The ruling Coalition for Democratic Change’s (CDC) decision to have publicly reprimanded agents of the Executive Protection Service (EPS) for wearing its party paraphernalia during last Saturday’s one million citizens’ rally was one of the wisest things.
It was a wise decision because the sight of EPS officers wearing the ruling party’s caps and t-shirts ahead of the 2023 crucial Presidential and Legislative Elections did send the wrong signal not only to opposition politicians, but also to the International Community.
As it is often said, ‘To err is human and to forgive is divine.’
This is why the CDC’s immediate reaction, in our view, would have saved its image, but the party’s Secretary General and City Mayor, Jefferson Koijee’s side remarks that although the EPS wore the CDC’s campaign t-shirts, they did not kill anyone, was a justification of the EPS officers’ action and so undermined the ruling party’s public apology.
The impression his remarks created was that the CDC-led Administration of President George Manneh Weah, is not sincere with its public apology.
Koijee’s remarks were also a replica of former Minister of State, Nathaniel McGill’s remarks that even if he stole the country’s money and spent it in Liberia, it wasn’t a waste; justifying that others stole and took their loots outside Liberia.
This is why we think that with such remarks, Koijee was not only unremorseful, but was insincere.
If Koijee and the CDC abhorred the action of the EPS officers, why did they allow them to remain in the campaign caps and t-shirts throughout Saturday’s rally and even assigned them to the first partisan, President Weah? By the way, it is unbelievable that EPS Director Trokon Roberts did not see the EPS officers before they took up the day’s assignment.
What’s about Seward Briggs, EPS Deputy Director for Operations, who is very clearly visible in video clips and photos? Is it that he, too, argues that he did not see his junior officers in the CDC campaign paraphernalia as they marched along with President on the main streets of Monrovia? These officers, including Briggs, who, by the way, was not wearing any party gears, were in the “diamond” of the President as everyone marched.
This is why we think Mayor Koijee’s apology on behalf of CDC was unremorseful and very insincere.
The matter remains a topical issue across Monrovia, probably other parts of the country.
For some Liberians, the EPS’ recent action met the approval of the CDC officials and was deliberate, while others think the CDC would not have apologized had it not been condemned by the court of public opinion.
For the EPS officers, critics said they wore the CDC campaign t-shirts out of sycophancy and ignorance without realizing that there is a tomorrow.
The critics think the EPS officers risk losing their jobs if President Weah and his CDC do not win the 2023 Presidential and Legislative Elections. They think the newly elected president may likely feel insecure to work with them and opt not to retain them or even decide to dissolve the entire unit.
