By: Frank P. Martin
MONROVIA: The reelected Representative of Montserrado County District# 10 in the Legislature, Yekeh Kolubah, has confessed to what he characterized as “lies and deceptions” spewed against several former officials of the immediate past government, then, led by the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), of former President George Manneh Weah.
According to Rep. Korlubah, who previously served as Lawmaker of Montserrado County District #10 in the erstwhile 54 Legislature, and now a member of the 55 Legislature, the lies and deceptions by him (Rep. Worlubah), and other opposition politicians then, were orchestrated and spewed out against some key officials of the erstwhile CDC led regime to buy public sentiments and support.
He revealed that the move, on the part of the then opposition politicians, was aimed at removing former President George Manneh Weah and his government from state power.
Rep. Korlubah made these startling claims in his district office when an official of the erstwhile governing party, CDC, Jefferson Tamba Koijee, along with a number of his CDC supporters went to his district office, in response to a report of attack against him (Rep. Korlubah) allegedly by officers of the Liberia National Police (LNP).
On Monday, July 22, 2024, the controversial Montserrado County lawmaker alleged, via social media, that LNP officers fired teargas against his supporters, looted valuable items, including five of his motorbikes, flat screen TV, and other items from his district office and arrested some of his (Rep. Korlubah’s) supporters.
The Lawmaker accused President Joseph Nyuma Boakai of being the principal mastermind of the alleged vandalization of his district office by LNP officers.
The LNP has categorically denied Rep. Korlubah’s claims. The LNP also clarified that some of its officers had gone to raid ghettos that were in the same vicinity Representative Korlubah lives as part of a “Special Operation” to reduce the high rate of criminal activities in the country ahead of Liberia’s 177th Independence Day celebration slated for July 26, 2024.
However, Lawmaker Korlubah, via social media, disclosed that during the erstwhile administration of the CDC led government, some key opposition politicians, including Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Yongblee Karmga-Lawrence, among others, orchestrated and spewed out lies against key officials of the CDC.
He named few officials of the erstwhile Weah-led government as former Monrovia City Mayor, and now Secretary General of the CDC, Jefferson Tamba Koijee; former Deputy Minister of Finance and Development Planning, Samora P.Z. Wolokollie; among others.
Rep. Korlubah added that these CDC officials, were unduly targeted to be placed on Sanction by the United States Government.
Lawmaker Kolubah is said to have been a member of the now disbanded Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), then, headed by Alexander Benedict Cummings.
The Montserrado County Representative, therefore, retracted publicly the previous accusations that he and other politicians made against Jefferson Koijee, Samora Wolokollie, and others.
“We lied on Koijee, we lied on Samora Wolokollie. We had no evidence that they were criminals,” Korlubah admitted.
According to him, there is evidence that officials of the Unity Party (UP) led government are stealing more from the Liberian people, and that he will continue to speak out in the best interest of the vast majority of ordinary Liberian citizens.
Kolubah’s claim, has, however, generated mixed public reactions, with some questioning the authenticity of his avowed confession as well as his sincerity, considering the outcomes of various audit reports released by the state-owned General Auditing Commission (GAC) that speak of many past and current officials involvement in corruption against the state.
Others members of the public are applauding Rep. Korlubah for being truthful to the country as regard how politicians may have manipulated the unseating of the erstwhile CDC-led government from state power, though through the ballot box.
Despite the alleged raid, Rep. Kolubah affirmed his commitment to continue criticizing the UP-led government fearlessly.
The incident has sparked concerns of political intimidation and freedom of expression in Liberia, with Kolubah’s supporters decrying the purported actions by the LNP and terming the move as an attempt to silence dissent.
As tensions apparently escalate, calls for an independent investigation into the raid and allegations have grown, with civil society groups and opposition parties urging transparency and accountability.
Some keen observers told this paper yesterday in Monrovia that the CDC’s public stance in support of Rep. Kolubah underscores the ‘intensifying political unfriendliness’ between the current government of Joseph Boakai and the erstwhile administration of former President George Weah.
In response to Representative Kolubah’s assertion, the CDC Secretary General, Jefferson Tamba Koijee, expressed his party’s firm support for, and commitment of collaboration with Rep. Korlubah.
Koijee described Rep. Korlubah’s revelations as a “sincere admittance” to “unbending protests and lies” experienced in the last six years while the CDC was in state power.
“Going forward, we are collaborating with you. The CDC will stand with you, Yekeh Kolubah, against this government,” Koijee declared.