As what happened on November 20, 2023 at the Headquarters of the ruling Unity Party on Broad Street remains stuck in the hearts of ordinary Liberians, most especially relatives of the victims, the question of who owned the vehicle involved is not evaporating.
Families and women groupings in Liberia are pressing further to unearth the actual cause of the accident, and who was the vehicle’s owner.
On this fate day, an unknown vehicle with no license plate ran into a jubilant crowd at the Unity Party headquarters on Broad Street and led to the death and injuries of many persons. Nothing tangible, since then, has been heard as to whether there was an investigation conducted by the Government of Liberia.
The silence of the Liberian Government on the incident which led to the death and injuries of many young men and women has caused many groups and individuals to raise concerns over the issue as to whether an investigation was conducted and if conducted, reports on such investigation has not been released by the Liberia National Police.
Many Liberians have expressed concern over the incident with some demanding an immediate release of the report if there was any investigation carried out by the police. This situation has drawn the attention of several family members of the victims especially those who died and left their children behind.
They want the government to carry out an investigation and release findings into the incident which claimed their loved ones’ lives on that fateful day when an unknown vehicle ran into them and instantly killed them. “We are calling on President Joseph Boakai to do something about this incident because our loved ones were killed but up till now, we have not heard anything from his government,” MaimaKroma who lost her sister in the accident sorrowfully told this paper.
“We have written some organizations including the West Point Women for Health and Development Organization to intercede on our behalf; they are doing their best but no one is listening to them on the death of our relatives,” she furthered. She continues, “We want justice for the victims; they were killed in cold blood and no one is concerned about their deaths, this is seriously annoying, we want answer as to who carried out such nefarious act.”
One of the many groups that continues to push for the release of any investigation carried out following the incident is the West Point Women for Health and Development Organization (WPWHDO), a community-based organization in the Townhip of West Point.
The women group has decried the deplorable condition of children left behind by victims of the Unity Party (UP) headquarters accident. On November 20, 2023, an unknown vehicle with no license plate ran into a jubilant crowd at the Unity Party headquarters on Broad Street which led to the death and injuries of many people.
The crowd, mainly partisans and supporters of UP gathered on the evening of November 20, 2023 to celebrate their presidential victory over the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) in the 2023 presidential runoff when the unknown vehicle ran into them at the headquarters of the Unity Party (UP). According to eyewitness accounts, a black vehicle with no lights ran into the crowd at highspeed leaving many dead and injured.
According to Nelly Cooper, Executive Director of WPWHDO, since the incident, nothing has been heard about those victimized and their children. Madam Cooper added that she’s not aware whether an investigation was launched and if investigation was carried out, no report has been released by the Government of Liberia.
Families of two of those hit and instantly killed by the speeding vehicle are demanding justice for the victims and have reported the matter to the West Point Women for Health and Development Organization (WPWHDO)-a community-based non-for-profit organization fighting against sexual and gender-based and domestic violence in the township of West Point.
Madam Cooper told this paper that families of the victims have been trooping into the offices of WPWHDO to intercede on their behalf.
She narrated that Maima Kromah, a young lady who died during the accident, left behind three children while another victim, SurleyFreeman also left three children who are going through tough times as no intervention is coming from the Unity Party for which those people were killed or from the Government of Liberia since the incident occurred at the UP headquarters.
“As per our status as a community-based organization, we don’t have solution to this problem but what we can do is to advocate on their behalf by demanding justice for the victims who left behind their children. The children were brought here at this office and we saw their condition, they are suffering and no help is coming forth,” Madam Cooper lamented.
Madam Cooper added, “We want justice for the victims, we want to know what exactly happened and who were involved, those who committed the act must be brought to justice. Since the incident nothing has been heard from the police or the Government of Liberia. At the same time, their children are suffering and no one to take care of them.”
A sister of Maima Kroma-one of those instantly killed by the vehicle, Hawa Kromah-Bao said since the death of her sister she has been doing her best to cater to the kids but things are tough on her and has no other means to continue taking care of the children.
“Since the death of my sister, I’ve been trying to cater to her three children but for now things are hard. No one is helping me with them and also my children as well.”
Hawa said when her sister died, some officials of Unity Party contributed to the burial but since that time, none of them has gone there to see the condition of the kids. “My sister died for this party but no one cares,” she tearfully narrated.
She furthered that though Unity Party officials promised to help cater to the children, since the burial no one from the party has visited them. “My sister’s children are suffering and no one cares,” Hawasorrowfully lamented.
Meanwhile, WPWHDO is calling on President Joseph Nyuma Boakaiand officials of the Unity Party to hear the cries of families of the victims who were killed in cold blood for the party. She said the condition of the six children left behind by two of the victims are facing tough times and appealed to President Boakai to see reason in intervening by ensuring that the children are given proper care.
Madam Cooper is also demanding justice for the victims calling on the government to release report of what really transpired on the day of the incident. She wants those who committed the gruesome murder of the young people to face the full weight of the law.
The West Point Women for Health and Development Organization (WPWHDO) is a registered non-for-profit organization and accredited by the Government of Liberia. It was founded on July 16, 2002 as a local women and children’s rights advocacy organization.
