The Congress for Democratic Change – Council of Patriots (CDC-COP) has issued a rebuke against several prominent youth and student organizations, accusing them of abandoning the fight for justice in favor of political convenience and government patronage.
In a statement released over the weekend, CDC-COP Chairman Foday N. Massaquoi singled out groups including the Liberian National Student Union (LINSU), the Federation of Liberian Youth (FLY), and the Mano River Union Youth Parliament of Liberia, alleging they have “chosen money over the masses.”
“They have chosen silence over struggle and Unity Party funds over fighting for the people,” Massaquoi said. He further accused the organizations of acting as “regime surrogates and subsets of the Unity Party,” seeking favor from the administration of President Joseph Boakai and Vice President Jeremiah Koung.
The criticism follows mounting pressure on student bodies to take a clear stance on the upcoming April 14 protest march organized by the Student Unification Party (SUP), which is calling for jobs and justice amid a deepening national crisis. Massaquoi challenged the groups to endorse the demonstration, questioning their public silence and apparent frustration with the CDC-COP’s position.
“CDC-COP has endorsed April 14, and they are emotionally intoxicated with anger. Why are they even bitter, and who is stopping them from supporting this march?” he asked. “We want to challenge them to endorse the march if they are truly angry. But they will never, because they are regime surrogates.”
Massaquoi branded the groups’ inaction as a “disgrace to the youth and student community” and a betrayal of the very constituencies they claim to represent. Political analysts note that the remarks may expose deepening divisions within Liberia’s civil society landscape, while simultaneously increasing pressure on student leaders to publicly respond to the allegations and clarify their position on the upcoming protest.
