MONROVIA — A National Executive Committee (NEC) member of the opposition Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) Acarous Gray has alleged plans by the Unity Party (UP) led-government of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai to arrest the embattled Speaker of the House of Representatives Jonathan Fonati Koffa and other lawmakers from the party.
By Obediah Johnson, [email protected]
Gray formerly represented the people of electoral district # 8 in Montserrado County.
Though Gray did not state why the government is planning to arrest embattled Speaker Koffa and other CDC lawmakers, his claim comes at the time the government, through the Inspector General of the Liberia National Police (LNP) Gregory Coleman, reported that the recent fire incident at the Capitol Building was an arson.
Coleman told a news conference in Monrovia on Wednesday, January 8, that compelling evidence links the blaze to “deliberate criminal actions” as the extensive examination of the Capitol Building’s electrical system revealed no faults that could have triggered the fire.
It can be recalled that on December 18 last year, fire gutted the Capitol Building, destroying the Joint Chamber and other offices in the wake of a leadership crisis at the House of Representatives.
“Up to the time of the incident, the grid was still supplying electricity, which shows that it was not the cause,” Coleman reported.
He said instead investigators found evidence suggesting the fire started in multiple locations — a hallmark of intentional arson — with investigators also discovering a container at the scene containing a flammable substance.
Coleman further disclosed that the Joint Security had identified several persons of interest connected to the incident and risk being arrested if they fail to cooperate with the ongoing investigation.
‘Opposition are being targeted’
But in a comment posted on his official social media page on Thursday, January 10, Gray alleged that the police under the leadership of Coleman are targeting members of the opposition community in Liberia.
He claimed that there is an early warning of a heavily divided country and President Joseph Boakai is fast becoming a “despot” against his political opponents.
As a result of this, he called for the opposition CDC to stage a nationwide protest against the Boakai-Koung government.
“I am hearing that Speaker Jonathan Fonati Koffa and a few CDC lawmakers and executives will soon get arrested like in the case of former presidential Aide Sekou Kalasco who was arbitrarily arrested and charged. The moment is nearing that the Mighty CDC must rise up and cease the moment by calling for a nationwide protest to put the Boakai’s Administration into immediate check,” he said.
He claimed that the peace and stability of the country is being allegedly abused on a regular basis by the current administration.
“President Boakai and his Gestapo Police Director have crossed the redline by targeting opposition members especially from the CDC. Giving President Boakai power in a narrowly won election was because we wanted a peaceful Liberia but he keeps abusing this peaceful nature of the CDC.”
These alleged acts of the government, he emphasized, call for the CDC to stage a protest.
He stressed that the former ruling party needs to take a “preemptive strike” against the government by invoking provisions of the Liberian Constitution in demand of a peaceful co-existence.
Protect your own
“In my mind there is one language now left to be spoken and that is for the Mighty CDC to call to action all of its partisans to move into constitutional action of a nationwide protest.”
Gray maintained that if the CDC cannot protect its own, the UP government will not do so for it.
He claimed that Liberia is now divided into Blue and Green, “so the Revolutionary Blue must use the Liberian laws to demand from its government that inalienable right to live peacefully void of harassment and intimidation,” noting that, “no one can do this better than the CDC herself.”
Partners watching
Gray furthered that Liberia’s international partners, religious and opinion leaders are watching the” country slipping into the dark days where President Boakai and his hooligans are violating our laws.”
He maintained that this alleged act of lawlessness and targeted arrests made by the government reminds citizens of the country’s dark days.
According to him, Liberia is fast becoming a state of horror where you don’t know the next day whether you will wake up alive or not.
“This is not the reason we relinquished power with a narrow margin of twenty thousand votes. This peaceful transition was unprecedented and must be cherished by Boakai but instead he’s parading like one Hercules around here.”
Not a populist leader
He reminded President Boakai that he is not a populist leader, but a leader who has “questionable legitimacy to lead our people.”
Gray emphasized that the CDC must revert to its revolutionary journey and bring to halt the targeted attacks and arbitrary arrests of its partisans.
Despite the claims being made by Gray, the government, through the Joint Security, has not disclosed the names of the “persons of interest” that are being or would be invited for investigation.
Wesseh: My life is under threat
Meanwhile, late on Thursday, a former Assistant Agriculture Minister Alvin Wesseh clarified that he has not been arrested by the Liberia National Police (LNP), claiming that police officers had surrounded his home, making him feel unsafe.
Earlier reports suggested Wesseh had been arrested and was in police custody. However, during a live phone interview on the Spoon Network, Wesseh stated he was at home but alleged that security officers were encircling his residence.
According to Wesseh, he received intelligence suggesting that he and other members of the CDC were accused of planning to disrupt President Boakai’s upcoming State of the Nation Address (SONA).
He further alleged that police were planning to arrest him and detain him in an undisclosed location until the address was delivered.
“There are security officers who came to my house to arrest me, according to information. Based on security intelligence, they claimed Alvin Wesseh and others are planning to mobilize and disrupt the SONA of His Excellency Joseph Nyuma Boakai,” he said. “When I arrived, I saw groups of security agents, particularly from the LNP. They allegedly planned to arrest me and keep me in an undisclosed location.”
He continued, “I am indoors. My house has been surrounded by the Liberia National Police. My life is under threat. As I speak to you, the officers are still around.”
Up to press time, the police didn’t issue a statement in response to Wesseh’s allegations. However, Mo Ali, a senior government official and stalwart of the Unity Party, dismissed Wesseh’s claims.
Ali described them as part of a broader propaganda effort by the CDC to gain public sympathy. “There is nobody after you, Alvin. Go and sleep,” Ali said.
