-GONGLOE LAMBASTS VP KOUNG
By: Our Staff Writer
Liberians, prominent among them, renowned human rights lawyer, Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe, have said individuals occupying positions of influence and trust, like Vice President Jeremiah Koung, are expected to conduct themselves in ways that others would emulate.
They made specific reference to remarks attributed to Vice President, Jeremiah Kpan Koung, in which he reportedly said that Liberia has men that are capable of capturing cities in Guinea.
His remarks have provoked a damning criticism from renowned Liberian human rights lawyer and former Solicitor General, Cllr. Tiawan Saye Gongloe, who termed them as reckless and irresponsible.
VP Koung allegedly made the remarks on the State-run ELBC Radio.
“I know men are here to seize towns in Guinea, I know atleast two or three of them, who could take a city in Guinea", Vice President Koung allegedly said
Reacting to the remarks attributed to the Vice , Cllr. Tiawon Gongloe said his remarks could further escalate tensions between the two countries.
Cllr. Gongloe described as reckless and inflammatory the Vice President’s remarks as reckless, inflammatory and irresponsible.
Vice President Koung reportedly made the remarks on the State-run ELBC Radio.
Gongloe, it is reported, took the Vice President task in a statement he made last Thursday on the Capitol Hill campus of the University of Liberia.
“That statement was irresponsible, reckless, and inflammatory, and unexpected from the Vice President”, Cllr. Gongloe indicated.
Gongloe argues the Vice President’s alleged remarks have the tendency to undermine and jeopardize relations between Liberia and Guinea.
“We don’t need that,” Gongloe stated.
Reflecting on his own experience with Guinea-Liberia border issues, Gongloe asserted that Guinea would never attack Liberia.
He recounted that as a former Presidential envoy to Guinea, Guinean authorities told him they owed Liberia a debt of gratitude too great to repay.
He however, Gongloe emphasized the need to wisely resolve the conflict.
Gongloe is recommending that President Joseph Boakai establishes a commission of inquiry to investigate the matter and help find a solution, something he says any responsible government should do.
“President Tolbert did that after the April 14, 1979, street protest that turned into rioting,” Gongloe recalled.
He also recalled that former US President, George W. Bush, also did so in 2002.
Gongloe, a presidential candidate in the 2023 presidential elections, noted that when something serious happens in any country, the wisest thing to do is to set up a fact-finding team.
“I volunteer to be part of the team because I have experience; I served as chair for such a commission before” , the renowned human rights lawyer emphasized, adding that President Boakai has not set up the commission.
“There is a need to establish it because the Liberian people don’t know what happened at the border,” Gongloe further said.
He further argued that, rather than focusing on forming a commission of inquiry, the government has instead suspended one of its members for making inflammatory statements, while the situation at the border remains unresolved and Guinean soldiers are reportedly still on Liberian soil.
“Even though Representative Yekeh Kolubah was expelled, the situation still persists. We need to establish the commission of inquiry to stop all these emotional reactions,” Gongloe concluded.
