By Taisiah K. Merfee
IPNEWS-Monrovia: Human rights lawyer now presidential aspirant, Cllr. Tiawon S. Gongloe says Liberians living conditions is expected to be intensive in extreme poverty and hardship due to the skyrocketing of the exchange rate and the access of Liberian dollar banknotes on the market by Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) officials contesting for public offices.
Addressing a major press conference Monday 8, 2023 Cllr. Gongloe said Liberians are expected to go through extreme poverty and hardship due to the skyrocketing of the exchange rate and illegal campaign financing by the CDC government.
“Economically, what is happening now is terrible for Liberia. However, between now and the elections lives are going to be much more difficult than Liberians had ever imagined.
Because officials of the CDC government who are contesting for public offices had stolen so much money and they are dumping it in the market. They are dumping the Liberian dollars on the market and keeping the United States Dollars.
He said the current officials of Weah government are saving the United States dollars because they are not too sure of winning election” Cllr. Gongloe stated.
“As someone who is aspiring to lead this country, I have to be listening, see and take notes of good and bad things, especially those things that affect the lives of the people on a daily basis. I am an economist and a lawyer also. I am the only presidential aspirant that has the qualification. I thought both Economics and Law at the University of Liberia and so I know what I am saying’’ Cllr. Gongloe noted.
The Liberian People’s Party (LPP) standard bearer pointed out that he, like many others Liberians can’t take another day of CDC in power because of the reckless disregard and insecurity shown to citizens and their plight.
He alleged that because the government officials are dumping so much Liberian dollars on the market and Liberia is not exporting so much to generate foreign exchange, the exchange rate is skyrocketing.
Cllr. Gongloe noted that he predicted few weeks ago that the rate was going to reach 170 and it has happened with buying rate in some places now at 176.
“These kinds of things were prices are going up is causing hopelessness and despair. This is contrary to the hope the CDC promised the Liberian people. These are the things that some of us are looking at. We can’t have a better Liberia in this type of reckless and insensitivity to the plight of the citizens.
“Those who import goods in this country, who are bringing goods from China and other places need United States dollars to import and so they have to buy United States dollars from the market. The negative effect of that is that prices will go up, inessential commodities like gasoline, fuel, oil among others. We are coming have transportation going up including school fees. Why is CDC doing this kind of things to the country?” Cllr. Gongloe explained’
He described the alleged incident as a complete wickedness and recklessness, noting that the CDC government came to power on the slogan of “Change for Hope” and so this kind of situation where things are going up is a change for hopelessness that is contrary to their promise.
“The government in power is showing reckless disregard for the welfare of the Liberian people. The human suffering is becoming unbearable. The only way this can stop is to peacefully remove this government” he concluded.
