MONROVIA – A standoff is emerging between the Executive Protection Service (EPS) and opposition figures, spotlighting deepening tensions within the country’s political and security landscape.
By Jaheim T. Tumu, [email protected]
The controversy follows a warning from the EPS Wednesday that it will withdraw protection from any VIP who incites rebellion or violence — a statement widely interpreted as a response to former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor’s recent warnings of “chaos.”
While the EPS did not explicitly name Taylor, its strongly worded statement came just days after she accused President Joseph Boakai of undermining the Supreme Court and suggested that Liberia is on the brink of instability if the rule of law is not upheld.
“President Boakai, you must follow the mandate from the Supreme Court,” Taylor said. “We either do chaos or we do calm where our country can move forward. This is the choice we have today.”
Taylor’s comments followed a Supreme Court ruling in the ongoing power struggle at the House of Representatives, where embattled Speaker J. Fonati Koffa faces an attempted ouster by a self-proclaimed “Majority Bloc” led by Representative Richard Nagbe Koon.
Taylor criticized the President’s alleged failure to enforce the Court’s decision, framing it as a constitutional crisis with far-reaching consequences.
Her remarks were bold — and provocative — but not without precedence. During the 2023 presidential campaign, then-candidate Boakai himself warned: “If you think you will steal this election, we will not allow it because if you do it, that’s the end of this country.”
Critics argue both statements reflect the political tradition of brinkmanship in Liberia, where leaders often use dramatic language to appeal to their bases. However, the EPS now appears ready to redefine the boundaries of such speech when it involves individuals under its protection.
“A protectee who actively engages in or incites violence or rebellion against the Government forfeits the privilege of EPS protection,” said EPS Director Sam Gaye. He added that such conduct “directly contradicts the EPS’ constitutional and operational responsibilities.”
Gaye emphasized that the EPS remains committed to “professional, impartial, and robust protection,” but made clear that protection will not be extended to those viewed as threatening Liberia’s peace and security.
EPS Response Sparks Backlash
The opposition has responded with forceful pushback. Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) Secretary General Jefferson Koijee labeled the EPS statement “a shameful, hollow, and legally baseless attempt to intimidate critics of the ruling regime.”
“Sam Gaye is a classical joker, a morally bankrupt puppet, and a spineless bureaucrat willing to gamble national integrity at the altar of tyrannical loyalty,” Koijee wrote in a fiery post on social media.
Koijee accused the EPS of abandoning its neutral constitutional mandate and acting as “a private militia for the blood-stained Unity Party regime.” He warned that the CDC will not be cowed, declaring, “This land is ours, and no recycled dictatorship will outlast the people’s resolve.”
Adding to the criticism, Margibi County Senator Nathaniel McGill, himself a former minister under the CDC-led administration, cautioned, “There are officials around the President who are giving him bad advice. But if anything goes wrong, the President himself will be held accountable. Liberia is a democracy, and the rule of law must not be compromised.”
Gov’t Officials Defend EPS
Government officials have rushed to defend the EPS and condemn the opposition’s rhetoric. Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah described figures like Taylor as “agents of violence” unable to thrive in a peaceful environment.
In a statement laced with mockery, Piah said, “When I watch the video, I personally had empathy. Because I cannot thrive in the midst of chaos if I’m walking with a stick. It means I cannot walk well. It means I can’t run, and when chaos is unleashed I could be victim number one.”
Meanwhile, Deputy Minister for Administration at the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Selena Mappy, appeared to support the EPS’s stance, reacting to a Facebook post by stating, “Damn right, you talk nonsense with your mouth because you got security protection.”
Free Speech or Security Threat?
The debate now centers on whether the EPS’s policy crosses into censorship or is a necessary step to safeguard national stability. Critics argue that the statements by both Boakai and Taylor fall within the bounds of free speech and political expression.
Others contend that in a post-war society like Liberia, political leaders must exercise greater caution given the fragility of peace.
Public reactions remain divided. “Is this government really practicing democracy?” asked citizen Lusine Dukuly. “What is the fear when you are doing well and your citizens are pleased with you? Protest has nothing to do with citizens’ happiness.”
The EPS’s stance — and the government’s response — has opened a broader conversation about how Liberia balances national security with democratic freedoms. As political tensions simmer, the coming weeks may prove pivotal in defining the line between dissent and destabilization.
