MONROVIA — Following a tragic accident involving President Boakai’s motorcade, which left two people dead, CDC Secretary General Jefferson Tamba Koijee has called for the immediate investigation of EPS Director Sam Gaye for his alleged gross incompetence in running the VIP security agency.
During the early afternoon hours of Wednesday, July 24, 2024, the motorcade of President Joseph Nyuma Boakai was involved in an accident on the Robertsfield Highway outside Monrovia. The incident resulted in at least two deaths and several injuries.
The motorcade was en route to an orphanage dedication ceremony, scheduled at the invitation of the First Lady of Liberia. As the convoy moved toward its destination, a catastrophic collision unfolded, causing immediate chaos and concern.
In response to this incident, Liberia’s major opposition political party, the Congress for Democratic Change (CDC), through its Secretary General Mr. Koijee, attributed the situation to the gross incompetence of the Director of the Executive Protection Service (EPS), the VIP security service of the Liberian presidency.
“Sam Gaye is grossly incompetent and unprofessional in guarding the President and the citizens. These are people who claimed to be more educated to run the affairs of this country than the CDC when we were in power,” he stressed.
Koijee addressed a major news conference at the CDC headquarters in Congo Town late Wednesday evening, stating that the accident was due to the insensitivity of Director Gaye. He added that the EPS boss reportedly failed to show remorse by stopping to check on the welfare of the victims and the families of the deceased.
“This gross insensitivity of Mr. Gaye should not be tolerated in our society; those victims are not chickens but human beings,” Koijee emphasized.
He also indicated that following the incident, the President has reportedly failed to acknowledge the lives that were lost.
“President Boakai should be finding food for the ordinary citizens instead of taking away their lives through his presidential motorcade and hospitalizing others,” the CDC Secretary General noted.
Koijee believes Director Gaye should be aware of the risk management associated with a presidential motorcade, noting that the recent accident has exposed his weaknesses and unfitness to head the VIP security institution professionally and properly.
At the same time, Jefferson Tamba Koijee urged the Liberia National Police to remain professional and avoid politicizing the invitation extended to three top former officials of the ex-CDC government.
The Liberia National Police has reignited the investigation into the suspicious death of Emmanuel Barthan Nyeswa, former Director General of the Internal Audit Agency, naming several key former officials of the government as persons of interest in these renewed investigations.
The former top government officials include ex-Finance Minister Samuel Tweah, former Health Minister Dr. Wilhelmina Jallah, Senator Bill Twehway, and Teakon Williams.
Others named as persons of interest include Cllr. Norris Tweah, Dr. Emmanuel Wreh, Mr. James Thompson, Ms. Tina J. Mort, Mr. Gibson H. Tumbay, Mr. Robert S.M. Ketter, Mr. Musa Sesay, Ms. Hawa Mienwipia, Ms. Florence Zeanbaon, and Mr. Joe Tokpah.
Mr. Koijee maintained that Tweah, Twehway, Dr. Jallah, and others are presumed innocent under Liberian law until proven guilty.
He, however, informed the LNP that the CDC is in full support of any transparent and non-partisan investigation but warned that the investigators should not be used to implement a political goal for the Unity Party-led government.
“The President and the LNP are given the opportunity to do the needful as the individuals are presumed innocent until found guilty,” he said.
According to him, the CDC as a party, and its standard bearer, former President George Manneh Weah, have spoken to the named individuals to cooperate with the police.
Meanwhile, the CDC chief scribe described Liberia’s 177th Independence Day celebration, slated for Friday, July 26, as a mournful holiday.
According to him, there is nothing for the citizens to be happy about in celebrating the nation’s independence, outlining abject poverty, severe hunger, and lack of job opportunities, coupled with tragic deaths, as justification for his statement.
“It is very clear that there is nothing happy about this July 26 to celebrate. If someone is not killed, then they are suffering from hunger while others on the other side are mourning their loved ones and family members being killed by the presidential motorcade.”
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