JOINT PRESS STATEMENT MAY 5, 2010 Of Chiefs, Elders, Women & Youth Numoweh & Kudemoweh Chiefdoms

Concerned Citizens Action Committee of MARYLAND (ccac)

Maryland Avenue, Harper City, Maryland County

CELL: + 231. 666.6957/771.70498

 

JOINT PRESS STATEMENT MAY 5, 2010

Of

Chiefs, Elders, Women & Youth Numoweh & Kudemoweh Chiefdoms

Fellow comrades, Government officials present, members of the senior staff of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), members of other International nongovernmental and Human Rights organizations, members of the Media, fellow Compatriots, Brothers & Sisters, Ladies and Gentlemen:

We thank all of you for granting us an audience by accepting our invitation to be here with us today during our Press Conference being held in the Hall of the Catholic Mission. We want to use this time and occasion to express our strongest distaste and discontent with the unjust, unlawful activities of the Government of the Republic of Liberia and its accomplices against our people.

We wish to thank UNMIL for its ongoing advisory role to the Liberian government and our people during these difficult times.  We also thank The Catholic Justice & Peace Commission (JPC) and the Center for Sustainable Human Development Inc. including other Human Rights organizations that we cannot name for lack of space and time. Indeed, we are grateful to all the people of Maryland and the Republic of Liberia for their ongoing support during these difficult times.  We welcome you all to this Press Conference.

Who are we and what do we stand for?

The Concerned Citizens Action Committee of Maryland County, shortly referred to as, CCAC, is a representation of the people of the Kudemoweh and Numoweh chiefdoms of the Harper District of Maryland County. We are the voice of both Chiefdoms. We were established in March, 2010. We are a creation of the arbitrary, unconstitutional and unlawful arrests of Maryland citizens couple with the reckless behavior of both National and local governments in the recent ritualistic killing case in the County. Our purpose is to protect the interests of both Chiefdoms and all Marylanders in all matters affecting them and to attain their freedom from all discriminatory laws and actions whatsoever. To this end, since our establishment, we have endeavored by every constitutional method to bring to the notice of the Government and international community the legitimate demands of peace-loving and law-abiding Maryland citizens, especially those who have been arbitrarily arrested and arbitrarily detained. We have also repeatedly pressed, in particular, the inherent rights of those comrades of ours to be directly represented in all court proceedings regarding the false incrimination and imprisonment of the arrestees.

This attitude to form the CCAC is a demonstration not only of the willingness and readiness of peace-loving Kudemoweh and Numoweh citizens and residents to cooperate with the Government but also evidence of our sincere desire for peace, harmony, friendship, justice and tolerance amongst all sections of our population.

Now let’s begin to deal with the Issue before us:

First, let’s make it very clear to the whole world and the people of Liberia that we categorically condemn, in no uncertain terms, the barbaric acts of ritualistic killings with all the emphasis we can command. No one has the right to murder another person. PERIOD!

In the event murder is committed, it is our strongest belief the accused killer MUST be immediately arrested under the guidance of our Constitution. The accused MUST be given a Speedy & Fair Trial under the Law of Due Process. If that person is convicted through a competent court of jurisdiction, we believe the Law of the land should and MUST take its course.

Equally so, we openly and, without mixing words, condemn with all the emphasis we can command, the arbitrary arrest of any citizen and/or resident on cardboard box evidence especially so, when the arrest is determined by a juju man’s “mojo.”.

It is in this spirit we encourage both the Government and people to respect human life and the Rule of Law. 

Recently, the Government of Liberia exercised a repressive policy of arbitrary arrest, imprisonment, segregation and Gestapo-styled tactics of treatment of our people in Maryland County. The Government continues to insult and degrade our citizens and residents that have been arbitrarily arrested and unlawfully detained by depriving them of their fundamental human and constitutional rights enjoyed by all democratic people around the world. The Government categorically rejects offers to respect the Constitution of this Republic and grant the accused their human and constitutional rights. The consequence, therefore, has been the gradual worsening of human relations in Maryland County and a rising tide of bitterness and tension. Such a position by the Government has aggravated our people more when it clandestinely, under the cover of darkness, removed the accused from where they were held in prison to an unknown destination for unknown reasons.

In this situation, we have realized that the cumulative Gestapo tactics of the Government shows that its sole intent is to crush potential and emerging leaders of our County. We believe the Government’s intent in this case is to also destroy the economic position of all of those citizens who strongly and openly oppose bad governance in the County. We also realize the Government is making assiduous efforts to deny these emerging leaders the full capacity to seek elective positions in the upcoming election of 2011. We consider this approach by Government as a Gestapo tactic employed by Hitler Germany prior to the World War to silence its opponents. This Government tactic is also meant to prevent the unity and development of our County and people especially the Kudemoweh and Numoweh chiefdoms and at the same time, humiliate them by charging its children of million of “crimes” committed many years ago.

We have no doubt in our minds that this current wave of arbitrary arrests in Maryland is politically motivated. It is a fear and smear tactic employed by both the Government and the Maryland Legislative Caucus to suppress our good leaders from challenging those who have currently failed us.

