Monrovia — President George Manneh Weah has issued a two-week ultimatum to former officials to hand in all government's vehicles in their possessions.
There are reports that some formal officials of the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf-led administration are still in possession of the government cars when they had been warned to turn those cars over more than a fortnight ago.
President Weah gave the ultimatum Friday, February 23rd, following his return from Paris, France, where he had fruitful discussions with President Emmanuel Macron.
Before going to Paris, the President had earlier made stops in Dakar, Senegal and Rabat, Morocco, where he also had bilateral discussions with leaders of those nations.
The President returned Friday and an intercessory service was for him and his entourage at the Dominion Church along the Tubman Boulevard on the Old Road.
It was at the service that the President Weah warned former officials of Government to turn over all government vehicles in their possession.
The President accused some of these former officials of scrapping vehicles and or stealing them; while others were hiding the vehicles in bushes and warned that government will go for these vehicles if they don't honorably return them.
Weah said: "Our government is having problem and these are just simple problems. People who worked with the former government are hiding and scrapping vehicles they used in the past government. They are stealing all the cars leaving this new government with the burden to buy new vehicles. What is car that you cannot be honorable enough to leave behind?
"All of you who took government properties, you have two weeks to bring them back if not we will come for them. You have two weeks. We have to be true to our government. I am glad that I am saying it in church; you got two weeks or we will come for them to be used for the benefit of our country."
Afraid that his government will be accused of witch hunting, he said; "We don't want people to start to accuse us of witch hunting and the best thing to do is to bring government property back. I am not a professor; I am a practical person."
"I am not here to make the news but to make an impact if I am given the chance."
Allaying the fears of Liberians that there President has turned his back on the United States of America, he acknowledged that the US is and will remain Liberia's tradition friend and in the coming days he hope to pay visit to the US.
"Our friend and big brother the United States will soon call us they are our partners we will soon be going to them we want to maintain our partnership with America in the interest of our government, "
He blamed cynics who believe that Liberia has benefited nothing from their long existing friendship with the US. According to him, the US government has always assisted Liberia but past governments failed to make these benefits have trigger down effects on the lives of the ordinary Liberians.
"There is no way you can suggest that the US is our problem; America is our ally and France is America's ally so the friends of America are our friends. How can we blame America when we have failed to manage billions of dollars given to this country by America?
"Why do we want to blame people when we are in charge. Let us change our attitude there is nothing for us everything that comes is for the Liberian people. We want to succeed and we want Liberians to succeed we want our people to benefit so we cannot blame America, China, and France for our setback.
He cautioned officials of his government, who have being given the opportunity to serve to do it with due diligence. "Those of you with the opportunity to serve, you need to do due diligence, for Liberia to change we must change our attitude."
allafrica.com
