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MONROVIA, Liberia – Amid public outcry, government through the National Police of Liberia (LNP), has readjusted tight security measures ahead of President George Weah’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) slated for 4 PM, Monday, 28 January 2019, in the joint chamber of the Legislature on Capitol Hill, Monrovia.
Police announced earlier on last Sunday, what many Liberians view as heavy restrictions both on pedestrians and vehicular movements in parts of the capital Monrovia, that beginning 6 AM to 6 PM on the day of the president’s address to the nation, all vehicles plying the road from Red Light to Central Monrovia, even in areas far away from where the president will be delivering his SONA, will be diverted from 9th Street in Sinkor, through the suburban of Jallah Town.
“All Vehicles commuting from Broad Street will be diverted from the Ministry of Gender and Children Protection through Jallah Town,” a police statement released by the LNP public Affairs section said.
The police statement ordered the road from Lynch Street through Redemption Street around the Barclay Training Center closed to the driving public, and declared that absolutely no vehicle without permit will gain access to Tubman Boulevard after 9th Street towards Capitol Hill until 6:00 PM.
The security and vehicular measures further ordered that no vehicle or individual will commute in these restricted routes without a valid Access Pass or Invitation, and that all drivers are warned to remain in their positions five minutes after the passage of the presidential convoy, adding that “all individuals and vehicles will be subjected to security scrutiny.”
But having learned of the heavy restrictions on pedestrians and vehicular movements, several Liberians, many of whom took to social media, frowned on the tight security measures, perhaps prompting government to have toned down its previously announced security and traffic regulations.
Another police statement quickly released later on Sunday, now states that instead of beginning at 6 AM, its tight security measures announced earlier, will rather commence at 12 noon and run up to 6 PM, with still no vehicle without permit being allowed to gain access to Tubman Boulevard after 9th Street towards Capitol Hill until the LNP’s 6 PM regulated time frame for the lifting of the restrictions, except for vehicles belonging to diplomats, NGOs, officials of government, and the United Nations.
Officers of the LNP that will be on duty have now also been instructed to use their discretion in dealing with vehicles without passes, according to the police statement regarding readjustments made in its previous regulations.
Also, in the readjusted police statement, all students in the vicinity of the areas of restriction are exempt from said restrictions.
Howbeit, in the wake of the previous police statement, the government-run University of Liberia (UL) announced last Sunday that it was suspending all activities on the day of the president’s address.
“Due to the President Weah’s Annual Message on Monday, January 28, 2019, and the traffic restrictions issued by the Liberian National Police, All ACTIVITIES (academic and administrative) at the UL Capitol Hill campus are hereby suspended for the entire day,” a statement posted on UL official Facebook page reads.
However, authorities at UL announced that the campus will be accessible only for parking purpose beginning at 2 p.m. to enable those attending the Annual Message park vehicles.
“The UL regrets any inconvenience this suspension may cause,” the statement concluded.
