–Says He Wore Expensive Shoes as Pro Player before Becoming President
IPNEWS-Monrovia: Amid unconfirmed reports that some Liberian opposition politicians are praying the International Community to impose economic sanctions on the Government of Liberia for reported ‘misrule, bad governance, corruption, lack of transparency,’ among others by the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) government of President George Weah, the Liberian leader has expressed bitterness against such a call stating the country does not need sanctions to be imposed on it.
Delivering a special message at the First Assembly of God Church on Buchanan and Carey Streets during the July 26 Independence Worship Service on Sunday, July 25, President Weah said: “For the sake of one person who is accused of reported corruption, the entire Liberia cannot suffer with the imposition of sanctions because somebody is corrupt, but what is needed is to sack the people who are corrupt so that our country can move ahead with development.”
President Weah frowned at critics calling for international sanctions on Liberia; saying their claims of corruption against his government is not true.
According to the Liberian leader, most of his critics perceive that his government is corrupt; a perception that is resulting to their calls for international community to impose sanction on Liberia.
President Weah however committed the government’s willingness to a robust fight against corruption.
Partial view of congregation at the Independence Worship Service
But some Liberians and opposition politicians in reaction to the President’s statement of sacking people who are corrupt is what needed instead of calling for sanctions on the country, said the opposition community and other Liberians have never called for economic sanctions against the Liberian government, but have only called for what they termed “Targeted Sanctions” against corrupt Liberian government officials who have reportedly amassed wealth in the twinkle of an eye since the CDC-led government took state power in the 2017 elections.
One political pundit, told IPNEWS that “never have any opposition politician called for sanctions to be imposed on the Liberian government headed by President Weah, but what they have always opted for is “Targeted Sanctions” to be imposed on corrupt officials, just as the United States government did to Grand Cape Mount County Senator Varney Sherman and Nimba County Senator Prince Y. Johnson respectively.”
However, President Weah said if a government officials is caught in corruption that person needs to be sacked and thrown out of the government, but to call for economic sanction for the sake of one corrupt official will hurt the country economically.
Ironically, the President did not tell the congregation at the First Assembly of God Church during the 26 Independence celebration Worship Service whether he will get tough with any of his officials who is caught in corrupt activities while serving in his administration.
It can recalled President Weah debunked the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) investigative report that indicted several government institutions and their bosses for corruption involving Hundreds of Thousands of United States Dollars, stating, “the LACC’s report was not a basis to dismiss any official or send them to jail until he/she was taken to court to answer to the allegations. Our government believes in the human rights of people so we will not just send anybody to jail because of an allegation but until that person is proven guilty in a competent court of jurisdiction before the necessary action is taken in keeping with the law.”
But what the President forgot to take into consideration was the LACC’s investigative report that indicted those government officials were conducted with documentary evidence provided to the LACC by those accused officials.
The public said that the President’s statement undermined the LACC’s investigative report, therefore, giving more rooms for his government officials to carry out more corrupt activities because they got the backing of the President, indicative of his anti-corruption statement following the LACC’s investigative report that indicted those government officials.
Wearing of Expensive Shoes or Clothes before Becoming President
President Weah also used the 26 Independence Worship Service to dispel the notion being harbored by some Liberians that he continually ignores the plight of the ordinary Liberian by wearing expensive clothes and shoes to showcase his wealth after ascending to the presidency.
The President said it sad to note that even those he helped with scholarships when he played professional football are now calling him all sorts of names. “Sometimes when people speak about me I sit and ask myself is this the same Manneh, the professional footballer Oppong? You know I am human too. People that used to come to me for help when I was a professional footballer, who I was there for and gave them scholarships and pay their schools today, today they call me criminal. Today, they say I am wearing US$2,000 shoes, but I wore US$2,000 shoes before I became president. Everything that happens in this country people say I am responsible. Everything that happened in the past in this country, no job, etc, but that today it happened?” The congregation responded with a big ‘NO’.
He then called on Liberians to keep focus and work together as people of one country to move Liberia forward. He said as professional football player he had a perfect opportunity to damage the image of Liberia, but he did not do that despite lot of international partners coming to him to get his thoughts about the war that was being fought.
He then reiterated that sanctions is not the solution to the current problems in Liberia. “You cannot shut down the whole country because one person is corrupt, but instead of asking for sanctions we should be asking for a corrupt official to be sacked and thrown out of government.”
Concluding, President spoke briefly about the Motto on the National Seal of the Republic of Liberia which states: “The Love Liberty Brought Us Here”. President Weah said growing up as a young man and a student in Monrovia, they were told that “The Love Liberty Brought Us Here” but others rejected and said it should have been: “The Love of Liberty Met Us”.
The Liberian leader then cautioned Liberians whether the Country’s Motto says “The Love Liberty Brought Us Here” or it should have been “The Love of Liberty Met Us”, he is appealing to every Liberian to allow “The Love of Liberty to Unit Us Here” as one people and country.
