MONROVIA, Montserrado – On Thursday, May 16, the controversial talk show host Henry Costa arrived in the country to a rousing welcome from his supporters at the Roberts International Airport in Unification Town, Margibi.

Costa is the owner of Roots FM 102.7 and co-hosts the popular Costa Show, which regularly criticizes the government. He is also one of the leaders of the pending June 7 protest.

While en route to Liberia from the United States, Costa made a brief stop in Ghana. At the former Buduburam Refugee Camp, he told a group of Liberians that although he did not believe Weah would make a good president, he defended the president for ten months after the elections.

During the 2017 elections, Costa said Weah had reached out to him for support.

“I did not support Weah because I do not support people who I do not believe in, no matter how much money they are willing to offer me,” the talk show host said.

“Weah recorded a conversation between the both of us while trying to secure my support during the elections.”

At the time, Costa said Weah begged him for support because the president knew the power of Costa’s platform.

Though Costa said he was against Weah being elected to the presidency, he chose to settle his differences with the president because the president kept asking for his support.

“So I later changed my mind and told the president that I would give my support to his government,” Costa said.

However, he said he could no longer continue to defend the Weah government after identifying several wrongs behind closed doors that were not addressed.

“You know it is very difficult to support wrongs in the government especially when everybody sees it,” he said.

Henry Costa is carried through the streets of Monrovia in a parade. Photo: Zeze Ballah

On Thursday morning in Liberia, there were several buses available at strategic points in Monrovia to transport Costa’s supporters to and from the airport.

Wearing a white shirt and black jeans trousers, Costa arrived to a jubilant crowd after leaving the airport terminal. He later drove to Monrovia in a convertible black Lexus sedan amid cheers from his supporters and onlookers along the RIA route.

Another group of Costa’s supporters had gathered at Vamoma House in Sinkor to welcome him.

A parade immediately got underway through the main streets of Sinkor, triggering major traffic.

Costa’s supporters sang and chanted, “This kind of stealing and hard time, we never see it during Ellen time,” “Y’all leave us; that Costa we want,” “Henry Costa, our hero cares for the poor,” and “Costa in town, George Weah is worried.”

Later, Costa briefly addressed his several hundreds of supporters on Carey Street near the Center for the Exchange of Intellectual Opinions, with his speech lasting for just a couple of minutes.

“The man you voted for and thought he was going to improve your life has failed,” Costa told his supporters.

Featured photo by Zeze Ballah