Filed in by Olando Testimony Zeongar – 0776819983/0880-361116/life2short4some@yahoo.com
Monrovia – Liberia’s most popular student party of the state-run University of Liberia, the Student Unification Party (SUP) says it absolutely frowns on and strongly detests every attempt by the George Weah-led government to manufacture what it calls new lies and loaded falsehood surrounding the mysterious vanishing of L$16 billion of the Liberian people’s money.
In a strong-worded statement issued Thursday, under the signatures of its secretary-general, Martin K.N. Kollie and president, Butu Levi, SUP described Government’s latest action over the ‘missing money’ saga, which was channeled through a recent Central Bank of Liberia (CBL) statement, as a spree of falsification which the vanguard Student Unification Party said seems not to be working as Liberians remain bent on this matter.
“Mass looting”
The Student Unification Party says recent statement from the CBL denying that no money went missing is irrationally abominable and inherently flawed, with SUP calling on patriotic citizens across the country to rise up and demand an end to what the popular student party calls mass looting under ex-soccer legend George M. Weah.
“The Sons and daughters of shantytowns, ghettos and hamlets, civil society actors, marketers, motorcyclists, taxi drivers, pen-pen riders, rock crushers, casual laborers, students, public school teachers, unionists, nurses, distinguished media practitioners, fellow Liberians throughout our landscape and abroad,” SUP rallied Liberians to stand up to the Weah leadership over what the student party terms as the evil pursuit on the part of the Government to misrepresent the facts regarding the ‘missing billions.’
In a statement on Tuesday, CBL executive governor Nathaniel Patray, denied that any money ever went missing, saying a recently conducted internal audit found that new banknotes printed in Sweden and brought into the country between 2016 and 2018, amounting to LRD15.5 billion had been placed into the bank’s reserve vaults.
“The CBL has no records that monies printed under its authority have not yet been delivered into its reserve vaults,” Patray said.
“SUP vehemently refutes the latest press statement from the Central Bank of Liberia and calls for the immediate arrest of all Central Bank employees who have been barred from traveling out of the Country as a result of their link to this corruption scandal,” the statement said.
“Conflicting accounts”
The fearless student party further stated that it is grossly unfortunate that functionaries of the weah-led government will be giving conflicting accounts on this matter, saying, “The government must abort its disingenuous plan of lying in broad-daylight about this missing L$16 billion.”
“The countless number of loaded contradictions have rendered this government inconsistent, dishonest and non-credible.,” said SUP, adding, “In order to confirm what the President said on Sunday, Central Bank Governor Nathaniel Partray has told Liberians that there is no missing money even though investigation is ongoing.
The party continued, “SUP will not accept any further excuse or futile justification meant to distort the hard facts.”
“Weah and his caravan of looters must account for the people’s money now. We will not entertain any further fabrication from Weah’s newborn cartel of pro-poor crooks and leeching pillagers,” said SUP.
The SUP announced that as one of the leading members of the Concerned Citizens United to Bring Our Money Back (COCUBOMB), it is consolidating its revolutionary base of conscious militants and ideological stalwarts to join effort with patriotic forces in demanding the full restitution of the ‘missing billions’, which is approximately 4.75 percent of Liberia’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product – which is a monetary measure of the market value of all the final goods and services produced in a period of time, often annually or quarterly. Nominal GDP estimates are commonly used to determine the economic performance of a whole country or region, and to make international comparisons).
“Those who diverted and siphoned public resources MUST account and be prosecuted without any delay,” SUP demanded in its statement.
“Massive nationwide protest”
Expressing outrage over the CBL statement regarding its denial of billions of ‘missing Liberian banknotes’, SUP has made the call for the mass mobilization of an unannounced massive nationwide protest against government for its handling of the ‘missing money’ saga.
“In the opinion of SUP, the press release issued by the Central Bank of Liberia that no money is missing can better be termed as a sarcastic drama of fantasy that is tied to inherent contradictions and flaws. This broad-day lie is about to provoke public discontent nationwide,” said SUP, adding, “We call on all militants and stalwarts to begin mass mobilization for an unannounced massive protest across the country that will be announced by COCUBOMB anytime soon.”
“Independent international probe”
The Student Unification Party, in its statement, said it was reemphasizing the urgency for the International Community to ensure an independent international forensic investigation into what it calls a national mystery that may have unintended socio-economic, political and security consequences if not handled with caution.
“SUP calls on this government to immediately recuse itself from any ongoing investigation,” the party noted, pointing out that statements made by President Weah upon his arrival from UNGA has even undermined the veracity of the ‘missing billions’ probe.
The SUP says it remains concerned about the poor and dejecting living condition of all Liberians especially the masses, saying, “The money in question that has been diverted and stolen could contribute to the upliftment of Liberia and Liberians.”
