GBARNGA, Bong – President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has clarified the presence of the Coalition for Democratic Change standard bearer, George Weah, in a ceremony to break grounds for the construction of the Gbarnga-Salayea road.

Sirleaf and Weah jointly performed the groundbreaking exercise on Thursday, in the presence of other officials of government, including Bong senator and CDC’s vice standard bearer, Jewel Howard Taylor, and Defense Minister Brownie Samukai.

Weah’s presence revived long-running rumors, especially on social media, that the president supports the CDC.

The president clarified that she had no prior knowledge of the protocol of the program and those who were participating.

“I had not seen the program before I got there; I did not know who was going to be there,” she said.

President Sirleaf and Weah break ground for the Gbarnga-Salayea road. Photo courtesy of Philip T. Singbah.

According to her, it was upon her arrival at the event she met both Weah and Taylor. She said as sitting senators, she could not exempt the two from the ceremony, asking commentators to stop politicizing the situation.

“If I had seen the program before, I might have done something about it, but I didn’t until I got there,” she said.

The president also clarified that it was Taylor who had passed on the shovel to Weah to break the ground. She emphasized her commitment to regional leaders that she would not get involved with any campaign for either of the two presidential candidates in the runoff.

Sirleaf expressed regret over Boakai’s absence from the program, given that he hails from Lofa, where the road will lead.

Featured photo by GCIS