𝐌𝐎𝐍𝐑𝐎𝐕𝐈𝐀, 𝐀𝐮𝐠. 𝟗 (𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐀) – Information Minister Jerolinmek M. Piah has described the recent protect action by ex-officers of the Executive Protection Services (EPS) as plans orchestrated by the former ruling establishment (CDC), to sway government’s attention away from implementing its plans on holding former government officials accountable as well as scaring investors away.
According to Minister Piah, the actions of the former EPS officers were fueled by the CDC to paint the current administration and country black to the outside world because they want to present the country as a place that is unsafe and not well governed.
According to him, the CDC protests were for political benefit and that their protests are not always in the interest of the citizenry, stating that to see former EPS officers assembling at the headquarters of the CDC, such action speaks out that they masterminded that protest action.
“I challenge anybody to testify of any protest that was organized by the Unity Party as a political party. The UP is back and in less than six months, what are we seeing?”, Minister Piah asked.
The government’s mouthpiece said, since the UP administration ascended to power, the CDC has gone back to business as usual, adding that if it is not threats or protest, then it is a threat or resistance. He assured the public that the government will not accept any unnecessary protest that is intended to hinder the country’s progress and peace.
He noted that VIP security officers are people who protect the president and the first family as well as other VIPs, stressing that they are not to affiliate with any political party as being done by those disrobed EPS officers for proven misconduct and criminal activities that led to their dismissal.
“People who committed various criminal offenses and were kicked out of the EPS were brought back by the former government. You saw them wearing party’s paraphernalia”, the Spokesman of the Liberian government disclosed.
He explained that when the new leadership came to power, it decided that the EPS be sanitized so that the right people be in, adding that those who were removed and felt that they were unlawfully dismissed have their rights to proceed to court instead of being used to hamper the peace and security of the country.
Meanwhile, the Minister Piah has assured the citizens and even the opposition that the Boakai-led government will not wither in holding ex-officials accountable, despite their action to sway the government attention away.
He reminded the former ruling party that their protests during the administration of Madam Sirleaf were predicated upon their belief that the government was corrupt but when given a chance and an opportunity to govern the country, they refused to investigate and prosecute a government that they termed as corrupt.
The minister assured that the government will continue the path of investigating and where probable, prosecute anyone who is found guilty of corrupt crimes.
“This country is nobody’s inheritance; you had the opportunity to serve because the Liberian people chose you. You did not meet their expectations; they voted you out. They brought in a new government. If this government does not meet their expectations, they will also vote this government out,” Minister Piah indicated.
Additionally, the Minister sounded a caveat that it will not condone protests that are aimed at retrograding and hindering the country’s progress.
According to him, there is a way to resolve leadership conflict and the way to do so is through a democratic process, disclosing that “all these actions out of democratic process meant to create insecurity, to scare investors away and to make the country look like a nation that is not governable.”