Monrovia, Liberia (November 29, 2022): Liberia is once again becoming the laughing stock of the West Africa sub-region, if not the entire continent. With the citizens fighting daily over how to make ends meet in sending their kids to school, and putting food on the table, the unfolding situation in the country has left many angry. The people are vexing why their president chose to leave the country for 48 days in the midst of such dire economic situation just to attend the 2022 World Cup in Qatar when his country is not even participating, but to watch his son play for the United States of America. His decision to abandon his constitutional duties to fete at the ongoing global soccer event is creating ripples even within his ruling party, to the extent that some partisans are openly voicing their dissent and demanding for Weah to be constitutionally removed from power in 2023.
During a citizens’ vox pop conducted by Spoon TV that was captured on the eve of one of Liberia’s most celebrated holidays, an event when the people usually converge on beaches to fete and honor the birthday of their former president William V.S. Tubman, a cross section of Liberians opened up on what they see as a complete dereliction of duty on the part of President Weah for having abandoned the country in these stringent times just to “jolly-jolly” in Qatar.
Joseph B. Junior, a dealer in used clothing in Paynesville, is a card-carrying member of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, the party that brought Weah to power in 2017. But now his cup has overflowed.
“I am disappointed in our party and our president also. Because of that, I am no more a CDCian, I am an independent partisan now.
“President Weah is taking Liberia to be joker’s country. He took our country money to Qatar to go and spoil it. Yesterday, I was watching when Kalasco was boasting that he paid $700 to watch football game. And I don’t think Kalasco will look at his own money to pay $700. It’s our country money they are spoiling.
“My advice to the President is that, those of us that put him there, we are willing to take him from there. The best thing for him now is to remain in Qatar and support his son. Let him leave our country with us,” Mr. Junior stated decisively when he spoke during the media engagement vox pop.
As for Gibson J. Togba, a graduate of the University of Liberia, who studied Economics and Accounting but is eking his living as a money exchanger on the sidewalks of Paynesville City, business is tough.
“On a holiday like this you would see people buying goods, entertainment centers opening. As for me, with the President of Liberia leaving the country to go to watch World Cup, I don’t think he’s seeking reelection especially when census is going on; we have few more months to elections, and the season is coming. The president should be in the country right now making his presence to be felt, so the citizens can feel him, and be proud to reelect him,” Togba stated.
Regarding statements from government that the president’s trip is yielding impact, Togba questioned the authenticity of such information coming from the Weah camp in Qatar.
“How will we know? Your going and your coming should be transformed into opportunities. I graduated from the University of Liberia two years ago. But since then, my level has not changed from what I have been doing. People mock us here saying that what we learned at the University was not genuine, because we have nothing substantive to show,” Togba lamented.
Another Liberian, Pastor Korlubah says the Liberian people cannot depend on their president, because his presence or absence in the country means nothing for the citizens.
“Even if he’s here, nothing is happening. We are not benefiting anything. We can wait for 2023 to see what we can do. Actually, he will be out. The best way to move a democratic leader is by elections. He himself knows. Maybe he shouldn’t contest; and let the Liberian people choose who they want,” Pastpr Korlubah intoned.
As for Jeremiah V. Kolloe, a bread seller, he believes that the President travelling out of the country is not a bad thing.
“But to be out of the country for that long time is not good. Liberia is a good country. If it’s other countries, at this time, you would find a disaster taking place; because the president being out of the country for 40 days is a threat to the nation. The country depends on you, and you are out of there for that long. If Liberia was like others country, it would have been a serious problem.
“Let the president come back and attend to his responsibilities. It is not bad to negotiate to get things done for the country, but you can’t be out for that long time. Even as a father, when you decide to leave the home and go out for that long, you will have a lot of things happening which you will not like,” Mr. Kollie stated.
Another concerned Liberian who vented her emotions about President Weah’s long stay out of the country is Evelyn N. Kollie, a soft drinks seller who laments over how business in the country is terrible because the sellers are more than the customers.
“Business is bad. The sellers are more than the customers. I didn’t even know that the president was out of the country to watch his son play at the World Cup; it was a friend who just told me. But the struggle is hard.
