MONROVIA, Liberia
Liberia Defense Minister,
Retired Maj. Gen. Prince C. Johnson, resigned from his post on Monday, just 10
days after being appointed by President Joseph Boakai and confirmed by
the Liberian Senate, following the army officers’ mutiny that held the country
hostage for over ten hours.Officers of the AFL deployed their wives to hold the Country hostage for over ten hours, demanding, among other things, the resignation of Defense Minister, Retired Maj. Gen. Prince C. Johnson III.
The resignation of Gen.
Johnson, former Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL), which came
after intense consultations and lengthy dialogues with major national and
international stakeholders, marked the first political crisis President Boakai
had to face since he became President 24 days ago.
Officers of the AFL deployed
their wives to hold the country hostage for over ten hours, making a litany of
demands, the most important being the revocation of the appointment of the
Defense Minister, Gen. Johnson. To ensure the success of their mutiny, the
officers posted their wives at strategic locations across the country,
practically crippling general movement across the country.
They set
up roadblocks in Monrovia, Gbarnga, Zwedru, and other locations in the
country. Passengers and drivers stuck in long traffic jams on the roads leading
to the airport and other areas, opted to abandon their vehicles and continue
their journeys on foot.
The mutiny led to the cancellation of the annual Armed Forces Day celebration, scheduled for February 11th, with impeccable sources telling the Daily Observer early Monday morning all the country's barracks were on lockdown. The decision to cancel the event was made by officers who had been expressing their grievances through their wives who then staged the multiple roadblocks on major roads and arteries leading into and out of Monrovia and elsewhere across the country.
The army officers had been
indirectly protesting through their wives against bad labor practices, low
incentives, inadequate housing, and a lack of proper retirement programs for
officers.
The officers have also accused
the former Chief of Staff, Maj. Gen. Prince C. Johnson, of corruption and
embezzlement, with specific reference to funds that were intended for
servicemen who were serving on Peacekeeping Missions, especially in Mali. They called
for his nomination as Minister of Defense to be revoked, though he had already
been confirmed by the Senate.
Last week, the soldiers’ wives
stormed the grounds of the Capitol, urging members of the Senate not to confirm
retired General Prince Johnson lll as Defense Minister. The protests, however,
intensified across the country, spreading to barracks in Gbarnga, Todee,
Zwedru, Robertsfield Highway, and other parts of the country.
The officers believe that
Johnson was not a better leader for the past six years when he served as COS.
Some army officers who spoke
to the Daily Observer on condition of anonymity described their former Chief of
Staff as a pure dictator. “He is heartless and only seeks his welfare,” one
said. “He did not seek our welfare. He had no time for us. He was even the one
suppressing us.”
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