-Citizens call for investigation to curtain recurrence
Monrovia: Women Voices Newspaper (WVN) has gathered that the presidential motorcade with Liberian president George Weah on board, was unprecedentedly stuck in a huge vehicular traffic during the evening hours of last Friday.
There are several accounts as to how long the presidential convoy conveying the Liberian leader from central city to his Paynesville residence was grounded in the traffic, with one account saying almost an hour, while another puts it at a little over an hour.
One security source divulged to WVN that at some point of the jammed traffic along the Tubman Boulevard, around the Ministerial Complex located in Oldest Congo Town, two commercial motorcyclists encroached upon the presidential motorcade.
Our source disclosed that the bikers were apprehended and in line with the law, were turned over to the Liberia National Police for interrogation.
Moments after news broke that President Weah was caught up in a awful traffic jam, Liberians took to social media expressing their dissatisfaction over circumstances that might have led to their president being subjected to such unpleasant situation that poses a security risk.
Renowned Liberian youth activist, Kimmie Weeks wrote on Facebook Friday, calling for anyone responsible for President Weah to have been stuck in traffic to be made to answer as to why such situation ever occurred.
“Whoever created the situation leading to the Liberian President being stuck in traffic tonight needs to answer some serious questions, Weeks wrote on his official Facebook page, stating, “this should never have happened to the Liberian leader.”
Weeks’ post which as at the time of this report generated 573 comments and got 144 shares, witnessed several other Liberians expressing mixed reactions over the situation.
In the thread that follows under activist Weeks’ post, Lander Papie suggested that even President Weah’s predecessor, ex-president Ellen Sirleaf “was caught up in traffic on numerous occasions”, so this should not be a big deal.
But Don B. Zogar noted that the President being stuck in traffic is usually a combination of many factors, naming some of such factors as the availability of “too many cars for our roads and there are no alternative routes.”
Zogar continued: “And least to mention the police too sometimes worsen the situation,” recommending that “this situation needs an emergency (short term) and long term solution.”
For his part, Emmanuel Agyei concurs with Weeks that some hard questions need to be answered, averring that the President being stuck in traffic was very dangerous.
He believes members of the presidential convoy advance team need to answer questions along with the police officers who control the traffic.”
Weeks and Agyei are not the only ones who think the way they do, as Mehnwon Wuor wrote that the President is not a regular guy, suggesting that everything about the presidency is scripted and choreographed, emphasizing therefore, that the blame should squarely be laid at the feet of the elite force, the Executive Protective Service (EPS).
“The EPS should take responsibility of such incident, cus they are responsible to instruct the Police on the route the president going to use and at what time,” Wuor wrote.
Myers B. Toee wrote: “An indication that our nation is peaceful and this peace must be upheld. Though our President safety must never be jeopardised. Whoever did so must be made to answer the necessary questions.”
“There is usually some communication with the traffic police and other relevant security agencies to make smooth any movements of the President in the traffic. Was that not done? Road options or no road options, the President should not be caught in the traffic,” Hennis Nyangbe wrote.
For Bless O. Inekhomon Jr., it came as a surprise to him for the Liberian president to have been stuck in vehicular traffic. He attributed such situation to what he called “a pre-planned work.”
Othello T. Paye writes: “I like it, at least they’ll feel our pains/struggle so that they can build new roads cuz what we have is exhausted.”
Nynati SK Gibson Doepoh blamed the situation on “too many authorized vehicles”, which he said are carrying security lights, tainted windscreens and windows, security horns, and sirens, while Kimmie Weeks, who seems to agree with him, suggested that the rules on the usage of the abuse of siren, security car lights, and security car horns need to be enforced.
- Rolted Sannah wrote: “The Nation highest seat seems to be suffering from lack of respect, the country’s president stuck in traffic? God save Liberia,” while Mark Massaquoi, for his part, wrote: “Escort #1 should be held responsible they always late they should clear the road always 15min, before the president can start coming they know what they on..…”
