The Unity Party National Youth Congress (UPNYC) has vowed to boycott all the activities of the Independence Day celebration, expressing disappointment and frustration at being consistently denied access to the Presidency since the inauguration.
According to the UP Youth Congress, despite efforts to secure a meeting with President Joseph N. Boakai, they have faced repeated obstacles and roadblocks from the President’s staff. “In light of this continued ostracization, we, in this public manner, announce that we will be boycotting all up-coming Independence Day celebration activities. We cannot, in good conscience, participate in further activities marking the celebration of the 177th Independence Day when there is a lack of independence and fair representation within the National Youth Congress (NYC),” the Youth Congress said in a press release.
According to the release, “We are particularly troubled by the actions of Chairman Togar Melvin Cephas, who, in collaboration with partisan Cornelia Kruah-Togba and partisan Joseph K. Vallai, have unilaterally planned a youth town hall meeting with the Presidency and reportedly expended US$15,000 on said maneuverings. This decision was made with blatant disregard for and disrespect towards colleagues within the NYC, particularly those perceived to be pro-Luther Tarpeh, including Cyrus Greene II, Chris Pokan, Semedora Kuitay and our County Chairs.”
Additionally, the UP Youth Congress raised several issues of concern, including the minimal appointments or placements of youth leaders in government. the group also cited allegations and proven claims of corruption against the Youth Chairman, Melvin Cephas, concerning “campaign funds and goodwill intended for the National Youth Congress; Chairman Cephas’ persistent disregard, disrespect, and disdain towards fellow National Youth Congress leaders, evident by his failure to respond to a recent communication that included an ultimatum; the Chairman’s practice of recommending friends and relatives to positions while Congress Leaders remain jobless; his refusal to convene an NEC meeting as required by the Unity Party 2022 Constitution; misuse of National Youth Congress assets without consulting his colleagues; soliciting funds in the name of the NYC without transparency or accountability to the leadership; failure to attend two recently called National Executive Committee (NEC) meetings, playing ‘block politics’ against the current leadership; and his failure to arrange a requested meeting with the Standard Bearer and President to address issues affecting NYC members nationwide”.
The release noted, “In response to these concerns, we the leaders and senate of the National Youth Congress (County Chairs) will soon issue a resolution outlining the forward march of the NYC. We stand united in addressing these pressing issues and ensuring that the voices and interests of our members are adequately represented and respected. We urge all stakeholders to take note of our grievances and support our efforts to bring about positive change within the National Youth Congress. We remain committed to the principles of integrity, transparency, and fair representation.”