Liberia’s Vice President Jewel Howard – Taylor says United States – imposed sanctions against three top Liberian government officials will not in any way affect the reelection of President George Manneh Weah.
President Weah and Vice President Howard – Taylor, the estranged wife of imprisoned former President Charles Ghankay Taylor, were elected on the Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC) ticket in 2017, succeeding the Unity Party regime in 2018.
Madam Taylor is not strange to sanctions, as her estranged husband and dozens of his cabinet officials were all slapped with both sanctions during his regime.
Meanwhile, the CDC regime is seeking a second six years term against an opposition community that feels vindicated after years of alleged corruption and misrule by the administration following the specialized sanctions announced by the US Government last month.
The US imposed specialized sanctions on President Weah’s Chief of Office Staff and Minister of State for Presidential Affairs Nathaniel McGill; National Port Authority Managing Director Bill Twehway; and Liberia’s Solicitor General, Sayma Syrenius Cephus.
Subsequently, President Weah suspended the trio to afford them the opportunity to exonerate themselves.
But Madam Howard – Taylor argued that the sanctions will not in any way affect the reelection of President Weah. She said as long as she and President Weah’s names are not mentioned, it does not incriminate them.
She noted that they will continue to rally the support of the Liberian people for reelection.
Vice President Howard – Taylor expressed happiness that she and President Weah’s names are not mentioned in the United States Treasury Department’s report that links the three top Liberian officials to corruption.
“Thank God my name is not there, thank God President Weah’s name is not there,” said Vice President Howard – Taylor.
“We still uphold the trust and confidence of the Liberian people, and we must do the best in making the Country better,” she told a team of journalists in Gbarnga.
She contended that the US was clear that it was not sanctioning the CDC government.
Instead, she noted, the US sanctioned some officials of the government.
“So this is not our worry and I don’t want to talk about that. The only thing we are focused on now is to continue helping our people and to improve to where the need be,” she explained.
“But for that sanction issue, it’s not Weah or Jewel who was sanctioned,” she continued.
According to Vice President Howard – Taylor, they have done their best as a government and they will do more if they are given a second chance mandate by the Liberian people.
On 14 August 2022, the United States government sanctioned Minister McGill, Liberia’s Solicitor General Cllr. Cephus and National Port Authority Managing Director Mr. Twehway for their alleged involvement in ongoing public corruption in Liberia.
“Through their corruption, these officials have undermined democracy in Liberia for their own personal benefit,” said undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Brian E. Nelson in a statement.
In spite of that, Jewel has stated that they will still win the 2023 presidential and legislative elections.
Jewel wants Bong County citizens and every Liberian to support the reelection bid of President Weah.