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EPS cracking down on dissent, targeting former VP?

by Lennart Dodoo
May 1, 2025
in News, UPDATE
Reading Time: 3 mins read
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EPS cracking down on dissent, targeting former VP?

MONROVIA — The Citizens Movement for Change (CMC) has strongly condemned the Executive Protection Service’s recent announcement that it will withdraw protection from individuals accused of inciting insurrection, calling the move a dangerous abuse of power and an attack on Liberia’s democracy.

In a statement released Wednesday, the CMC accused the EPS of issuing “a politically charged and unconstitutional threat” that targets former high-ranking officials, including former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor, for expressing dissenting views.

“The arbitrary threat to revoke protection from former officials, based on vague and unsubstantiated claims of political speech, is not only unconstitutional — it is a clear abuse of executive power,” said CMC Secretary General Wilfred Nehwon Bangura I. “Criticism is not insurrection, and opposition is not rebellion.”

EPS Statement Sparks Outrage

The backlash follows an April 30 statement issued by EPS Director Sam Gaye, in which the agency said it would terminate VIP protection for any protectee who “advocates for insurrection, rebellion, or violent protest against the Government of Liberia.”

Though the EPS did not mention any names, the timing and tone of the statement were widely viewed as a direct response to remarks made by former Vice President Howard-Taylor, who recently warned at an opposition event that the country risked descending into chaos if constitutional order continues to be ignored.

“We can agree to follow a path of chaos or maintain calm,” Howard-Taylor had said, “but the choice is in the hands of the president.”

CMC Denounces Political Intimidation

The CMC, which has positioned itself as a rising opposition force, said the EPS’s posture reflects a growing trend of political intimidation under the Unity Party-led government.

“We remind the EPS and the Boakai administration that the Constitution guarantees due process and equal protection under the law,” Bangura said. “No citizen, regardless of political status, should be stripped of public services without a hearing or legal justification.”

He called on the National Legislature to investigate the EPS directive and urged the Judiciary to defend the constitutional rights of all citizens. The party also appealed to civil society and international stakeholders to speak out against “creeping authoritarianism.”

ALCOP Escalates Political Tension

Ansu Dulleh, chairman of the All Liberian Coalition Party (ALCOP)—a party in alliance with the ruling Unity Party—took aim at Howard-Taylor’s warning, declaring during a weekend political event that ALCOP “is also a master of chaos.”

“You cannot make us scared with chaos,” Dulleh said. “We are also masters of chaos. And so, we do not want to go that route anymore.”

Dulleh’s comments have raised eyebrows, especially in light of ALCOP’s founding by the late Alhaji G.V. Kromah, a former warlord and key figure in Liberia’s civil conflict. Kromah led the ULIMO-K faction during the first civil war, and while his forces opposed Charles Taylor’s NPFL, they were also accused of serious wartime abuses.

Although ALCOP has since operated as a civilian party, its militarized origins make Dulleh’s remarks a source of public concern. Some observers view his statement as an indirect threat meant to deter opposition rhetoric.

Boakai Government Under Scrutiny

President Joseph Boakai has remained largely silent on the controversy. However, his administration has consistently emphasized its commitment to stability and good governance. Following a recent Supreme Court ruling reaffirming Speaker Fonati Koffa’s leadership in the House of Representatives, Boakai stated that his administration would work with the existing quorum of lawmakers to ensure effective governance.

Critics, however, argue that the EPS’s move and ALCOP’s rhetoric paint a troubling picture.

“The Citizens Movement for Change will continue to resist any form of political bullying,” Bangura said. “We stand firmly for constitutional order, peace, and justice in our country.”

Tags: Citizens Movement for Changecrackdown on dissentEPS controversyJewel Howard-TaylorJoseph BoakaiLiberia politicspolitical intimidationSam GayeUnity Party
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Lennart Dodoo

Lennart Dodoo

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