... .Senator Teahjay
Sinoe County Senator J. Milton Teahjay says he totally disagrees with protesters' calls for an economic sanction against Liberia.
On Monday, a group of Liberians under the banner "Concern Citizens United to Bringing Our Money (COCUBOM) took to the streets demanding speedy investigation into alleged missing L$15 billion.
In their protest, the group called on Liberia's bilateral partners to withhold all direct financial assistance to the country until the alleged missing money is brought back.
But addressing a news conference Wednesday in Monrovia, Senator Teahjay said such call is unrealistic and not in the interest of the country.
Senator Teahjay said calling for an economic sanction against an eight months old government that is still settling down is not fair because it has the propensity of creating hardship for the citizenry.
The Sinoe County Senator said why these Liberians have their rights to protest, such protest should in no way recommend the strangulation of a government that has spent just eight months in power.
"I am wondering whether those citizens of ours who organized these demonstrations did due diligence in people in the interest. I am also wandering whether the demonstration was held based on facts or speculation because investigation is yet to be concluded to show how much was actually missing."
Teahjay said "the protesters in my mind should be calling for a logical conclusion of issues surrounding the alleged missing money which I am in support of, but not an economic sanction because it does not speak well for the country."
Senator Teahjay: "During the 1980s when President Doe was in power we saw what economic sanctions did to this country. Economic sanctions have crippling complications; it can put out of jobs and undermine development. I think planners of the demonstration went too far."
He wants the United Nations, European Union, African Union and United States Embassy near Monrovia to ignore calls for economic sanctions because it is premature especially for a government that has spent less than one year in power.
Senator Teahjay said economic sanctions on the country would mean undermined progress, economic growth and increased poverty, nothing this should not be welcomed.
The protesters say the disappearance of the billions of local currency is creating hardship for many ordinary Liberians, thereby creating security implications for the state.
