitution as justification for his comments.
Article 1 specifically says the purpose of working in the government is to work for the satisfaction and security of the Liberian people, while Article 15, on the other hand, says failure to do so and the people have the right to remove them.