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Monrovia – One of those behind the planning and organizing of the much heralded 7 June 2019 mass-protest dubbed “Save The State”, controversial talk radio presenter Mr. Henry Pedro Costa has divulged reasons why the protest against the Government of Liberia is necessary, with the sturdy critic of President George Weah and his administration alleging multiple wrongdoings of the Liberian leader as the basis for which such action is necessary at this time.
Organizers of the 7 June protest earlier announced that it would last a whole week (7 days), for which they have begun raising funds, even though it is not clear as to what exactly they intend to do with the cash being raised, and to date, they have also been unable to make public how much have they raised.
Costa beginning his long list of charges against the Liberian leader, accused Weah of being broke prior to his ascendancy to the presidency, indicating that since he took the mantle of leadership, the retired footballer has embarked on what the talk show host calls “a massive property acquisition spree.”
He also accuses President Weah of being a blatant violator of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, and a president who has “callously” undermined all of the country’s transparency and integrity institutions, noting, “when he blatantly violates our constitution, we must save the state.”
Costa also charges President Weah of making ‘pleasure trips’ abroad, to the detriment of the Liberian people and the country’s fast-declining economy.
He said while the country’s economy bleeds, President Weah has taken interest in frequently flying outside the country in what Costa describes as style and luxury, noting that the former footballer turned politician does so in private jets with large delegations of those the vocal talk show host referred to as sycophants.
During the course of 2018, President Weah’s foreign trips reportedly cost Liberia, a country with a fast dwindling economy, over one million United States Dollars.
It was also reported during this same period that the president had acquired for US$30 million a private jet to fly him around, but the Liberian leader debunked the report saying at the time, “The airplane they are talking about is for my friend, who is the manager of a big company in Burkina Faso. He told me to use it anytime I want to travel because he has seen me use planes owned by Ivory Coast and others. He wants me use a plane that is not labeled to boost my moral too.”
Costa alleges that President Weah is condoning and benefiting from the siphoning of some US$25 million intended for mopping out excess liquidity in the Liberian economy.
He said President Weah is shielding those he called the president’s henchmen who he said carried out the alleged embezzlement of the US$25 million intended for the mop-up exercise.
Separate investigations conducted by both a government investigative team and the American government hired foreign forensic investigators have shown that there discrepancies in the US$25 million mop-up process.
Immediately following the release of reports by the Presidential Investigative Team and Kroll, an Executive Mansion press release quoting the president announced that he had mandated the General Auditing Commission (GAC), to report within two weeks’ time its findings into ‘further understanding’ of how the exercise of the US$25 million earmarked for the mopping up exercise of excess Liberian dollars in the economy was done by the Technical Economic Management Team (TEMT), which is headed by Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel Tweah.
The Executive Mansion press release states: “The Ministry of Justice, by directive of President George Manneh Weah, has requested the General Auditing Commission to conduct an investigative audit into how the US$25 million earmarked for the mopping exercise was expended.” But to date, nothing more has been heard of regarding the money or the investigation.
Costa continued “When he condones and benefits from a supposed mop-up fiasco and protects his henchmen who carried it out, we must save the state, when he violates our budget law by spending outside of it as he pleases, we must save the state.”
Costa, who enumerated a total pf ten charges and said he could even name more against President Weah, as compelling reasons for a peaceful protest, added that when the Liberian leader refers to his critics as “enemies of the state”, it’s makes it imperative that the citizens assemble and ‘save the state’
“When double digit inflation keeps spiraling out of control with no mitigating measures or efforts in sight to curb it, we must save the state. When our President keeps quiet and never speaks to calm and assure the nervous populace that he is in control, we must save the state,” Costa maintained.
He then rallied Liberians to turn out on the day of the planned protest, stating, “My dear compatriots, come out on June 7 and let’s save our beloved country and make history together!”
