By Cllr. Aloysius Toe
Recent mass protests in Liberia, far from being a force for social change and societal transformation, have become a lucrative industry for belly-politicians and a commercial theatre for political showmanship, grandstanding and showboating -without any legitimacy and substance. Such is the pending July 17, 2025 mass protest in Liberia.
History has taught us that for the masses of people to be organized and gathered to protest, the ‘objective conditions’ for protest must exist, and the organizers or leaders must be change-agents, transformative figures or individuals with impeccable character, with at least a minimum history of fair and honest dealing. In Liberia, the opposite is true! The so-called July 17 protest lacks any objective condition; and the leaders of the protest, including their sponsors and financiers, are individuals who have plundered this country, produced and distributed poverty, hardship and sufferings among the masses of our people.
Even if the Liberian people have legitimate grievances against their government, the current leaders of the protest are in no position to hijack the struggle of the Liberian people for personal gains and self-glorification. As it stands, the current leaders of the protest have no micro-inch of moral spine, and the protest itself lacks moral and political legitimacy. Individuals who plundered and pillaged the resources of this country, and by those actions, threw this country ten (10) years backwards, and who should have been behind bars but are not, should not be organizing protest, but rather SHUT UP, repent, seek forgiveness and “go and sin no more.”
It is an incontrovertible fact, that for a mass protest to be justified, objective conditions must be present and demanding. For example, there must be widespread political, economic and social grievances such as bad governance, lack of the rule of law, massive corruption, social injustice, cultural discrimination, and economic inequality. These conditions must be so prevalent and common among the citizens, and the government must show no willingness to address them, so that the only option and last resort available to propel the citizens is to rise up and challenge the status quo in a nonviolent peaceful protest. This is currently not the case with Liberia.
It is true that Liberia faces challenges in its governance system, corruption, limited access to justice, and economic hardship and the government is slow in addressing these problems, as expected by the people. However, these national problems do not rise to the level and scale that would warrant a group of citizens, recently ousted out of power through democratic elections, but desperate to return to power and continue their looting spree, to initiate and stage anarchy, under the pretext and guise of mass protest. Secondly these problems are not without redress from the current government. The current government is ensuring separation of power as a necessary sine qua non to good governance; investigating corruption and suspending current officials; prosecuting former officials on corruption charges whose investigations have been completed; have launched investigations into mysterious deaths. These are all laudable efforts, on which the government must be demanded to improve, instead instigating public disorder.
Moreover, these very conditions, were inherited and are being addressed by the current government are not their own making These conditions were created and contributed to by the Ellen and Weah government, from whence cometh the organizers of the protest. I admit that few elements in the current government are repeating the same corrupt acts of past government. But President Boakai has publicly suspended them and turned them over for investigation and possible prosecution. This is public knowledge.
It is no secret that the UP Government of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf massively looted and sold the future of this country, while the CDC Government of George Weah literally depleted the financial resources and destroyed the governance systems of this country on an industrial-scale, like some demonic suction tube. These colossal and devastating damages would require the current govern and any future government, at least ten (10) to fifteen (15) years of focused and strategic governance to repair and fix. It’s not an over-night thing. Let’s be realistic and practical. Everything should not be viewed through partisan lenses. The scale of damage done to the country by Ellen and Weah governments is massive. It is perplexing, if not heartbreaking, to see individuals who should actually be placed behind bars for looting this country, surfacing as leaders of “mass protest.”
How can the leaders of the mass protest explain to the Liberian people, and expect a quick fix from the current government, when under their watch (protest leaders) between 2018 and 2023, the Central Bank of Liberia expended close to One Billion United States of public money in a form and manner that violated all Liberian financial laws, and did not comply with basic international accounting practices, procedures and standards; and the money may have either been misappropriated, abused, stolen or diverted, according GAC Report? IS THAT WHY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? WHEN HAS ENOUGH BECOME ENOUGH?
How can the leaders of the mass protest explain to the Liberian people, and expect a quick fix from the current government, that under their watch (protest leaders), US$25 million dollars for mop-up exercise and LD$16 Billion Dollars vanished in thin air, into private pockets? IS THAT WHY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? WHEN HAS ENOUGH BECOME ENOUGH?