My advice is that my president should come back to the Liberian people and solve our problem. It is not easy. I voted for him. I expected him to make our country to be better, but for now it’s not easy. From the day Ellen got in power, George Weah got there and made it worse for us. For now, I don’t want to vote for anybody. I will register and get my card and come home and sit down. I am not voting,” Evelyn Kollie said frustratingly.
The criticisms from the citizens come against the backdrop of President Weah writing the Liberian Senate on November 18, 2022, informing of an extension to his travel request out of Liberia from November 23, 2022 to December 18, 2022.
Among the retinue of officials who travelled out of the country with President Weah and have been seen feting in Qatar as they watch the 2022 World Cup include Foreign Minister D. Maxwell Keymayah, Defense Minister Daniel Ziahnkan, Liberia Maritime Authority boss Lenn Eugene Nagbe, Public Works Minister Ruth Coker-Collins, Post and Telecommunications Minister Cooper Kruah, Transport Minister Samuel Wulue, Information Minister Ledgerhood Rennie, Presidential Press Secretary Isaac Solo Kelgbeh, Youth and Sports Minister D. Zeogar Wilson, Executive Mansion Chief of Protocol Finda Bundoo, among many others.
When queried recently about the undue burden that the cost of President Weah’s long-winded trip is causing to the Liberian coffers, Finance Minister Samuel Tweah indicated that President Weah by law is entitled to a daily subsistence allowance (DSA) of US$2,000 just as former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
Executive Mansion refutes Weah abandonment claims
Meanwhile, the Office of the Presidential Press Secretary in a press statement issued Tuesday, November 29, 2022, says it is alarmed by what it terms as a series of misinformation, misrepresentation, and unbalanced reportage by the likes of opposition figures and a few media outlets regarding President George Manneh Weah’s current engagements abroad.
According to Presidential Press Secretary Solo Kelgbeh who is traveling along with President Weah, particular attention is drawn to the lack of respect and indiscipline exhibited by former Unity Party Secretary General Mohammed Ali in attempting to sow a seed of discord between the Executive and Legislative Branches of Government, noting that in one of Mr. Ali’s accounts, without the fear of God, he called President Weah a liar.
“Unfortunately, the Liberian opposition forces and their apologists have continued to field unfounded lies and propaganda that the Liberian Chief Executive left the Country on October 31. Amongst these elements is journalist Mr. Jonathan Paye-Layleh, who has announced his ambition for a political position in Liberia. Paye-Layleh once fed the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) with barrages of half-baked information, and opinionated reports, blatantly misleading BBC that Dr. George Manneh Weah left Liberia before writing the National Legislature.
“Others have misleadingly contended that the President’s scheduled visit to Qatar was to watch his son play at the World Cup with no benefit to Liberia.
“The Office of the Presidential Press Secretary wishes to state for the record that the President’s trips are official international engagements that began with the timely notification of the 54th Legislature and that the trips have been netting tremendous benefits for Liberia.
“President Weah left Liberia on November 1, 2022, via a Special Flight arranged and paid for by the King of Morocco, King Mohamed VI.
“The Morocco visit, in which the President participated in this year’s MEDay’s Forum that brought together over 5000 world leaders and civil society activists, paid off almost instantly with several commitments: a US$50m investment package from the Government of Hungary; 25 scholarships for deserving Liberians from the Government of Hungary; the transformation by Tangier Mediterranean Port Authority of the National Port Authority; and flights from Liberia to Cape Verde and Southern Africa.
“The President’s foreign travels this month also included participating in the UN Global Climate Change Conference held in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, dubbed COP27. Liberia, as a member of the comity of nations and front burner affected by the impact of climate change, made a strong case that is extracting commitments in millions of dollars.
“Before going to the Paris Peace Forum, President Weah joined World Leaders on November 6, 2022, at COP27 otherwise called the United Nations Global Climate Change Conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt.
“Lest the ill-fated opposition and unpatriotic elements forget, let it be stated that President Weah was selected by his African Counterparts as Climate Change Champion at the Glasgow Conference, COP26 held in 2021. As a result, the Liberian Chief Executive was given the distinguished honor of delivering a speech at COP27 at which time he called on world leaders to fund countries bearing the brunt of climate change while preserving their biodiversity like the Guinea Forest.
