The National Civil Society Union of Liberia (NACSUL) says its attention has been drawn to the repeated media attack against the person of Finance and Development Planning Minister, Samuel D. Tweah, Jr., by three national youth and student movements: Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), Liberia National Student Union (LINSU) and the Mano River Union Youth Parliament-Liberia Chapter (MRUYP-LC).
NACSUL said it sees the unwarranted and negative propaganda about Minister Tweah and his team of technicians at MFDP being incompetent and unfit to lead the country’s fiscal policy, as alleged by the three statutory youth and student movements, as baseless, unsubstantiated and intended to besmear the hard-earned credentials and reputation of the financial technicians who are working tirelessly to resuscitate the Liberian economy, along with their international partners, including the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the World Bank Group.
“NACSUL, as one of the country’s renowned civil society institutions, does not see any merit of this coordinated and selfish call for the resignation of the Minister of Finance and Development Planning by these so-called youth and student leaders, whose actions continue to bring complete embarrassment to the youthful generation of the country, as their calls for the removal of Hon. Samuel D. Tweah, Jr. are not only selfish but straightly based on personal gains,” the National Civil Society Union of Liberia (NACSUL) said in a press statement.
The NACSUL release noted, “The National Civil Society Union of Liberia (NACSUL) wants to inform the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), the Liberia National Student Union (LINSU) and the Mano River Union Youth Parliament-Liberia Chapter (MRUYP-LC) that the current economic hardship is not only limited to Liberia, but a global problem that started since 2014 during the outbreak of the Ebola Viral Disease(EVD), which paralyzed several economies, especially in West Africa, and subsequently the 2020 outbreak of the Coronavirus, which is still crippling several developed countries around the world, especially in Europe and the Americas, as well as Africa, with Liberia in particular.
“NACSUL also wants to these national youth groups, which include FLY, LINSU and MRUYP-LP, to clearly state to the Liberian people, since the regime of former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to the current regime of President Dr. George Manneh Weah, what have been the tangible projects they have undertaken around to directly benefit the youth and student communities since their placement in the national budget nearly fifteen years ago.”
According to the release, “Investigation conducted by NACSUL indicates that the leaders of these groups collect their allotments from the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning under the pretence of targeting projects but pocket the money for their person aggrandizement, with no single project or initiative to benefit our vulnerable young people in the various counties.
“Members of forth estate, extensive research conducted by us has proven that this illustrious Minister of Finance, upon taking over in 2018, took this broken economy with huge debts inherited from the previous administration and worked along with his technicians to bring the country’s economy to a very appreciable level, despite the challenges.
“Under the leadership of Minister Tweah at the Ministry of Finance, there has been increased budget support from bilateral and multilateral partners due to the confidence reposed in his ability to transform the fiscal arm of the Liberian government. The Minister and his technical team at the Ministry of Finance have not only managed to harmonize the salaries of civil servants to commensurate with their various positions, he has also ensured that civil servants regularly receive their just salaries and benefits on time.
“Contrary to the assertions by these so-called youth groups, which just sit in Monrovia and collect monies from officials of government and pocket them with no impact on their constituencies, Minister Tweah, based on his magnificent work, has bagged several local and international awards ,with the latest being the ‘Best African Finance Minister of the Year 2020 Awards’, awarded to him by the United Kingdom-based African Leadership Magazine.
“NACSUL therefore urges the Minister of Finance and Development Planning not to be deterred or distracted by the negative criticism coming from the youth and student groups, which are being sponsored by members of the opposition to launch attacks on the Weah administration, as the people of Liberia still have explicit confidence in your leadership and ability to transform the economy of this country through your policies, which we think will provide more jobs for the unemployed youths and put food on the tables of the ordinary masses.”
The release continued, “The National Civil Society Union of Liberia’s attention has also been drawn to recent comments attributed to Lofa County’s district #1 Representative, Francis Sakila Nyumalin, threatening that there will be a setting of an interim arrangement to replace the Weah administration if Lofa County Senator-elect, J. Brownie Samukai, is not certificated by the National Elections Commission (NEC).
“NACSUL thinks this reckless and conflict-sensitive statement by Representative Nyumalin, a sitting lawmaker, which was also backed by another lawmaker of Montserrado County, Representative Yekeh Kolubah, must be condemned by all well-meaning Liberians, and we call on the National Security Agency (NSA) to immediately invite these two lawmakers for questioning as no one is above the law.
“The case involving Senator-elect Samukai is currently in court, and we think members of the opposition bloc should be patient and await the outcome from the court, instead of accusing the Weah-administration of masterminding the delay in the certification of the Lofa County Senator-elect and former Defense Minister, J. Brownie Samukai.
“NACSUL believes that the issue of Mr. Samukai is legal than political, and there are laws on the books that a convicted criminal, like in the case of Senator-elect J. Brownie Samukai who was convicted by the High Court for stealing the AFL pension money, cannot assume public office, and we must all adhere to the laws and allow justice to take its course.
“NACSUL is also aware that these constant threats against the fragile peace by members of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), including Representatives Francis Sakila Nyumalin, Yekeh Kolubah and the Unity Party Secretary General, Mohammed Ali, is being sponsored by leaders of the CPP, including former Vice President and Political Leader of the former governing Unity Party, Joseph Nyumah Boakai, who claims to be a peaceful person.
“We want to call on the CPP (Unity Party in disguise), which led this country for twelve unbroken years without any interruption from the then opposition despite the rampant corruption and misuse of public resources, to desist from these unorthodox actions and comments which have the propensity to endanger the peace of our nation.
“NACSUL wants to be clear here that if the CPP wants to get back to the leadership of this country, it is only prudent that they wait for the 2023 presidential and legislative elections rather than sponsoring surrogate groups and individuals to threaten the peace of the country that President George Weah and his officials have managed and continue to maintain.
“Finally, ladies and gentlemen of the press, NACSUL wants to term as barbaric and uncivilize the recent arson attack on the home of Associate Justice Joseph Nagbe and the compound of the National Elections Commission (NEC) in Monrovia.
“Again, NACSUL is calling on those unscrupulous individuals, whether from the opposition or ‘no position’, to desist from the throwing of petrol bombs at the homes of prominent individuals as well as strategic areas like the headquarters of the National Elections Commission, and calls on Liberians from all walks of life to, in the strongest term, condemn these arson attacks and use the appropriate legal means available to seek redress to their grievances. We also call on the relevant security agencies to probe the matter and bring those responsible to justice.”