Over the weekend, aggrieved family members of the burnt Commander of the Liberia National Police (LNP), in Bong County, Morhafee Jabbateh, threatened to carry out peaceful protest actions against the leadership of the Liberia National Police (LNP), on behalf of their son, Morhafee Jabbateh, who sustained injuries in the infamous Totota Gas Tanker Explosion accident which occurred in December of 2023.
In December 2023, a gas tanker was involved in an accident in Totota, causing it to veer off the road.
As hundreds, if not thousands of predominately poor and innocent residents of the community including women, children, and others gathered to siphon fuel from the tanker, it unexpectedly exploded, leaving several persons dead and many seriously injured.
Commander Morhafee Jabbateh of the LNP in Totota was unfortunately burned while helping to rescue citizens during the explosion.
Since the incident, according to his aggrieved family, the Government of Liberia (GOL), through the Liberia National Police (LNP), has abandoned officer Jabbateh in the county.
Speaking with Newsman in Gbarnga, Bong County, on Friday, May 24, 2024, Mr. Ayouba Doumuyah, uncle of Commander Jabbateh said, they as a family, will protest against the Liberia National Police (LNP) for allegedly abandoning their son.
According to Mr. Doumuyah, on a daily basis, their son’s health condition degenerates, something which he claimed is due to the LNP Commander’s abandonment by LNP authorities.
He further told reporters that they, as family members of Commander Jabbateh, would organize massive but peaceful protest actions against the LNP regarding officer Jabateh’s worsening health condition.
He alleged that since the Totota Gas Tanker accident, the Government of Liberia has failed to address Commander Morhafee Jabbateh’s critical health needs, despite medical advice to transfer the seriously injured LNP Commander to India or other parts of the world for advanced medical treatment.
The pending protest, he said, aims to draw the government’s and humanitarian organizations’ attention to their ailing brother and son who was performing his professional and national duties when he was injured in the Totota Gas Tanker Explosion.
He further stated that if the government of President Joseph N. Boakai does not intervene in brining much-needed relief as it relates to LNP officer Jabbateh’s fast declining health condition, the aggrieved family will also protest at the residence of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, as a way of informing the international community about what the family perceives as ill-treatment and abandonment of Police officer Babbateh.
“If anything happens to our brother, we will protest and sue the Liberian government,” Doumuyah added.
Mr. Ayouba Doumuyah also expressed disappointment in the leadership of the Bong County Legislative Caucus for their handling of the LNP officer’s health issues in the county.
While we, at The Independent newspaper do not wish to go into the nitty-gritty of the problem faced by LNP officer Jabbateh, we think it would be prudent for the Government of Liberia (GOL), through the leadership of the Liberia National Police (LNP), to meet with the aggrieved Jabateh Family as it relates to listening to their concerns and acting appropriately where possible.
LNP officer Jabbateh was indeed performing his professional and national duty when he was unfortunately and sadly wounded in the Totota Gas Tanker explosion incident, and as such, claims of his abandonment need to be urgently investigated by the Liberian authorities, and fitting corrective measures taken in restoring his health.
Frankly, the way LNP officer Jabbateh will be treated at this critical time of his ill-health will either encourage/motivate or discourage other LNP officers or officials of the Liberian Government to continue to passionately provide essential services to the Liberian government in particular, and Liberia, as a country.
In other words, we, as a Government and Nation must, at all times, demonstrate maximum care and show concern for all, no matter one’s socio-economic, regional, or other backgrounds.
This means an injury to one Liberian should be equated to an injury to all which must be appropriately addressed in every possible way.
This is our candid plea to LNP Leadership and the Government of Liberia (GOL) as a whole.
