It was a scary scene at the Capitol Building in Monrovia on Monday, September 16, 2024, when dismissed officers of the Executive Protection Service (EPS) ransacked and shut down activities of the Legislature for over an hour.
The dismissed officers had gathered to demand from the Government of Liberia benefits for services rendered to the EPS, but the situation shortly turned nearly-chaotic. They threatened to retaliate against members of the Liberia National Police (LNP) who would dare to stop their operation.
To further exacerbate the matter, an even more terrifying scene erupted when one of the personal security guards of House Speaker J. Fonati Koffa apparently tried to defy the enraged officers, a station that led to scuffle between him and the dismissed officers; he was later overpowered with his weapon forcibly taken away.
“We disarm him because he was trying to show up and if anyone of them comes out with their weapons, we will take it and will not return it; we want our money because our children are out of schools; our wives have been put outside for rents and no food at our various homes,” they said.
Thankfully, while in the middle of the heated situation, Speaker Koffa stepped in and managed somehow to calm the tension, and promised to initiate speedy negotiations with the Executive to make sure the dismissed persons get their money.
Meanwhile, he pleaded with them not to cause fear for citizens and the state as modalities are being worked out to ensure they get their money.
In view of these foregoing circumstances, we want to call the attention of the Government of Liberia through President Joseph N. Boakia to see the need to look into this matter as it could lead to serious security implications.
The government must be reminded that these dismissed officers were once recruited, vetted and trained to protect lives and properties of VIPs and government officials. Their knowledge in handling weapons and employing other semi-military tactics cannot be overemphasized, as this very knowledge could be used for negative purposes if care is not taken.
Imagine what disaster it would have been in a case where the weapon would have discharged during the struggle between the enraged officers and the security guard of the Speaker? This could have caused the loss of lives or injuries of innocent citizens due to stray bullets. We think these kinds of incidents should be avoided.
While we call on the aggrieved dismissed officers to relinquish any form of violence and seek civil means to channel their dissatisfaction, we believe that constructive dialoguing could be the best way forward in helping to resolve the matter before it goes out of hand.
Therefore, the government must bring all parties to the table to discuss solutions in ensuring that a satisfactory agreement is reached. But to ignore this matter completely, we think it would be detrimental to the security of the state considering that the aggrieved persons involved are trained paramilitary personnel.
We plead with the government to proceed with the handling of this situation with utmost meticulousness and avert this looming security threat.