The following points summarize the events that raised our eyebrows:

1.     A month before the arrest of the accused, threatening cell phone texts (SMS) were sent to a selected few. The messages claimed the selected few who received those messages were “killers.” And that they were already known by the Government. The messages continued by saying the selected individuals would be arrested in due course. Suddenly, a witch doctor arrived in Harper City and remained in the City for close to a week without being monitored. Soon he employed his magic pen. His magic pen only was able to identify the selected individuals who received threatening text messages prior to his coming. As strange as it was, all the arbitrary arrests were immediately closed as soon as all the selected names were arrested and jailed.

2.     Was it by accident that at the completion of the arbitrary arrests 7 Kudemoweh and 7 Numoweh citizens were in police custody? How and who obtained such a strange balance of citizens from both chiefdoms? Notice, these two Chiefdoms have been under intense pressure by the Government and Caucus for a protracted period of time. Why? Because there’s a thinking in the Caucus and some local government quarters that the Numoweh and Kudemoweh chiefdoms do enjoy most of the better jobs in the County. And that these two chiefdoms hold almost all the best educated persons in the County. Strangely indeed, this Government and Caucus strongly share the belief that all possible contenders for elective posts in 2011 would definitely come from both Chiefdoms. And so to keep them out of the race, they had to employ the Gestapo tactics of Hitler Germany: purge them!

3.     During these arbitrary arrests, only Cllr. Fulton Yancy’s house was searched. When he was taken to court after mounting pressure from the people and Defense Counsel, the Circuit Court considered the search unlawful and illegal. Why did the witchdoctor refuse to search the homes of the balance 16 men and one woman? Was the Government only aiming at Cllr. Yancy alone? If so, why? Well, Cllr. Yancy was set free on Bail until reports surrounding items supposedly collected from his home are professionally examined and made available to the Court.

4.     The witch doctor coming to Harper to perform his mojo was a unilateral decision made by few individuals in the Caucus and local Government along with their friends. The entire County and its civil society were not contacted. So no civil society member agreed to the selection of the witch doctor or partook in the events producing the witch doctor.

5.     The witch doctor performed behind close-door. Besides those who brought him to Harper (some Caucus members and some Local government officials), he did not perform for anyone else to see how he derived at the selected names and/or conclusions. This act troubles the mind of every civilize man and woman on earth!

6.     The witch-doctor’s magic pen understandably named all the culprits but did not remember the name of the Nigerian pastor. If the pen has such magical power to write the full names of those arrested, how come it could not write down the name of the Nigerian pastor? Did it forget? Or those who gave the names did not know the name of the Nigerian pastor?

7.      In the beginning, the Liberian Government informed everyone that Madam Doeayenen Landford was its “Best” witness who is or was an “eyewitness” to the murder. But when she appeared in Court, she said she did not see anyone or anything. And she asked that nobody should force her to lie on anyone that she did not see commit murder. To date, the lady is now a suspect instead of being a “State witness” in the case. Why? Is it because she refused to read the government’s script and refused to falsely accuse innocent people? To date, Madam Doeayene Landford is also languishing in incommunicado.

8.     Amb. H. Dan Morais was arrested along with others and kept in jail for more than 72 hours without a charge. His and others’ constitutional rights were violated. When pressure came to bear on the Government of the Republic of Liberia from the people and legal defense, the Government decided to set them free. Why in the process of setting Ambassador Morias free, he was immediately arrested again for the “murder” of one Alphonso Chelleh. This case of Alphonso Chelleh was never mentioned while the Ambassador was unlawfully and illegally jailed. But as soon as the Government found that it had no reason to hold him in jail, it manufactured one case under the cardboard box. The case was then taken to court. The Harper Magisterial Court found no merits in the case. And so it dismissed the charges and set the Ambassador free. Then another attempt to rearrest him and others was made for the murder of another person. This time, they dragged in the case of the “murder” of Madam Tumu Weade Allison. Understandably, she was murdered on Lake Sheppard. All in all, the Government witch-hunting and launching political smear tactics continued.

9.     Mr. Roland Barlea is one of the followers of the witch doctor and one of those who secretly brought him into Harper to perform his magic. Mr. Barlea and one of the accused (Lancelot Clarke) were coworkers at the J. J. Dossen Memorial Hospital in Harper. Mr. Barlea was chief administrator and Lancelot Clarke was maintenance supervisor. But a problem developed at the Hospital that involved Mr. Barlea. An investigation was conducted by the Hospital and the Liberia National Police. Mr. Barlea was found guilty for motor cycle theft. Immediately Mr. Barlea was suspended for time indefinite. The Hospital appointed Mr. Clarke as acting administrator. Since then, Mr. Barlea has developed hatred for Mr. Clarke. As a result, he pointed Mr. Clarke out for crime of murder to the witch-doctor during the arrests. As a result of Mr. Barlea’s involvement and influence over the witch-doctor, Mr. Lancelot Clarke is now in prison. Is this the respect for Rule of Law or Gestapo tactics?

