MONROVIA – Former President Pro Tempore of the Liberian Senate, Mr. Armah Zolu Jallah, has made the call for the recent report of a US citizen allegedly meddling in Liberia’s domestic politics to be investigated.
Smart News Liberia (SNL) reported Thursday that a man believed to be a US citizen, identified as Missionary Johnny Rice, had been spotted publicly wearing paraphernalia belonging to the governing Coalition for Democratic Change (CDC), in contravention of Liberian law, which prohibits foreigners from meddling in Liberia’s domestic politics.
Rice, a native of Chillicothe, Ohio, the USA, according to the SNL report, claims he received a prophecy from God that incumbent President George Weah would win a landslide over his opponents in the 10 October presidential election.
He made the claim on Monday, 17 July 2023, during a function of the ruling CDC, the “Thank You” rally, when he was seen at the party’s Oldest Congo Town Headquarters, the venue of the political gathering, fully dressed in the ruling party’s t-shirt designed expressly for the occasion.
“I’m Missionary Johnny Rice… “God gave me a prophecy, the President is going to win [a] victory landslide,” Johnny Rice, sporting a CDC t-shirt, predicted.
Rice could be heard honking an animal horn, a backpack flowing down his right shoulder, and saying, “Six more years for President George Weah.”
Howbeit, former Pro Temp Jallah is of the belief that such a report if indeed authentic, is not good for Liberia’s nascent democracy, indicating that it therefore requires investigation.
He wants the main opposition Unity Party (UP) to conduct such an investigation, and at the conclusion of the probe when it’s proven that a foreigner is indeed meddling in the country’s domestic politics in favor of incumbent President George Weah and the ruling Coalition for Democratic Change, the UP should at once notify the National Elections Commission of Liberia, which has the constitutional responsibility to checkmate such electoral violation.
Meanwhile, since news broke about a foreigner allegedly meddling in Liberian domestic politics, neither the Government of Liberia nor the ruling CDC has said anything about the report.
Efforts made by SNL to have contacted CDC Secretary General, Jefferson Tamba Koijee, who is also the Mayor of the City of Monrovia, proved futile, as we were informed by the Mayor’s chief of communication that the ruling party’s SG was indisposed.
