Monrovia- May 29, 2019, A group of young people of District 6 under name Team Costa, who Canvass for talk show host Henry Costa in 2017 to be Representative have resigned. They cited their reasons in this press release below:

Team Costa
GSA Road, District #6, Montserrado County
Republic of Liberia

May 28, 2019

PRESS STATEMENT
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Majority Executive Members of Team Costa Resign; Distance Themselves from the June 7, “Save the State Protest”

Mr. Henry P. Costa
Revolutionary Ideologues and Cadres of Our Tendency -Team Costa
The General Public
Members of the Press
Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen

Fellow Liberians, a little over two years ago, we formed and became active leaders of the Movement (Team Costa) which ensured that Mr. Henry P. Costa contested for a representative seat in Electoral District #6, Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia, in the 2017 Representatives and Presidential Elections. As a group of conscious, patriotic and nationalistic young leaders, our collective decision to align with the political aspiration of Mr. Costa in 2017 up to this moment spurred from the belief that he (Henry P. Costa) spoke about good governance, accountability and respect for human dignity. It was resultant on those principles and ideals we mobilised, campaigned and promoted the political image of Mr. Costa though he declared his political intent barely five months prior to the conduct of the 2017 Representatives and Presidential elections.

Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, fellow Liberians, it may interest you to know that immediately following the conduct of the 2017 Representatives and Presidential Elections, Mr. Costa began to unilaterally sway the paradigm of our core values. Specific references we consider counter productive to the mission and vision of our tendency which Mr. Costa has engaged himself in are as follows:

1. Mr. Costa has flagrantly failed to exercise GOOD GOVERNANCE as political leader of Team Costa

That Mr. Costa has not been able to manage the affairs of the offices of Team Costa as political leader of the movement.

That Team Costa has been evicted from her GSA Road, District #6 offices in the compound of Mr. Benoni W. Urey, though Mr. Costa dines and wines with the Ureys.

That militants in charge of the maintenance of the offices were compelled to relocate to different parts of Monrovia due to the harsh and miscalculated eviction.

1. Mr. Costa has conspicuously proven that he lacks ACCOUNTABILITY as arrowhead of Team Costa

That on December 22, 2018, prior to Mr. Costa’s departure to the United States of America, executives of the team met and unanimously resolved to transition from Team Costa to the Coalition of Patriots (COP).

That Mr. Costa’s recent decision to thwart the original mandate of the team and change its nomenclature to the COUNCIL OF PATRIOTS (COP) with the sole purpose of reducing it to a mere protest group based on his personal disenchantment with certain high ranking officials of the current government is considered disproportionate to the tendency.

That Mr. Costa’s unflinching quest to elevating his personal aggrandizement above that of the team has proven unproductive for the tendency.

1. Mr. Costa has not proven to be TRANSPARENT as a leader

That during the period leading to the 2017 runoff elections, Mr. Costa single handily received twenty five thousand United States dollars ($25,000.00USD) in Liberian dollars equivalent to mortgage the integrity and morale of the tendency in support to the former ruling Unity Party – a ticket he initially branded as the “Wicked Ticket” and subsequently “Kojologbo”.

1. Mr. Costa lacks respect for HUMAN DIGNITY
   • That Mr. Costa has proven to be very vindictive and intolerant towards the decisions and suggestions of aggrieved members of the tendency on serious policy issues affecting the movement.

• That Mr. Costa has openly and privately insulted executives of the Team both on social media, and on his radio show due to Facebook posts he perceived were against his political leader, Mr. Benoni W. Urey and himself.

•
JUNE 7, “SAVE THE STATE PROTEST “

Ladies and gentlemen of the Press, you may agree with us that the historicity of protest in Liberia has not always favoured the general good of the nation. Considering the effects and scars protest of this nature has left on the Liberian populace, we want to remind you of those previous occurrences that unfortunately ruined the progress of the motherland:

1. THE ILL-FATED LOAN OF 1871

• On October 26, 1871, barely after one year in office, President E . J . Roye was deposed from office in a coup d’état by Liberians who marched on the Executive Mansion on what they termed as mismanagement of a $500,000.00 Loan from the British Government and he eventually died in prison on February 11, 1872. Shamefully, this barbaric act did not solve the economic woes Liberia faced at that time.

APRIL 14, 1979 “RICE RIOT”

• On April 14, 1979, the Progressive Alliance of Liberia (PAL) called for a “peaceful demonstration” in Monrovia to protest a price increase in the subsidized price of rice from US$22.00 per- 100 pound bag to US$26.00. The number of “protesters” overwhelmed the principle actors which led to the looting and destruction of properties worthed an estimated 40 million United States Dollars and the killing of 40 civilians while leaving 500 wounded

Being cognizant of the fact that most of the organizers of the so-called June 7, “Save the State” Protest are the same group of unpatriotic Liberians who administered pillaging of our National Covers during the patronage system of the 12 years mishandling of the State by the former ruling Unity Party, we maintain that their quest is only intended to gate-crash their ways in the governance of the State to satisfy their luxurious life styles.

Moreover ladies and gentlemen of the Press, statements emanating from some key architects and actors of this unholy movement named and styled, “Save the State” are tantamount to creating a chaotic state and reverting our peaceable gains we have enjoyed over the last 16 years. For instance, Mr. Abraham Darius Dillion, the Vice Chairman for Political Affairs of the opposition Liberty Party, who is also opting for the Senatorial Seat of Montserrado County in the pending July 2, By-elections , threatened at the Center for the Exchange of Intellectual Opinion (CEIO) on Carey Street that “protesters will barricade from 3rd St. Sinkor to Buzzy Quarters and will build tents on the streets of Monrovia whilst keeping the Executive Mansion, the Capitol Building and the Temple of Justice hostaged until President George M. Weah himself can come out and receive their petition”.

Mr. Costa has threatened on his radio station and Facebook postcast that when he comes down from the United States of America he will purchase guns. And considering his position as progenitor and lead campaigner of the protest, we cannot likely take such comment from Mr. Costa .

Furthermore fellow Liberians, unlike previous protesters who were definite about their claims, the COUNCIL OF PATRIOTS (COP) have left Liberians and the world in an oblivious state as it relates to the fundamentals of their protest. This action ultimately creates more suspicion than answers.

WHAT ARE THEY SAVING THE STATE FROM?

Therefore, ladies and gentlemen of the Press, in view of the above stated counts, we wish to use this medium to inform Mr. Henry P. Costa, our many supporters, well wishers, militants and cadres, and the general public that we hereby tender in our resignation effective immediately as executives of Team Costa and further distance ourselves from the pending so-called June 7, “Save the State” Protest.

We also wish to inform all Liberians that in our opinion, the best way to save the State is through consultations and dialogues. We advise all patriotic and nationalistic Liberians to stay away from any forms of “protest” organised by individuals calling themselves Council of Patriots as it doesn’t acur well for the general peaceful atmosphere of the nation.

Long Live the Republic of Liberia!

Done under our hands on this 28th Day of May, A.D. 2019

John K. Dolo
Secretary General
0777-137-107
Email: jkdolo10@gmail.com

Y. Rufus Oulagbo
Chairman for Press/ Proproganda
0886-157-430

Kemokai Sherman
Vice Chairman for Administration
0886-800-860

Abraham Mulbah
Vice Chairman for Operations/Strategies
0770-779-135

George Lamadine
Vice Chairman for Mobilization/Recruitment
0886-550-148

Edwin Morris
Head of Auxiliaries
0775-336-334