“SUSPEND INDEPENDENCE DAY CELEBRATIONS AND REDIRECT FUNDS TO FIGHT ILLICIT DRUGS” SUP RALLY GOVERNMENT
By: Jeremiah Cooper
Liberia-July 19, 2023: The Student Unification Party (SUP), a student based political group at the University of Liberia is calling on the Government of Liberia to suspend the celebration of the 168th independence day and redirect said funds to the fight against illicit drugs in the country.
The Independence Day celebration is scheduled for July 26, 2023.
Speaking Wednesday July 19, 2023, during a major press conference at the University of Liberia on Capitol Hill, in Monrovia, SUP Chairman Kelvin Tuah noted that the use of dangerous substances by young people is alarming, as such; it should be taken seriously.
Tulah stressed that the youths are the future Leaders of the country; therefore government must do everything to protect and restore them in taking their place in society.
“SUP boycotts the July 26 independence celebration in demand for justice for Cde. Christopher Sivili and all other comrades were victimized by the brutal spell of the regime’s attack on 26 July of last year. We are also 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. The government of Liberia must muster the courage for once to emulate the good example of the martyred Pres. 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” he said.
The SUP chairman also called on the Ministry of Justice to render justice to its members that were beaten mercilessly by alleged members of the CDC Council of Patriots, a pressure group in support of the George Weah-led government.
He, however, threaten to rally Liberians through a mass protest on July 26 on the failure of the government to render justice in the matter.
“The vanguard student unification party is calling on the United Nations, ECOWAS, African Union, European Union, and the United States Embassy near Monrovia to join her in the call to demand justice for Cde. Christopher Silivi, the ideologue of SUP suffered the casualty of the state sponsored terroristic attacks on July 26 of 2022. 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”, Chairman Tulah emphasized.
Recently Pres. George Weah signed into Law the New Drug Law following its passage by the Legislature. The Law imposes punishments for manufacturers, peddlers/smugglers with different categories of the crimes including users.
Meanwhile, the Student Unification Party (SUP) has also condemned the recent closure of the Spoon Communications Network by the Civil law court of Liberia.
SUP Chairman Tuah described the closure of Spoon Network as illegal and a violation of the freedom of expression and free press.
It can be recalled on 14 July 2023 the Civil Law Court ordered the immediate shutdown of the SPOON TV Network owned by Stanton Witherspoon after a lawsuit of 3.5 million was filed by former LIGIS boss Wilmot Smith.
Court Officers moved into the station during the early hours on Friday and ordered staff and executives out of the premises of the station.
Tulah claimed that the government is responsible for the closure of Spoon Communication Network but is hiding behind former LIGIS boss Wilmot Smith.
“With vehement instancy and serious concern, the Student Unification Party sharply condemn the Weah’s Government for illegally closing Spoon FM; a radio platform that has been critically active in exposing the disreputable shenanigans of the Weah’s criminal enterprise of a Government. SUP sees this unprovoked action by the government as not only an attack on freedom of speech but also a desecrative attack on the cherished values of democracy that assures the Liberian people freedom of expression” he added.
“This shameless government is hiding behind a regime minion and reprobate who has used the court to create trump up charges against the management of Spoon FM so as to stifle press freedom in the name of a law suit. Wilmot Smith, the expelled veteran of SUP because of his indictment in the LACC report for grave corruption charges, is the smokescreen that the government is hiding behind to assault press freedom and viciously go after Spoon FM. How can a media institution be shutdown for echoing the audit report of the LACC; a legally established anti-corruption institution? This is a clear display of the government’s comfortable delight and indulgence in the ocean of corruption” he stressed.
Chairman Tuah recounted that the CDC-led government is engulfed in rampant corruption and does not want the media to expose its wicked deeds.
He furthered that the CDC is doing everything possible to silence its critics.
“It must be told that the CDC government has been very intolerant against criticism and voices of dissents. The Weah CDC has been aggressively active in assaulting freedom of speech since its inauguration in 2018. With fresh reminiscence of several attacks, we are reminded by the attack on Roots FM in 2019 and the several attacks against voices that have been critical on the government”
He used the medium to call on the government of Liberia to reopen Spoon Communications Network.
“SUP uses this medium to call on the government of Liberia to immediately and unconditionally reopen Spoon FM and restore all of its privileges and rights as it should and must enjoy under the Liberian law”
