Correct the Records, Change the Lying Mission & Halt the Destructive Crusade

Finally, it is worth emphasizing that in this critical stretch of our body politics, we draw our utmost concern to matters of relevance, especially when inflammatory narratives show up in the media against prominent people whose futures are seen as a threat to others and are targeted. The Liberian people have resolved to exorcise people who attempt to unnecessarily seize a ground that will serve as a conduit for anti-regime surrogates to share their negative agenda with the young people and hone their aggressive political plot as they see fit under the conditions that work best for them and in a safe space free from systems of oppression that existed in various places during their time in power under the Unity Party-led government.

This, we are ecstatic to share with the Liberian people, something which has unfortunately been overlooked and narrated negatively through different headlines, and at this critical point, we have chosen to place our emphasis on the former Truth and Reconciliation Council Chair, Jerome J Verdier Sr., who spewed out recently a planet of lies and allegations against the Mayor of Monrovia and Secretary General of the ruling CDC, Jefferson T. Koijee.

We all saw or heard the misleading stories about Mayor Koijee being connected to an attack on the home of former Chief Justice Cllr. Gloria Musu Scott. The news coverage and social media posts contain falsehoods and disinformation generated and hyped up by right-wing zealots headed by Jerome Verdier, the former TRC Chair. The Monrovia City Mayor has sent a communication to the Minister of Justice and informed his lawyers at home and abroad who are busy at work to take Verdier to legal tasks.

On that note, we are poised to call Verdier to order, echo a cease and desist, and demand he corrects the records, change the lying mission, and halt the destructive crusade. It can be recalled that in October 2011, Verdier accused his wife Mawah Kamara, and former President Sirleaf, of wanting to kill him and his eldest son Jerome Verdier Jr., either by poisons, rituals, or black magic. When confronted legally, he absconded the country and used the arrest and subsequent detainment of Judge Blamo Dixon as a scapegoat. He has since been in the US and never returned to Liberia.

In 2019, Jerome Verdier made similar unfounded claims about Mayor Koijee. First, he linked Mayor Koijee to the Jestina Taylor saga and accused the young leader of being responsible for the alleged rape and torture. When interrogation began to rise from different angles in Liberia, Verdier, a lawyer as he claims he is, could not make vivid evidence to substantiate his claims.

Then, he tried to convince us that Mayor Koijee participated in the fourteen years of the gruesome massacre as a Child Soldier, a weak attempt that met weighty resistance from intelligentsias of different intellectual classes – galvanized and banned together as one. To avoid ignominy, he deliberately refused to send out an apology since all his packaged lies and misinformation were justifiably refuted by former commissioners of the very TRC he once chaired, one of the most powerful disadvantages on his part as a legal person.

Now, it is 2023, and this is the same Verdier, making false rounds, that Mayor Koijee is responsible for the wanton act of barbarism meted out against the former Chief Justice that led to the death of her daughter. Again, we are still seeing the exiled extremist utilize free speech and freedom of expression to purposely mischaracterize the young mayor and traduce his reputation to disenfranchise Liberians ahead of the October election – discouraging the people from participating in democracy and re-electing President George Weah at the ballot box.

To set the record straight, Mayor Koijee has never been a child soldier and did not participate in any of the uprisings in Liberia, nor has he formed part or sponsored an attack of any form on citizens, especially those who disagree with his political ideology, as insinuated by Verdier and his servile minions in opposition. Since he took over the Monrovia City Government as a Mayor, Jefferson Koijee has been straightly focused on the development agenda of President Weah and making progress in the City of Monrovia.

If Mayor Koijee is not at the City Hall crafting policies and formulating action plans and programs, he is in Central Monrovia with his team getting the people's job done. Once he is not in Monrovia removing waste, clearing drainages, and giving the city a better facelift, the young mayor is attending global summits and conferences that bring millions to the city's coffers. Once he is not in other parts of Liberia galvanizing progressive young people and attracting them to President Weah's sprawling development initiatives, he is seen somewhere in Monrovia inspiring a congregation of young people to take charge of their future, utilize opportunities to maximize their potential, and prepare themselves for local and national leadership.

Any insinuation or assertion to the contrary is categorically false, and it's mudslinging political campaign meant to discredit his efforts in the governance of our country and destroy his character and high-earned reputation.

Of course, this does not change the fact that, as we have seen countless times in Liberia, numskulls and apostles of disorder like Verdier will always attempt to tear down Jefferson Koijee and the work of the regime. They will spread misinformation and disinformation and an attempt to pin the Liberian people against prominent forces of the Weah-led Government, especially in this period when the nation is preparing to go to the General and Presidential elections.

Since being at the forefront of right-wing extremism, Verdier aims to embolden people just like him to asperse the government and its lieutenants who understand the nation’s itinerary, people whom, even when faced with any political or legal wrestling, will ridicule him and discard his rotten intellectual remains.

People like Verdier have consistently proven there will always be double standards and overly aggressive attacks to try to discredit and delegitimize work being done toward national growth and development. But despite the forces against Mayor Koijee and the regime, the government has never stopped working towards a more just, inclusive, and equitable Liberia under President Weah where people like Verdier and his galaxy of grounded career crooks will have an opportunity to free speech and freedom of expression.

To be clear, this is an orchestrated campaign by Verdier and his likes and is a direct attack on the City Mayor’s persona and the CDC-led Government since he’s seen as one of President Weah’s trusted and hardworking confidantes. They feel threatened by his potential and work to help President Weah move Liberia to a glorious level. While on a spree to bring the government of President Weah down through an attack on prominent officials who are seen as a motor force of the regime, Verdier and his co-authors of an album of garbage will do anything to create division and undermine Mayor Koijee and the government as a whole.

He is doing all he can to undermine not just the regime but our democracy, and even at times reverse, the gains President Weah has made in five years – from accusing Mayor Koijee of committing heinous crimes and human rights violations to linking him and other prominent government officials to an attack at Cllr. Scott's residence. His readiness to obstruct the Weah agenda, and many others, are evident in the opposition's attempt to take back state power. He is using every tool in his toolbox to incite chaos and violence.

We, too, have taken up the responsibility of joining on a collective front to disarm disinformation of any form disseminated by anti-regime rascals and mafia dons like Verdier and his likes. And this is why we encourage Verdier and his nebula of liars to come to terms with the bold truth. We want to make sure our supporters are aware of this, and correct any lies or misconceptions.