The National Youth Congress of the opposition party, Movement for Democracy and Reconstruction (MDR), has issued a rebuttal to a “politically motivated and misleading allegations.”
The allegations, according to the MDR, was leveled against the Minister of Labor, Cooper W. Kruah, and the legacy of the late Senator Prince Y. Johnson by Montserrado Senator Darius Dillion for his own “political reason.”
It was the Senator Prince Y. Johnson (deceased), who formed the MDR as an opposition political party against the then ruling establishment.
In a press statement released on Monday, June 16, MDR Youth Wing said, it strongly condemned recent claims by civil society groups, notably a joint press release signed by Jefferson B. Knight of the Civil Society and Trade Union Institutions of Liberia.
The Trade Union Institutions, accused Mr. Kruah of “corruption and the unauthorized sale of over 8,000 work permits.”
The MDR dismissed the allegations as “baseless and misleading.”
The party, meanwhile retorted that such narratives not only distort statutory processes, but aimed to erode public trust in the Labor Ministry.
“The issuance of work permits is a regulated, transparent and security-involved process governed by the Decent Work Act of 2015,” the statement read. “All revenues are properly channeled through the Liberia Revenue Authority and Ministry of Finance. These accusations, lacking factual and legal merit, threaten the integrity of public service.”
The Youth Congress also took aim at Montserrado County Senator Abraham Darius Dillon, accusing him of spearheading a long-standing campaign of political attacks against MDR leadership, particularly targeting the memory of Senator Prince Y. Johnson.
The MDR described Dillon’s criticisms as “divisive, disrespectful and politically self-serving.”
“Dillon’s continued attacks are not motivated by national interest, but are an attempt to remain politically relevant through public deception,” the statement added.
“This includes his contradictions regarding the senate’s own mandate for the Labor Ministry to generate US$10.5 million in revenue of which work permit fees are a key part.”
The MDR Youth Wing warned that such political vendettas only undermine national unity and distract from meaningful development goals.
They called on civil society and lawmakers to pursue truth and justice through lawful, fact-based processes.
“Liberia’s democracy must not be reduced to smear campaigns and rhetorical warfare. We urge all actors to engage constructively and uphold the dignity of every citizen,” the group stated.
The press statement meanwhile, reaffirmed the MDR’s commitment to labor reform, good governance, and democratic accountability.
It also highlighted the party’s foundational role in the country’s post-war democratic transition referencing the historic 2016 Ganta Declaration alliance between the MDR and the Liberty Party.
Source: Myean D. Torgbean/THE CLOSING ARGUMENT