MONRVIA, Montserrado – The leadership of the Liberia National Students Union, or LINSU, has denied that it possesses two firearms after public outrage erupted over a photo showing its member with what looks like a pistol.

The statement comes after James Flomo, a local journalist in Monrovia, posted a photo on Facebook showing Randolph Kermokai, a man providing aid to the union’s president, Mohammed Kamara, carrying a pistol on his side while dressed in a LINSU t-shirt. Flomo called on the Liberia National Police to provide information to the public on how the student union gained authorization to carry firearms.

Immediately after the post on Saturday, April 27, which gained huge attention from the public, Eugene Tuan-wleh Williams, press secretary to the union’s president, wrote a comment confirming that the union legally owns and duly possesses two firearms. Williams said Kermokai, who was photographed with the arms, is the director for LINSU’s Bureau of Defense, Security, and Intelligence.

“Therefore, seeing him carrying some should not come as a surprise to anyone. They’re his entitlements,” he also wrote.

According to him, the president of any national student movement is a major actor in a country and should be guarded by armed security guards.

His comments were also criticized by members of the public via Facebook comments.

“It is catastrophic, disgusting, [and] terrible and a troubling day for the student community that LINSU has confirmed two guns in its possession. We are in a normal situation. This is a democracy. Is the LINSU a military organization?” wrote Andrew Borbor Werlay Jaye, Jr. in response.

Ezekiel S. Tokpah, another Facebook user, also wrote: “What! Student leader carrying arm? This is troubling and scaring. This is a clear indication that the students are not represented by a leader, but a ruler who is carrying arms along with his co-workers. This is scaring. We are talking about student leader not rebel leader. LINSU must stop this barbaric act now. Why is he carrying arms? What is he afraid of?”

Williams, the press secretary, appeared unprepared for the negative criticisms.

“Besides, this is happening everywhere you have national student movements. Why are you guys behind like this?” he reacted to the comments.

He then compared the office of LINSU’s president to the Liberian presidency, in responding to another comment: “Gabriel Slobert, why should the Liberian President carry gunmen behind him too? Who’s after him too?”

Williams also added: “Like I have consistently told him, if I were in his shoes, the Security Bureau would carry AK-47s and single barrels openly, and of course anywhere…so that it’s not a news anymore when we have moved to any barricade.”

The Liberia National Police has not yet commented on the matter, despite efforts by The Bush Chicken. If LINSU possessed the firearms in question, the organization and its leaders would have been violating laws that restrict the possession of pistols to individuals working with state security agencies.

However, LINSU’s National Executive Committee later issued a press release signed by its secretary general, Isaac Muapoh, and approved by its president saying that the press secretary’s statements that the union had several firearms were false.

“LINSU as a statutory institution is charged with the mandate of advocating for the rights of students and to encourage the development of social and moral responsibility to society. Against this backdrop, we want to be categorically clear that LINSU is not in possession of firearms,” the organization said, adding that none of its members were firearm owners.

“We’re however obliged to clarify that LINSU doesn’t communicate to the public through any individual, but its official Facebook page(s) through the approval of the National Executive Committee. Any communication different from the mentioned procedure is considered unofficial unless otherwise.”

The union said its National Executive Committee will take appropriate actions against Williams, using its bylaws and constitution.

Kamara, the union’s president, also told The Bush Chicken in interview that Williams, who he confirmed is his press secretary and a close ally, escalated the accusation. He said Williams’ comments were a cheeky response to the journalist who posted the photo of Kermokai with a firearm.

Kamara called the photo posted by the journalist a photoshopped image allegedly done by individuals calling for the removal of the president of the Federation of Liberian Youth, Amos Williams – a call that Kermokai has consistently opposed.

“They said the man was a child soldier before. They went, they took the man small time photo, [they] put gun in his hand. Then, they made another graphic stuff with pistol on his side,” he said.

“So, when they posted, after few hours, Eugene Tuan-wleh Williams, who also works for LINSU, and you know, the way they were constantly posting, that’s how, and you know, in an annoying manner, he said, in fact, LINSU does not have one gun as you people are terming, we got more than two guns.”

The LINSU president also said the group had been invited by the police on Monday, and have provided the necessary clarifications.

Recent threats of insecurity in Liberia have increased fears among Liberians, many of whom still live with the memories of the country’s bitter pasts of turmoil that began all in the month of April, including the 1980 coup.

A group of ex-rebel generals recently issued a 72-hour ultimatum to Montserrado’s tenth district representative, Yekeh Kolubah or have him arrested to provide clarifications over his recent comments against President George Weah if he failed to adhere to their order.

Yekeh had threatened not to honor an invitation from Montserrado’s county attorney, Edwin Martin, to clarify his comments against the president.

Members of the public strongly condemned the ex-generals’ position, with some describing it as a threat to the country’s fragile peace and even using it as evidence for the need for a war crimes court.

Additionally, a “Save the State” protest against the government is scheduled to take place on June 7. One of the protest’s organizers, talk show host Henry Costa, said in a Facebook live post that they’re not asking for the president to resign but rather give him a long list of demands, including the removal of Finance Minister Samuel Tweah.

The organizers said they have no intention of meeting with President Weah because he’s refused to listen to the cries of a large number of Liberians feeling the pinch of the economy. “The president will face the wrath of the Liberian people,” Costa wrote.

Featured photo James Flomo’s Facebook post