Liberians residing in Monrovia and its environs have begun holding meetings on how to bring to an end the growing wave of armed robbery activities which according to them are underpinning free movements as well as making the entire country an unsafe.

The citizens from over 20 communities in Monrovia and its environs including West Point, Paynesville, Gardnerville, Brewersville, Old Road and several others met for the first time on Saturday at the Monrovia City Hall to look at the issue of armed robbery, a serious national nightmare.

The meeting was facilitated by Grand Kru County Representative in the National Legislature Gbenima B. Slopadoe

Addressing the meeting, he told the citizens that the essence of such gathering was to discuss the growing wave of armed robbery activities in Monrovia and its environs, and seek citizens’ input as to what they could do to protect themselves.

Rep. Slopadoe, who chairs the House Standing Committee on Labor, informed the citizens that the Liberia National Police is incapacitated to curb the situation, and that there was an urgent need for them as citizens to take the responsibility of protecting themselves.

He said the issues of armed robberies have placed the country on a troubling edge. This, he said, has the propensity to scarce away potential investors. He requested citizens to design measures and strategies that would help to entirely abolish the criminal activities.

The citizens, most of whom are leaders in their respective communities claimed there are victims of armed robbery. Speaking at the meeting, most of the citizens thanked the lawmaker for the initiative and described the growing wave of armed robbery as a threat to peace.

The citizens noted that armed robbery activities were at a high peak in the country because the punishment for armed robbers is weak. Most convicted armed robbers are often released after maybe spending less than a year in jail.

They are proposing a legislation that would make armed robbery a non-bailable crime and goes with life imprisonment. Some who also spoke at the meeting lashed at human rights activists for not doing much to speak against this ugly deportment.
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Others claimed human rights activist were giving grounds to armed robbers by defending them when arrested by the police. Besides, they blamed weak law as one of the factors responsible for the growing wave of armed robbery.

The robbers usually regroup themselves and get at their victims who testified against them, and proposed that there was a need for speedy trial for armed robbers. The citizens told the lawmaker that they were living in constant fear, at the mercy of armed robbers.

“Most of the suspected armed robbers dwell in the communities with us and are in the business of selling narcotic drugs,” the citizens noted, also expressing the need for the police to begin demolishing ghettos.

The five-hour meeting with the people also agreed to setup a task force comprising of five member committee dividing the entire city and its environs into five zones with a task to organize the various communities that would lead to the creation of community neighborhood watch team. The Task force is expected to make its report back to the citizens in a week time.

Traditional Leaders Support Carter Center

The National Traditional Council of Liberia has committed itself to a peaceful working collaboration, mainly in the arrears of peace conflict resolution and the rule of law with the International America Group, Carter Center.

The commitment was reached at the end of the three-day regional traditional consultative meeting of nearly one hundred and fifty representatives from the five western regions of Liberia. They are Gbarpolu, Margibi, Montserrado, Cape Mount, and host Bomi Counties.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Internal Affairs in collaboration with Carter Center Rule of Law Project for Liberia

The traditional leaders which include Chief Jallah Lone and the National Traditional Council boss, Chief Zanzan Karwah said their commitment with Carter Center was based on the work of the American group is doing in the country.

They described the work as very great and important job through out the country, spreading and teaching the rule of law by educating people in rural parts of the country to know their rights and responsibilities.

The Traditionalists from Western Liberia at the end of the program were responding to a charge by the Carter Center to serve as Ambassador of Peace, Leadership, and the Rule of Law in Liberia.  The charge was placed on them on behalf of the Carter Center by its Officer-In- Charge, Pewe Flomoku.

But key in recommendations, the traditional leaders said to effectively function; they must first be empowered by central government by providing them with vehicles and called for their offices to be completely separated from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The leaders also said they were not challenging the constitution or the government but wants a revisit of the law that put to halt trial by ordeal or sassay wood as this was the best way they could judge many of their traditional cases.

Mr, Flomoku, who charged the leaders also provided Carter Center symbols of peace to them and said the organization was only serving as messenger between the government and the traditional leaders to make their voice and position known to national government for possible consideration.

He also said after learning leadership training, a vehicle to drive local development, rule of law and justice system in Liberia, customary marriage rights dowry inheritance and the gender based violence and rape.

His organization was pleased to charge them as peace, rule of law and advocates ambassadors in Liberia.

Deputy Internal Affairs Minister, Walter Wisner said the traditional consultative leadership meeting was the first phase of regional meetings planned by the government to decentralize development policies and get inputs of the leaders who he described as a major force to achieve national development, peace the rule of law and reconciliation for all Liberians