Dr. Richard Tolbert, Chairman of the National Investment Commission (NIC) has out rightly denied media report that he was petitioned by a youth group based in Monrovia. “I have never been petitioned,” he clarifies. 

  Dr. Tolbert made the clarification yesterday following publication of a story in the Tuesday, December 2009 edition of this paper in which it quotes the Executive Director of the Coalition for Truth and Change (CTC) as saying it recently petitioned Dr. Tolbert to contest the presidency of Liberia during the 2011 presidential and parliamentary elections.

  The Executive Director of CTC, Mr. Jackson Cyrus Doe said, among other things, that his organization decided to petition Dr. Tolbert based on his ability to provide job opportunities for Liberian youth.

  But in a rather stern reaction to the story, Dr. Tolbert said there has never been any occasion where a group in Monrovia or anywhere calling itself the Coalition for Truth and Change (CTC) had called on him with any statement of petition concerning the 2011 elections.

  Dr. Tolbert described the story as false and embarrassing and warned that he will not give credence to any person or group of persons who have the desire to petition him concerning the upcoming elections.

  When contacted following Dr. Tolbert’s reaction, the Executive Director of CTC said the story was published with good intention and out of anxiety and love the youth have for Dr. Tolbert. He said it was unfortunate that their intention leaked to the press before the actual petitioning ceremony. He said the group regrets every inconvenience caused to Dr. Tolbert as a result of the publication.