Liberia: Divert 26 Funds to Drug Fight SUP Urges Government

University of Liberia campus-based Students Unification Party (SUP) has asked the Government of Liberia to divert funds intended for Independence Day celebration toward the fight against drugs.

SUP Secretary General Mohammed S. Jalloh told this paper in an interview Thursday, 20 July 2023 that there is no significant impact on the livelihood of Liberians and governance in celebrating July 26, the nation's Independence Day.

Mr. Jalloh said celebrating July 26 under the Coalition for Democracy Change (CDC) government of President George Manneh Weah is totally meaningless.

"We are calling on the Government of Liberia to suspend or obliterate any intention of independence celebration and redirect the funds to the fight against illicit drugs as it is a national emergency at the moment," said Jalloh.

"Celebration of July 26 is totally useless and meaningless under this government because it has no impact on the people and the country, " he stated further.

According to him, Liberians continue to be oppressed while corruption and illicit drugs continue to destroy the future of Liberian youths, leaving parents without hope for the future of their children and family.

Jalloh urged the Government of Liberia to muster the courage for once to emulate the good example of President John Pombe Magufuli who was decisive enough to cancel the Tanzanian Independence celebration and redirected the funds to the national emergency the nation was faced with in 2015.

Meanwhile, SUP has threatened to boycott any July 26 Celebration in demands of Justice for student Christopher Walter Sisulu Sivili who was beaten and stripped naked last July 26 celebration during a protest outside the U. S Embassy.

The Young student activist disclosed that it has taken almost one year since the alleged "regime-sponsored terrorist attack" on harmless and armless citizens of Liberia whom were predominantly students and militants of SUP.

He pointed out that the only crime these students committed to be brutally attacked was to stand up against wanton corruption, unprecedented administrative ineptitude, secret killings, poverty, destitution, and the debasement of the Liberian people into declaratory economic decadence and feculence.

"We say this because those hired-thugs and murderers were cut right-handed on camera perpetuating violence against peaceful students yet are currently masquerading and filibustering around the corridor and have not been brought to justice," he noted.

According to him, families are being affected by this, and the government is ignoring the imperatives to serve justice to families of all those who got wounded and injured.

"Therefore, SUP boycotts the July 26 independence celebration in demand for justice for Cde. Christopher Sivili and all other comrades who were victimized by the brutal spell of the regime's attack on 26 July of last year."

"We are also calling on the United Nations, ECOWAS, African Union, European Union, and the United States Embassy near Monrovia to join us in the call to demand justice for Christopher Silivi," activist Jalloh urged.

"We remain obdurately stubborn in this call and shall lead the vanguard with the Liberian masses on July 26 of this year to demand Justice for our dear comrade Silivi and declare a war against illicit drugs."

He indicated that during these critical times of national administrative calamity by the biggest agency of human garbage in history, SUP feels even more obliged and compelled to stand up against state plunder and murderous attacks orchestrated against gallant national voices and institutions.

This article first appeared on New Dawn

Photo: New Dawn