Filed in by Olando Testimony Zeongar – 0776819983/0880-361116/life2short4some@yahoo.com
Monrovia – Amid what seems a shortage in the supply of gasoline in the country for the second week running, President George Weah has come under fire from the Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia (EFFL), with the group slamming the Liberian leader for being quiet while Liberians suffer.
“The Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia express deepest concern over the President’s quietude in the wake of petroleum hike amounts to his consent to the suffering of the Liberian people,” the EFFL said in a statement Tuesday.
The EFFL laments that it is regrettable that President Weah will be parading with Madam Nyemadi Pearson , Managing Director of the Liberia Petroleum Refinery Corporation (LPRC), for sight visitation in Nimba County and other places in the country while the general public is crying to be served gasoline at a few filling stations that have access to petroleum product.
“The friendship club must come to a halt, it’s time for governance and the leader must be ready to act swiftly to save the state,” EFFL told President Weah.
The EFFL, making specific reference to the hike in transportation fare along the route from Kakata City in Margibi County to the capital Monrovia, putting same at one thousand five hundred (LRD1,500) Liberian dollars, alarmed that this is unprecedented and needs an urgent intervention , noting that this was causing hundreds of Liberians untold suffering, an that any further quietude on the part of President Weah on the issue will amount to his consent to what Liberians are experiencing as a result of ‘gasoline shortage’ on the local market.
“… the EFFL calls on the petroleum cartel to desist from paying hugely in PR when hundreds of Liberians are suffering, any quietude from the President will amount to a consent to what’s happening to Liberians,” the group said.
The EFFL expresses regret over what it calls the LPRC management and the Government of Liberia insistent denial that there is no shortage of petroleum product in the country but noted that the price of products has skyrocketed in the country within the last few days.
The EFFL says it cannot fathom how the LPRC presided over by Madam Pearson will be chest-beating over fuel being in the country but in some quarters within the country, Liberians are exorbitantly purchasing fuel for around LRD800 and more in rural areas.
Economic Freedom Fighters of Liberia says it decries the hardship being experienced by Liberians due to the hike in transportation fares across Liberia, saying, this is not what the ruling party promised Lberians.
“Their Agenda for Prosperity will be a farce if this petroleum issue is not handled expeditiously,” EFFL pointed out.
“Audit LPRC Managing Director’
The EFFL, has meanwhile, called on President Weah to sanction an immediate audit of the LPRC management presided over by Madam Pearson, who the group recalls, once served at the National Oil Company of Liberia (NOCAL) before that institution went bankrupt.
“The EFFL says she is not surprised Nyemadi is failing as one of those who failed at NOCAL, the President should never had appointed her either,” the group averred in its statement, adding, “The EFFL is troubled by statements coming from LPRC and Aminata and Sons with one saying there is scarcity and the other saying fuel is in the country while the majority of the Liberian people are suffering.”
Reacting to what it calls contradictory statements coming from LPRC and the Liberian-owned petroleum importer Aminata and Sons regarding gas shortage in the country, EFFL is recommending an audit of tanks at the LPRC, in order to verify who’s saying the truth.
‘Park government vehicles’
The EFFL stressed that pursuant to its concerns expressed over the crisis over the ‘shortage of gasoline’ in the country, if the Weah-led government fails to act in bringing the price for petrol under control, “the EFFL and the entire citizenry will use article one of the Liberian Constitution to park all government vehicles.”
“The people elected the government to act in their interest responsibly and not to undermine their already strangulated future,” EFFL said.
“We call on our people to be calm as the EFFL is doing everything to end poverty in Liberia by 2020 and 2023. We promised not to negotiate the poverty of our people with this incompetent government but rather commit ourselves to a struggle that will lift Liberia out of poverty,” said EFFL, which added that it was awaiting from government, a timely decision on the ‘gas shortage’ saga or it will be forced to act in parking government vehicles “as this unbearable economic situation in Liberia has become unacceptable.”
