Dr. Fahnbulleh Designated To Represent Gov't At Town hall Meeting Sunday In DC
January 14, 2008/
FrontpageAfrica.com
Monrovia – In the aftermath of the
recent controversy stemming from a
purported memo linking several
Diaspora Liberians to a plot to
unseat the Unity Party-led
government, the National Security
Advisor to President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf,
Dr. H. Boimah Fahnbulleh has been
designated to represent the Liberian
government in a Jan. 20 town hall
meeting with Diaspora Liberians,
FrontPageAfrica has learned.
Liberian Ambassador to the US, Charles
Minor is expected to engage Liberians
from across the US at a town hall
meeting where he will address some of
the concerns that have gripped the
community in the last few weeks. The
leadership of Liberian Community
Association of the Washington DC Metro
area (LCA), which is spearheading the
meeting, has asked Amb. Minor to engage
Liberians in a bid to address mounting
concerns amongst Liberians over the
controversy regarding a memo. “Mr. Minor
has agreed to attend,” Boniface Satu,
LCA President confirmed the Ambassador's
attendance to FPA.
He said the Liberian Embassy welcomed
the invitation and indicated that senior
Liberian government officials have
consequently been dispatched by her
President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to also
address the gathering at the at Long
Branch Community Center 8700 Piney
Branch Road Silver Spring, Maryland
20903 Sunday, January 20, 2008 at 4:00pm
est.
Satu noted that considering the
increasing nervousness and fear
engendered by the recent controversy and
revelations, the LCA leadership deemed
it appropriate at this time that the
Embassy avail itself to the people to
allay their concerns. He said the
gathering will afford members of the
Liberian community across the United
States an opportunity to express their
views and hear from the Government of
Liberia on actions taken to curb the
unwholesome practice of labeling law
abiding citizens as adversaries of the
state, among other concerns.
Fahnbulleh, it can be recalled also
headed a Presidential probe into
last year’s fracas at the Freeport
of Monrovia but his recommendation
calling for the dismissal of Police
Director Munah Sieh fell on deaf
ears. It is not clear what impact
his presence would make in the
current controversy.
Ironically, Fahnbulleh was one of
many named by Retired Col. Andrew
Dorbor in his recent testimony in
the coup plot trial. Dorbor claims
he was forced to implicate several
opposition polticians into a plot to
unseat the government. Besides
Fahnbulleh Dorbor also
named Congress for Democratic Change
(CDC) Standard Bearer, George Weah;
the First Partisan of the Liberty
Party (LP), Cllr. Charles Brumskine
and the first Partisan of the
Liberia Action Party (LAP), Cllr.
Varney Sherman as those he should
have linked to the coup plot. Others
who should have been implicated,
according to Dorbor are Nimba County
Senior Senator, Prince Johnson;
Foreign Minister of the erstwhile
transitional government, Thomas Yaya
Nimley; the Standard Bearer of the
All Liberia Coalition Party (ALCOP),
Alhaji Kromah and the former Speaker
of the House of Representatives,
Edwin Snowe. Dorbor also named Dr.
Togba Nah Tipoteh, former LURD
Commander, Joe Wylie, and a former
army officer, Edward Slanger as
others on the list. He also named
retired Gen. Charles Julu, Col.
Willie Gibson, Col. Sekou Sheriff,
Cols. Jallah, Boye, Col. Wolor Nagbe
as of the AFL officers he should
have linked to the plot. Tubman was
one few prominent former
presidential candidates left off
Dorbor’s list.
The
meeting comes as the Union of
Liberians in the United States pile
pressure on the Sirleaf
administration to address the
concerns being expressed by many
Liberians. The spy memo allegedly
written by J. Christopher Nippy,
First Councilor for Diaspora and
Political Affairs, is causing
jitters and bringing dreadful
reminders of the past.
In the aftermath of the spy memo
controversy, several Liberian
organizations, including ULAA have
been contemplating a massive
demonstration. While ULAA says it
welcomes the government’s decision
to discuss the matter, the
organization’s President Emmanuel
Wettee says those options are still
open for such activity to take
place, but insists that the Union
will pursue dialogue as a surest way
to shun any form of negative
confrontation.
Nippy has since been recalled to
Monrovia, but remains employed at
the embassy.
Nippy allegedly wrote a damning memo
in which he alleged “subversive”
activities, and accused certain
prominent individuals, including
opposition politicians as
masterminds behind the purported
plot against the Ellen-led
government.
However, the Liberian government
quickly clarified it was not engage
in any form of witch-hunting its
citizen, but a young Liberian
businessman, only named as Williams
of Bristol, Pennsylvania believes
going back to Liberia at this time,
“especially when you are a
politician or a critic of the
government will be like taking a
risk.”
The planned town hall meeting
organized by the Liberian community
Association in the DC metro area,
which will feature Ambassador Minor
and some Liberian government
officials as they engage concerned
Liberians from across the country.
Wettee plans to be there and is
expected to deliver a key statement
at the meeting which is planned for
Maryland/DC town on January 20th.”
Wettee has underscored the
importance of the meeting, saying
the need for Liberians to regain
trust in their government and the
Embassy in the post-spy memo saga is
crucial. According to Wettee, the
current situation brewing between
the Liberian Mission and the
Liberians has in no way soured “our
relationship with the government,
but we are taking these steps to
ensure that our government is being
fair with us. If we get
good security in place and we
believe in our government, we can
work together fine. We think the
aftermath of this incident will
yield fruitful result for all
involved,” Wettee observed. He
disclosed that discussions about
pending joint projects with the
Embassy, including immigration are
being held back due to this current
situation.
Additionally, the ULAA Executive
said the Union is “profoundly
troubled” by the lack of action by
the Embassy and the Government of
Liberia in assuaging the concerns
engendered by its communication to
the government recently. He noted
that the failure to address these
issues may have serious implications
for the interaction of “our people
with the Embassy and thus undermine
efforts in emboldening Diaspora
Liberians to return home and
contribute to the rebuilding process
of Liberia.”
Source: FrontPageAfrica
