By Desmond Gbeleh Wion
Monrovia – Information Minister Jerolinmek Piah did not hold back when he spoke at the regular Tuesday press briefing at MICAT. He sharply came down on former CDC Chairman Mulbah Morlu for making what he called dangerous and careless statements that could shake the peace Liberia has been enjoying since the war days.
Piah said Morlu’s recent talk, which has been flying all over Facebook and radio talk shows, is not just ordinary political talk. According to him, Morlu is trying to turn the minds of people against the government by calling for protest and making noise about injustice without showing any clear proof. Piah said this kind of talk can confuse people and bring serious trouble if not stopped.
“Enough is enough,” Minister Piah said. “We can’t keep allowing people—whether they were big people before or not—to just get up and talk recklessly like that. We all suffered during the war. We all know what peace means. Nobody should joke with it.”
Morlu, who used to be CDC’s Chairman, recently jumped into what he now calls civil society work with a group he formed called “Solidarity and Trust for a New Day” or STAND. But instead of doing real advocacy, Minister Piah believes Morlu is just using that name to make himself look clean while he continues to insult and call for protest against the government.
Morlu has been shouting that the government is not doing the right thing and saying Liberians must rise up. But many people are asking: rise up for what? What injustice is he really talking about? Where is the proof? Why should protest be the only thing coming out of his mouth every time he speaks? Some people even believe Morlu is only wishing for the government to fail so he and his people can come back to power.
Minister Piah said this kind of talk is not helping the country. In fact, he said it’s “unpatriotic, irresponsible, and provoking.” Liberia is trying to build strong systems, respect the rule of law, and bring the people together. So, anybody who wants to be a leader should not be using hot words that can cause people to get angry and do things that can break down the peace.
The Minister reminded everyone that the government believes in free speech, but freedom doesn’t mean people should go around spoiling the country with their mouths. If someone has a problem with the government, they should follow the law and use the right way to speak out—not by encouraging protest all the time.
He called on all political leaders, no matter what side they are on, to behave like grown people and not play with the peace of the country just to get attention or power. According to him, leadership is not about shouting on radio and calling for protest every day—it’s about setting good examples and talking sense.
Many pro-democracy groups and some foreign partners have also been watching the situation. They too are worried about the kind of things Morlu has been saying, and they agree that Liberia’s peace must be protected at all cost.
To end his statement, Minister Piah encouraged all Liberians to keep their eyes on development, peace, and unity. He said we should not allow selfish political games to destroy the hard work that has been done since the war ended.
“Liberia is for all of us,” Piah said. “Let’s take care of it. Let’s speak peace, let’s act right, and let’s keep moving forward as one people.”
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