Opposition Lawmaker Yekeh Kolubah reveals here that the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change negotiated with him to join the Coalition prior to its recent 17th-anniversary celebration.
This paper tried to verify the information from CDC Chairman Mulbah Morlu on Tuesday, July 19, but his phone rang endlessly. He also did not reply to a text message sent to him on the issue.
But Representative Kolubah says he didn’t show interest, because the Liberian people are being il- treated by this administration.
He further narrates that during June 28, 2022, Senatorial By-election in Lofa County, the ruling CDC asked him to cross over especially, to release a press statement, pledging support, for now, Senator-elect, Cllr. Joseph Jallah, but he turned the request down.
“My refusal to join them, and stance on critical national issues in the House, that’s why I’m being marginalized”, Rep. Kolubah explained when he appeared on OK FM recently for a live interview.
However, he says following three weeks of negotiation, he demanded US$3 million from the CDC on grounds that he was about to kill his entire political career, district, family and followers, who admire the work he does, but they resolved to “give me US$ 75,000.00 and I refused, that’s how the talks ended.”
Though he didn’t mention the names of those from the CDC, who led the negotiation, but the Montserrado County District#10 Lawmaker says his refusal was meant to prove to the government that opposition members are still in the country and that they can’t buy everyone.
Rep. Korlubah warns that if the opposition bloc doesn’t stand up especially, the way the country’s resources is being abused by the CDC-led government, President Weah will be reelected in 2023.
“We the opposition must stand together and put down our ego, pride, and personal interest to put the interest of the Liberian people as first priority if we must liberate the people.”
According to him, he still believes the disintegrated Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) should hold a round table because there is a need to come together, and notes that no single party can defeat the CDC at the polls next year.
“What I’m doing as an opposition lawmaker is to hold the spirit that there’s still an opposition, but if I get to the point where the leaders in the opposition can’t see a reason to hold together and understand themselves, the next option is to live with President Weah”, Kolubah says.
At the same time, he notes that opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives have turned into “regime collaborators” and lost their origins.
“Look, we don’t have any opposition lawmakers in the Legislature especially, the Lower House; we have regime collaborators”, he says.
He blames few of his colleagues who are not members of the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change for conniving with the current administration to betray the trust of the people, who elected them.
“If you are a real opposition lawmaker, you won’t complain about passing budget like 4G; you should have stood up and made your position known”, he concludes.
Rep. Kolubah is a stern critic of President Weah, sometimes ranting invectives on the President, something for which, he was suspended in 2021 by the leadership of the House for 16 meeting days (2 months) without salary, allowances, and benefits. Editing by Jonathan Browne