10.                        On February 5, 2010 a letter was written. The letter requested the immediate removal from office of Hon. Alfred T. Thompson, district commissioner of the Harper District. The letter stated clearly that the reason for the request to remove Hon. Thompson was that he (Hon. Thompson) was “inactive” in joining the secret effort to arrest citizens who occupy very important jobs in the Harper District. The author of the letter is a staunch member of one of the disgruntled groups friendly with the witch-doctor. As a result of this letter, Hon. A. T. Thompson is now incriminated and now languishing in prison unjustly.  

11.                        Just about this same time when the arbitrary arrest was ongoing, Hons. Gloria Scott and John Ballout were in Maryland. These elected officials have never cared to come to Harper at anytime when citizens were murdered. But this time, considering their connection with the witch-doctor and gearing up in a campaign mood and wanting to crush their potential opponents, they arrived in Maryland and took part in the arrest one way or the other. They embarked upon speaking engagements inciting citizens to riot if the accused were ever released from jail. In fact, our investigation tells us that these two Senators deceived President Sirleaf into believing Harper City was on fire and that the youths were burning houses in opposition to the possible release of the detainees. When the Police arrived from Monrovia to Harper, Harper City was as cool as a watermelon. The Police realized there was no riots and violence in the City. What the Senators said was a total a lie! Why are these two Senators deeply involved in these sad developments and using Gestapo tactics of Hitler Germany? SIMPLE! They are looking forward to re-election. And because they are unpopular, they MUST purge everyone else and keep the County under fear.

The CCAC of Maryland representing the people of the Kudemoweh and Numoweh chiefdoms cannot remain silent on an issue like this that is a matter of life and death to our people and patrimony; to do so would be to betray the trust and confidence placed in us by our people.

At a recent Conference held from the 27th to the 29^th April this year in Bigtown,

Hoffman Station, the whole policy of the Government to continually & arbitrarily

arrest our citizens and residents on cardboard box evidence and through a juju

man’s “mojo” was reviewed and after serious and careful consideration of the

matter, the Conference unanimously resolved to call upon the Government of the

 Republic of Liberia, as we hereby do today, to discontinue the arbitrary arrests by

NOT LATER THAN THE 9^th DAY OF MAY, 2010. Failing to do so, CCAC will hold

protest meetings and demonstrations on dates of our own choosing as a prelude

 to the implementation of the plan for the defiance of unjust laws.

1. We pledge to continue promoting the consolidation of democratic norms, values, and institutions throughout the County and to enhance accountability and respect for individual & Human rights.

2.  We are determined to rid our county of any manner of ritualistic killings and disrespect for Law and Order.  We acknowledge President Ellen’s Commitment and Oath to uphold, Defend and Protect the Constitution of this Republic. We further ask her to commit herself to the harmonization of our African culture with Eurocentric ideas consistent with global standards for the advancement of people

3.  We agree to increase cooperation efforts between all the Districts of Maryland as well as all ethnic groupings.  We commit to strengthen this cooperation by engaging all members of the society including academic institution.  We also commit to strengthen human relations to meet the demands of the 21st century through partnering with academic institutions and non-governmental groups as well as through skills training for youth

4. We declare our intention to oppose the Maryland Legislative wicked tactics to divide our people and sow seeds of disunity in our various communities.  

5.   We are disheartened by the ongoing Gestapo tactics of the National

Government, hands-in-gloves with our Legislative Caucus to unlawfully arrest,

detained; remove our citizens to unknown destinations. These citizens exercise

their constitutional, democratic and human rights to compete in the business

sector and vie for elective and/or appointed post in and outside government.

What’s wrong when they compete so much so the Government takes offense?

6.  On the occasion of the clandestine removal of our relatives, love ones and

law-abiding citizens and residents accused of murder to a far away distance from

us, when as a matter of fact and record they have not been provided Due Process as provided under our constitution, we condemn both the National government and  our Legislative Caucus for instituting the activities of Hitler Germany which is fear terrorism.

We are prepared to take our Local & Legislative leaders up to task. We strongly believe they are behind this entire hullabaloo. They need to come clean! Our investigation proves that they are working with disgruntled elements in our community. And the intent of these disgruntled elements is to sow seeds of disunity amongst our people. We believe the National government, local government and Legislative Caucus are executing the plans of these disgruntled elements just to undermine development and progress in the County. 

We believe the Maryland Legislative Caucus deceived President Sirleaf to appoint our current Superintendent, Hon. Gblebo Brown. It is open secret that Hon. Betsy Kuoh from the Barrobo District was set to become the next Superintendent of Maryland. To our utmost surprise and dismay, President Sirleaf appointed Hon. Gblebo Brown due to the fact that the chair of the caucus misinformed the President. She said that Marylanders rejected madam Kouh. The appointment Of Hon. Gblebo Brown was not up to the taste of majority of the citizenry of Maryland. But we accepted the appointment on grounds the Constitution provides that the President can appoint whomever s/he deems fit for the job. But since the appointment of Hon. Gblebo Brown, the County has been on the verge of severe problems, division and chaos.

In closing, we are determined to take those involved in dividing our county and imposing terrorists activities upon our people up to task.

Until justice is done, the struggle remains unabated!