Imagining Vain Things

Rumors are a mainstay of life. Rumors flourish both in good times and especially so in bad times. Many a time rumors do manifest into truths; many other times rumors are just what they are...rumors.

Rumors are not a strange phenomenon in Liberia. When the President was rumored to be sick and may be dying from her illness, I thought to write the below piece:

"Why do the heathen rage and the people imagine a vain thing"? This Bible verse, found in Psalms 2:1, could mean different things to different people.

In the 1980s the rumor was that President Doe never slept in one place. Then Gabriel Kpolleh, a teacher who participated in the 1985 presidential elections, said he too was being harassed by Doe's agents and could not have a restful night in his own bed. There were also rumors of coups and the desires of many to get rid of Samuel Doe, who too, had eliminated many of those who would have protected him and the nation from outside threats.

Some people are so gifted and lucky in life that rumors literally fall in their laps.The past weeks have had its share of rumors and vain imaginations. A guy from Minnesota literally begged the Liberian people to give Nimba County a chance in 2011 to produce a son or daughter of Nimba to be the next president of Liberia. He said Nimba County had been the cause of the situation in which the country finds itself today. He said the people of Nimba County had been the cause of numerous deaths and the massive destruction that the war produced. Because it was Nimba County that destroyed Liberia, Nimba County should be given the chance in 2011 to fix the mess.

Mr Gonkarnue is very serious, for the saying in Liberia is: You spoil it, you fix it. The logic here is that no matter what development comes to Liberia during the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf administration, it will mean nothing when compared to the development that will overwhelm the entire country of Liberia when a Nimbaian becomes president.The imagination here is that the days when the presidency of Liberia was given to individuals on a silver platter, are still alive and kicking.

Frontpageafrica is being rumored as having a disdain for the present government of Liberia. Is this hearsay or vain imagination? I have known Frontpageafrica for awhile now. I have not seen or talked to any of the people behind the scene of this online news medium. What I have observed, however, is that Frontpageafrica gives the public the raw gut feelings of those who write. FPA does this without fear or favor. Even those who vehemently accuse Frontpageafrica of hating Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf are surprised to see their own work published without comments.The President herself has heard this rumor. She does not believe it. Frontpageafrica is not a government paper.

Another rumor was that the Oldma is sick and is in the process of putting together a transition team to run the country. I am not too familiar with the Liberian Constitution, but I read somewhere in it that said that if the President were to become incapacitated, the Vice President was the person to take over. The Oldma is 69. Tubman was 70 when he passed. People are living longer now than in 1970. So, the rumors will continue for awhile. Who knows tomorrow? Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf could be around for a long, long, time; even after her term as president is long over.

Besides the plead for a president from Nimba County, there is also this advocacy group out there that thinks it is now time for Liberia to have a "native" president with a complete native name. For example, it is indeed true that my mom and dad were not born in Montserrado County. In that case I am consider in Liberia as a "country" boy. I stand a good chance of becoming president of Liberia in the new dispensation being advocated. However, I will have to change my name to Senfeiju Kweme inorder to fulfill this future change.

Senfeiju means void or empty in the Kpelle language. I wonder whether a change in name will change the mind set of Liberians or whether this is just another empty endeavor.

Cooper Kweme