Bazarre Happenings In Liberia

Liberia is over run by a lot of bizarre happenings. One of the bizarre and mind-boggling nightmares is the knowledge that former war lords are teaching at Liberia's Universities. Seeing war lords who were voted into the Senate and House of Representatives to represent the same people whose family members were mimed or killed by these Representatives and Senators, is yet another bizarre thing that sends chill down the spine of ordinary citizens.

Members of the NTGL (National Transitional Government of Liberia) who were said to be the most corrupt in the history of Transitional Governments are parading the streets of Monrovia and behaving as if nothing of a corrupt nature ever happened during their tenure. That is bizarre. People who were major players in the Charles Taylor government who were said to have amassed for themselves huge sums of money from Liberia's Maritime activities, LPRC, and other lucrative business ventures, are all enjoying the beautiful Liberian sun rise and sun set, not bothered by their past or worried of ever being prosecuted. That is indeed a paralyzing and bizarre thing for the ordinary person to swallow.

Then there is the Nippy-gate incident at the Liberian Embassy in Washington, DC. This thing was so serious that the government of Liberia sent a delegation to investigate what was going on even though the government knew about a year back that strange things were being circulated in its Embassy in America. The Ambassador was unapologetic, went to Monrovia, got kudos from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and is back at his post without further explanation. To many people, this is another bizarre occurrence.

But the mother of all the bizarre things that are happening in Liberia is the announcement by the President that her side of the war story is being told in her soon-to-be-release Memoir. I thought she would say that she wants to be the last person to say anything about her role in the civil war. I thought for sure that she would tell the Liberian people that as President of the nation, she will not say anything right now, but will take the stand after the TRC has completed its work in the 15 counties. What is more bizarre and not too ok to the ears of many is when the President assures the Liberian people that the sale of her Memoir would generate money for her retirement. I don't know the many benefits one gets for being president of Liberia. What is at least clear is that the president will not be penniless when she leaves the Mansion.

I plan to write my memoir. Most of what I want in it is already known by those who know me. How much of the country's population right now will be able to read the President's Memoir? For the sake of genuine reconciliation and remorse, the President should paraphrase her civil war story to the Liberian people long before her book comes out.

It would be very painful for me if the proceeds from the President's Memoir are seen as Blood Money or any other negative characterization. Madam President, let the Liberian people take a peek at the pig in the bag before taking it to the market.