“Apart from tens of millions of United States Dollars intended for these countries, including Liberia, SAMCO, an Egyptian Firm, has agreed to construct the roads between Greenville and Buchanan and Zwedru and Greenville.
“If these mentioned are not cogent benefits for the country, then the Doubting Thomases need to account for their mental state,” Presidential Press Secretary Kelgbeh charged.
He stated further that on November 9, 2022, President Weah departed Egypt for France for the Paris Peace Forum (PPC) and other engagements from November 11 – 15, 2022.
“Firstly, President Weah participated in the Paris Peace Forum from November 11 – 12, 2022, and held a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and with other development partners. He also held a town hall with the Liberian Community in Europe.
“It must also be noted that following the Chief Executive’s presentation at the Forum, which ended on November 12, His Excellency Dr. Weah had a bilateral meeting with the French President, Emmanuel Macron on November 14, 2022. The Liberian Leader also held meetings with partners and the Liberian Community in Europe.
“Liberia’s TVET program received over ten million euros following the President’s previous participation in the Paris Peace Forum and opened doors for more French involvement in the development process of Liberia.
“It is disheartening to note that misguided people would misreport the President’s engagement as being mere fanfare without benefit to the country despite all the good news widely publicized from the travels.
“While the Liberian leader’s peers were flying on charter and private flights to Qatar, he boarded a commercial flight, Qatar Airways, to Doha on November 18, 2022, and November 15, 2022, as being falsely paraded by opposition elements in the name of politics. The November 18, 2022 flight was the only available one then.
“All the President did was for the sake of Liberia. He was involved with all these international engagements for Liberia’s development at every given opportunity he had while traveling, and saving the nation’s resources.
“The President’s Qatar is far more than to watch his son play in the World Cup Tournament. It is important to remind those who have quickly forgotten that President Weah once served as Ambassador for the Qatar World Cup Bid and is a proud member of the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) Hall of Fame. Furthermore, the Liberian Leader was invited in triple capacities to Qatar: State visits (bilateral meetings); Former World Cup Bid Ambassador, and FIFA Hall of Famer.
“For those who may not know, it is important to mention that President Weah has had the opportunity to watch a couple of past world clubs. Previously, on an invitation from FIFA and South Africa and Brazil, watched the World Cups in South Africa (2010), and Brazil (2014), long before he became President. It is therefore disingenuous and mere propaganda on the part of detractors to say that the President’s Qatar World Club trip is to watch his son play.
“It is also noteworthy to state that while in Qatar for the reasons already expressed, the President would be proud, as any good father would be, to see his child play, though it is only a coincidence.
“Which real or serious parents would not be proud watching their children play at the world’s most prestigious tournaments, let alone the FIFA World Cup? Only wicked parents or envious people who don’t have a son or daughter would do so.
“On the margins of the World Cup, President Weah is having engagements with partners and the business community in Qatar including a planned bilateral meeting with His Highness, Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani before his departure to Monaco on November 29, 2022.
“In Monaco, Dr. Weah will meet the Prince of Monaco and address the Sports for Development Forum. Following his engagement with the King of Monaco, President Weah will head to the United States of America on December 3, 2022, for Joe Biden’s African Summit.
“The President lands in Miami for meetings with some American Investors who are interested in exploring Liberia’s cordial and virgin business environment.
“At the end of those engagements, the President heads to New York for a couple of meetings, including a meeting with the Head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Achim Steiner.
“During that meeting, it is hoped that Liberia and the UNDP will finalize arrangements for community-driven initiatives.
“And on December 13-15, 2022 comes the Biden Africa Summit which the opposition bitterly doesn’t want to see happen with President Weah attending.
“In addition to the summit, President Weah is expected to hold bilateral and multilateral meetings with Joseph R. Biden and other leaders attending the Biden African Forum—another nightmarish experience Liberia’s frustrated opposition cannot afford to watch.
“Liberians are assured that as the President continues his international engagements, his beloved country, Liberia, reigns prominently on his mind and that he would spend every second of his time to scout for and bring back benefits, as is often characteristic of his travels, for the people of Liberia,” the Office of the Press Secretary stated, promising to keep the Liberian public informed on developments as they occurred.
