George Weah want extra time despite Liberia woes

Former football star George Weah dey run for im second six-year term as Liberia president, but e be like say e don score one own goal as e fail to engage wit di topic wey dey dominate di air waves and mood for di streets - demand to set up one economic and war crimes court.

Di 57-year-old gbab power wit promise to create jobs, transform lives and set up di court. But afta e take office for 2018 e argue say to look backwards at old crimes no go be di best way to achieve development - sometin wey 24-year-old Frederick Tulay feel say be mistake.

"As one first-time voter for 2017, I bin believe President Weah. But e has e no gree address corruption for di public sector. Many of di youth dey use drugs sake of say dem dey jobless," e tell BBC, say e no go vote dis time for Oga Weah and im Congress for Democratic Change party.

Oga Tulay lost im factory job for one construction company two years ago wen im former employer no longer fit pay im salary. E now dey work as taxi driver but business no dey do well: "Di roads dey very bad and gas dey expensive. My dream na to leave di kontri."

Im comments reflect one commonly anger wey many pipo dey feel - say 20 years afta di end of di kontri brutal two civil wars, wey estimate of 250,000 die, most pipo still dey struggle to survive.

Di kontri dey operate one dual currency system, e mean say those wey dey paid wit Liberian dollars dey need pay for imported food or oda items for US dollars - dis make life very expensive. Two financial scandals over di last few years don also shock Liberians, wey lead to make di US sama sanctions on several officials, including Oga Weah chief of staff.

For 49-year-old Peterson Sonyah, wey no address di wounds of di past don lead to dis culture of impunity.

Di survivor of one horrific civil war massacre for one church for di capital, Monrovia, e now dey spend im time dey campaign say make di pipo wey carry out di civil wars, and those wey bin profit financially from dem, to dey prosecuted.

As one 16-year-old e try find refuge for church wit im papa, wey be one of around 600 wey sojas kill for 1990.

"Wen di soldiers bin run out of ammunition, some of dem bin go get more so pipo bin try escape but di sojas begin attack dem wit machetes," e remember as e point to bullet holes for di windows for St Peter Lutheran Church.

Di need for di court dey urgent, e maintain: "Some pipo dey already tell me say since justice no dey, make we take up arms and begin wage war against di pipo.

"Dem believe say if we do dat, for future we go get lucrative jobs and live di best lives sake of say dem dey see di example. We all be human beings, pipo fit dey tempted."

Nineteen oda candidates dey challenge Oga Weah for di presidency next Tuesday, including former Vice-President Joseph Boakai, businessman Alexander Cummings and human rights lawyer Tiawan Gongloe.

Dis three contenders don pledge to set up di court if dem dey elected - though some don express doubts about Oga Boakai commitment, sake of im alliance wit former warlord Prince Yormie Johnson, now serving senator.

One of di most vocal calls for court dey come from Yekeh Kolubah, one former child soldier, wey dey recruited for di 1990s by Charles Taylor NPLF rebels, and one incumbent MP from Montserrado kontri.

E want make all suspected perpetrators get dia day for court - imself included.

"We want di economic war crimes court... becos I wan go dia and make I fit clear myself. Make di pipo sabi di wrong wey I don do and make I pay for am."

Very popular wit young pipo, di child rebel-turn-politician waka quick, like one soja, to siddon ontop one plastic chair for im press centre wey dem set up for poor area of Monrovia for our interview.

Like Oga Sonyah, e believe say di court go allow Liberia to move forward and heal: "If we no do dis, dat mean say we still dey encourage war. Di reason we dey behave violently na sake of say we neva dey punished.

"If I go jail for brutalising pipo, for killing pipo, you think say I go hold gun again?"

Information Minister Ledgerhood Rennie tell BBC say di president no go comment on dat kain allegations, e dismiss Oga Kolubah as one "popular mad man wey dey tok anyhow".

Di deputy finance minister point out say di final decision on war crimes court essentially lie wit parliament.

"Di pipo suppose tell dia legislators to make di issue di most important during dia campaign and stay committed to am," Samora Wolokolie tell di BBC.

Oga Rennie say e fit even be matter wey need to go to one referendum.

President Weah supporters say e manage di kontri successfully through di Covid crisis.

But Liberian group Global Justice and Research Project (GJRP), wey bin dey document evidence of war crimes, believe di goment no dey interested in facilitating either option.

Na director Hassan Bility say one letter wey dey signed by more dan 50% of lawmakers, including oga Kolubah, dey call for di matter to dey discussed for parliament twice "lost" by speaker of di House of Representatives.

"Di peace Liberia dey enjoy, I no believe say e dey durable or sustain peace sake of say dem neva fit punish anybody," oga Bility tell di BBC.

Di elections go be di first since UN peacekeepers wey dey deployed afta di official end of di civil wars for 2003 comot for di kontri.

Oga Wolokolie say pipo suppose hail President Weah for steering di kontri through Covid-19 and creating jobs for public sector.

Im supporters also hail am for di road building wey don take place across di kontri over di last six years - e once tok say Weah na di medicine wey dem need to treat bad roads, earn imself di affectionate nickname "Bad Road Medicine".

Di former Fifa World Footballer of di Year fit still attract huge crowds for im rallies. E get dat star quality, and many supporters for di capital.

Wleh Potee, one supporter of di president wey dey sell wristwatches and sunglasses for di heart of Monrovia, note say di economic crunch no dey specific to Liberia. And while im own sales dey significantly down, e say im and oda traders dey happy wit di president.

"For past, police bin use to seize our goods and we spend plenty money and time to get dem back. But under dis administration police no longer harass us. So wit di little money wey make we get rest of mind."

And e get acceptance say generally more freedom of expression dey under di Weah goment, though di UN don express dia worry about attacks on several journalists for di run-up to di vote.

But di 46-year-old vendor, wey be qualified accountant, too support di establishment of one court, say e go get doctorate by now ifno be sake of di wars: "Let dem bring di court to hang all of dem."

Oga Sonyah hope say whoever dey voted into di presidency, go listen to di wishes of di pipo and MPs and support di push for crimes of di past to dey tried to ensure brighter, corrupt-free future for Liberia.

"Peace without justice na like tea without sugar," e tok.