President George Weah has launched a stinging attack on Liberian businessman Benoni Urey and Montserrado Senatorial candidate Darius Dillion at the party’s campaign launch for the Montserrado County by elections.
In a rather premeditated mood, Weah stated “I came here to make fuss today… In fact, that’s why I came with my own cars and not government cars… I want to speak like George Weah and not President Weah,” he said.
Saturday’s launch of the political campaign for the Montserrado County by-elections candidates of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) was intended to pitch the good intentions his candidates – Paulita CC Wie, senatorial candidate and Abu Kamara, District 15 candidate – have and what they hope to achieve at the Legislature.
However, the President was intolerant of harsh criticisms from opposition leaders.
His assertions, in the view of many, opened a Pandora box for more attacks on him and his administration.
The President chose to also go into the closet of opposition alliance’s senatorial candidate, Mr. Abraham Darius Dillon of the Liberty Party. The President pushed that Dillon who once criticized him of being uneducated and incapable of leading should also be given similar fate, calling him a high school dropout.
Many Liberians commenting on social media facebook described the president’s comment at the CDC rally as ‘low level’ and want the him focus more on policy issues instead of petty statement.
‘Weah a kid that needs to mature’
In his response to President Weah live on Facebook Saturday evening, Mr. Dillon said Weah’s comments were unrepresentative of a leader of a country.
“The only thing I can say is that President Weah is a big kid that needs to grow. At the age of 53, he still thinks and behaves like a kid,” he said.
He said by attacking him, the President has opened a can of worms on himself.
He boasted of his own achievements when he served as staff at the Capitol and challenged the President to lay his achievements when he served as Senator parallel to his (Dillon’s).
“My public service record, you cannot match it,” Dillon said.
“Match your record as a Senator taking home almost US$15,000 every month compared to my record as a staff taking home less than US$500 every month and see that I did, drafting bills to submit them through my boss, a senator, and passed into law as a staff. What did you do as a Senator?” Dillon quipped.
Dillon believes Pres. Weah attacked his personality because he is afraid that he (Dillon) would be a formidable voice of truth in the Senate.
Weah Known for Intolerance
Mr. Weah has often found it difficult hiding his disgust for criticisms. When the failed ETON and EBOMAF loan agreements were being criticized by journalists and some members of the opposition bloc, he referred to them as ‘enemies of the state’ who do not want to see his government succeed and the country develop.
Similarly, at the beginning of June, the President, despite signing the Kamara Abdullah Kamara bill on free speech into law, openly threated to take issue against any citizen that would insult him as President.
“Those that constantly insult the President, I want to be clear; after this, there will be no citizen in this country, I can defy you that will ever insult the President and think you will walk on the streets freely.”
‘Urey a Killer, Thief”
In his continue attacks, Mr. Weah described Mr. Benoni Urey, a former supporter and financier of his CDC, as ‘thief and a killer’ but now his daughter, Telia Urey, is a strong contender against the CDC’s Abu Kamara in District 15.
Weah added that Benoni Urey is not associated with victory; the only thing I recall for Urey is that when he wanted to leave from UN sanction list, he came to me and I helped him make his first foreign trip.
“This is a man that has never won anything, he supported his brother I defeated him, get ready tightened your belts, there is no way the Ureys can win election in Montserrado County because they are wicked people. We are cockroaches but they are killers, we are cockroaches, they are thieves,” President Weah said.
‘Weah didn’t help me’
Contrary to Weah’s of helping Urey to get off the UN sanction list, Mr. Urey denied told Front Page Africa in an interview Sunday “It is regrettable that the President of Liberia will stoop to that level. Now the Liberian people can see the gravity of the problems in our country. Today, my heart bleeds for Liberia. “God have mercy on Liberia.”
The businessman/politician said he will not return hate-filled verbal insults on the President but will explore his legal options. “I am viewing all legal options as this is a treat on my family and we don’t take it lightly. I view the President’s utterances as a threat on my family.”
On December 23, 2013, the United Nations Security Council delisted Mr. Benoni Urey from both its travel and assets freeze ban, declaring that he no longer posed a threat to Liberia’s security due to the vested interest he has in the country.
