David Farhat advises Former Prez Weah.

Former President George Weah has been warned not to allow ‘surrogates’ to cause him to lose respect in the Liberian society. 

By Naneka A. Hoffman

Monrovia, Liberia, July 19, 2024 – Former Finance Minister David M. Farhat cautions former President George Weah not to allow himself to be used by surrogates to lose his respect in Liberian society.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with The NEW DAWN on Thursday, July 18, 2024, in Monrovia, Mr. Farhart said former President Weah had played his role for the Liberian people after serving as President for six years and is a former African and World Best Soccer Player.

He explains that the actions of partisans and supporters of the former ruling Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) cost Mr. Weah to lose the 2023 General and Presidential elections, so he should take a cue from that and properly govern himself and move forward.

He calls on the Boakai administration to step up its gain by properly governing the state and its people to prevent the country from degenerating into chaos because the Liberian people have suffered ever so much as a result of fourteen years of civil conflict.

Mr. Farhat wants former President Weah and the authorities of the Roberts International Airport (RIA), through the Liberian government, to perfectly coordinate the usage of the VIP Lounge at the RIA instead of engaging in acts that tend to disrupt peace in the country.

He says the House of Representatives has since summoned key officials from the Ministries of Defense and Justice, along with the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) leadership, the Presidential Security Advisor, and the AFL Commander at the Roberts International Airport. 

“They are to address the controversial deployment of AFL soldiers during the arrival of former President George Weah on Saturday, July 13, 2024”, he says.

Brigadier General Davidson Fayiah Forleh, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia, has stated that the AFL High Command unauthorized the deployment.

Information Minister Jerolinmek Matthew Piah on Tuesday, July 16, said members of the former ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) had threatened to burn down the airport if they were not allowed to welcome former President Weah, which prompted a need for security intervention.

According to Minister Piah, a large crowd of CDC supporters attempted to force their way onto the runway to greet the former president. In response to these threats, AFL officers, along with the Police and Emergency Response Unit (ERU), were deployed to manage the situation. 

However, this action has sparked significant criticism from the CDC, arguing that President Joseph Boakai’s current government is jeopardizing national peace and security.

Notwithstanding, Mr. Farhat urges Liberians to protect the peace the country has enjoyed over the years, lamenting that since the end of the senseless civil war in 2003, nothing has improved over the years. Editing by Jonathan Browne