How can the leaders of the mass protest explain to the Liberian people, and expect a quick fix from the current government, that their government (protest leaders) connived and conspired with a foreign corporation to sign off national assets that has resulted into an annual revenue loss of US$4.6million to a single public corporation, to be continued for the fifteen years, while these profits are siphoned in the financial havens of protest leaders’ benefactor?. IS THAT WHY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? WHEN HAS ENOUGH BECOME ENOUGH?
How can the leaders of the mass protest explain to the Liberian people, and expect a quick fix from the current government, that under their watch (protest leaders), Liberia became a business hub for international drug-trafficking and money laundering and a business destination for terrorist organizations? IS THAT WHY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? WHEN HAS ENOUGH BECOME ENOUGH?
How can the leaders of the mass protest explain to the Liberian people, and expect a quick fix from the current government, that under their watch (protest leaders), they abused the rule of law and persecuted Alexander B. Cummings, Daniel Naatehn and Aloysius? IS THAT WHY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? WHEN HAS ENOUGH BECOME ENOUGH?
How can the leaders of the mass protest explain to the Liberian people, and expect a quick fix from the current government, that under their watch (protest leaders), the following innocent Liberians were murdered in cold blood for political reasons and others disappeared without trace, and no investigation or prosecution was initiated. Where was their “rule of law?” IS THAT WHY ENOUGH IS ENOUGH? WHEN HAS ENOUGH BECOME ENOUGH?
WHERE IS:
1.John Hilary Tubman, son of former Pres. Tubman –murdered. I want to know.
2.Rev. William R. Tolbert III, son of former Pres. Tolbert – murdered. I want to know.
3.Matthew Innis of the Central Bank, believed to possess information about missing 16 billion – murdered. I want to know.
4.Kollie Ballah, driver at Central Bank who transported the 16 billion – murdered. I want to know.
5.Miss Maude Elliot of the Immigration Service – murdered. I want to know.
6.Emmanuel Barten Nyesuah head of the Internal Audit Agency – murdered. I want to know.
7.Gifty Asmah Lama auditor of the LRA – murdered. I want to know.
8.Albert Peters auditor of the LRA – murdered. I want to know.
9.George Fanbutu auditor of the LRA -murdered. I want to know.
10. Alexander Yeahnur in Rivergee – murdered. I want to know.
11. Eliza Robert in Maryland – murdered. I want to know.
12. Madam Hawa in Cape Mount – murdered. I want to know.
13. Mulbah Kunyon in Cape Mount – murdered. I want to know.
14. Afoa Williams D#9 montserrado county – murdered. I want to know.
15. Ma Nowai in Johnsonville – murdered. I want to know.
16. Siafa of St. Moses employees death mystery – disappeared without trace. I want to know.
17. Robert Blamo Jr St. Moses employees death mystery – disappeared without trace. I want to know.
18. Blama of the St. Moses employees death mystery – disappeared without trace. I want to know.
19. Odell Sherman – murdered. I want to know.
The administrations of Ellen and Weah did far worst damage to this country than the current Boakai government. Compared, the Boakai government has demonstrated more practical seriousness in addressing corruption, promoting accountability and managing public resources than the Ellen and Weah administrations. The Boakai government is prosecuting more government officials on corruption allegations than the Ellen and Weah government combined. This Boakai government, without resources, is the only government that took practical and tangible actions to address war crimes and asset recovery, while the Ellen and Weah governments refused to do, even though they had the means and resources. This government has suspended more of its own officials on allegations of corruption than the Ellen and Weah governments combined. So when has ENOUGH BECOME ENOUGH?
The scale of damage done to this country by the Ellen and Weah governments will take the current government or any future government (without repeating the same conduct) at least 10 to 15 years to stabilize. We need to brace ourselves and manage our expectations. Those who are agitating today are the ones who created and contributed to the current mess.
Therefore, reckless anarchy, cushioned as mass protest, is not the answer. Alternative policy proposals to the government, direct engagement through dialogue, and public criticisms or collective partnership with government to right to wrong, is the answer. NO TO MASS PROTEST.
While we uphold the rights of Liberians to exercise their constitutional right to protest, we detest and reject any tendency to leverage mass protest, not for the interest of the suffering Liberian masses, but to serve the narrow, parochial, selfish and individual financial and social-status interests of the organizers.
Albeit, we urge the Liberian government and the Liberian National Police to uphold the law, and at the same time protect the rights of anyone, who out of ignorance, would join the meaningless mass protest.
[1] The views expressed herein are my individual and personal views, and do not represent the views of any political, corporate, social, international or professional organization with which I am associated.
