Corruption, lack of vision, and disregard for the rule of law have all haunted the nation for the last 161 years. After years of one party rule, military dictatorship, and massives killing of the people of Liberia and the destruction of the country, PhDs and highly educated sons and daughters of the soil continue to suck the life blood out of our country. The government of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf continues to make mistakes. My heart boils everytime negative vibes eminate from Monrovia. Here's my gut feelings about the situation:
Liberia announced its Independence 161 years ago. For 133 of those years, 90% of the population was left in complete darkness: Lack of serious development, satisfaction with the high illiteracy rate of the masses, educating to the fullest sons and daughter of the ruling class, massive corruption, and a complete lack of vision for the country...all characterizing a way of life that was bound to collapse some day in the future.
A military coup and fourteen years of war that killed hundreds of thousands of Liberians and displaced many more, same to have had no impact on the psyche and behavior of some of the most educated and prominent citizens of the country. One would think that after what the country and its people have gone through, a new page in our history would be flipped over and the many mistakes of the past would be history.
A few months back, Mr Harry Greaves of the Liberian Petroleum Refining Company could not explain to the people of Liberia how an oil deal was finalized with Nigeria. A handshake, some arm twisting, and a lot of headwork sealed the deal. For an experienced, educated, and well known personality of Mr Greaves' caliber, such an explanation did not at all satisfy even the ice seller doing business down Waterside. The LAC deal with the Minister of Agriculture, did not sit well with the people of Grand Bassa County.
A few weeks ago the rumor was that government officials were sending huge sums of money abroad by way of Western Union. A strong statement came out to ridicule such bogus claim. That story was calmly put to rest because no fruit of such a crime was exhibited.
Some time way back, it was learned that Richard Tolbert, the head of the National Investment Commission, was being groomed to be the next president of Liberia. There is no denial that Mr Tolbert is a smart and well educated person. There is no but, if, or and that with all things considered, Richard Tolbert could be on anyone's short list for the presidency of the country. After the fiasco with BRE and a 100% duty- free incentives for a company that buys a rubber tree for $0.50, the chances that Richard Tolbert will be a president with the requisite vision for the country and the people are now very close to zero.
The government is under great stress to deliver. 85% of the people are out of work. What seems to be in the interest of the people, continues to turn out as just the same gimmick, especially so if the policy to oversee certain aspect of a transaction is deliberately ignored. Why are we continuing to repeat the same old corrupt tactics for which many lost their lives in 1980? Why can't we learn from the mistakes of our fathers?
When the president finds a transaction of this magnitude null and void, a transaction that was implemented by someone who came back to the country after almost 30 years of absence, one wonders whether the return of Mr Tolbert to Liberia was genuine or just a trip to grab and get out.
Here is something we used to say in high school, right there in Liberia: Mistakes are allowed to made, but not in every capacity. Those working for the present government of Liberia are making too many mistakes. Those of us who support the president are becoming weary of the many wolves in sheep skin. Giving one company $150 Million duty free privilege at this time in the history of Liberia is just ridiculous and mind boggling. What else is going on in the government of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf?
Liberians do not want another military government..a government with no inclination to the rule of law. Those who are calling for the immediate arrest and detention of government officials who err, are doing so out of pure emotion. Samuel Doe and Charles Taylor introduced us to such tactics. Those tactics did nothing for the country. We are still one of the poorest countries in the world. Let the rule of law take its course
The first semester of this governing has not gone too well. The PhDs and those with long work experience from abroad are doing more damage to the government than expected. Corruption and greed continue to hamper progress and the Liberian people are incessantly complaining. I hope the second semester will allow all participants in government to wipe the cobwebs from their eyes and to see the dire needs of the people. And that the mistakes that continue to haunt the nation will begin to dissipate once and for all.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
The War Against Incompetence and Blind Following
For the past 18 years that I have lived in the United States, I have not participated in any election staged by the Union of Liberian Association in the Americas (ULAA), the Liberian organization that was intended to introduce me, a new arrival to America, to what I needed to do to survive in this country. My family and I were left to fend for ourselves, the hard way.
This year's ULAA election has captured my imagination, especially so that a lady who has given her all for the Liberian community, is a candidate for the presidency of an Organization that should mean something to the Liberian people, world wide. To change a system one must be a part of the change process. It is fabulous to sit and watch from the sideline. It is wonderful to sit and whine and allow others to fight for a shift in the mindset of those who prefer the status quo. Not me. The talent that just got ripened to allow me to express my gut feelings, continues to drive in high gear:
This memo goes out to Liberians who are begging for a tsunami-type change in the history and operation of ULAA (The Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas).
Fellow Liberians:
If all goes well, this will be my first time voting in a ULAA election...and I have been in this country for more than fifteen years...and in the Nation's capital, for that matter. ULAA's portrayal has not sat well with me...and if all was said and done, many, many people in the Diaspora will vouch that ULAA has been and continues to be dubbed as an elite organization. ULAA has been the springboard that catapulted many of its leaders to positions of power in Liberia. I hate to think that that was the original objective of this organization.
Most Liberians are frustrated and disgruntled with the ULAA leadership. The umbrella under which the thousands of Liberian organizations in America are supposed to find refuge, is riddled with holes...leaving Liberians soaking wet... like drowned rats..fending for themselves. Charles Taylor, past president of ULAA, did well in promoting the real image of the organization and its ideals. I was not here but I know Mr Taylor ended many of his speeches..to rousing ovations... with the words: In the cause of the people, the struggle continues.
In the cause of the people, the struggle continues were words that deafened the ears of Liberians in the 70s and 80s, and even the 90s. The PEOPLE of Liberia, 80 % of whom are illiterate and helpless, embraced and fell victims to the charade of a few. The dancing in the streets of Monrovia and other cities in Liberia; the elated feelings generated after hearing tricksters and war lords talk of a glorious tomorrow on BBC...all these and many others, turned out to be a farce and a great disappointment to the masses of our PEOPLE.
The end result of all the talks and the many great speeches was the killing of thousands of our PEOPLE, the people for whom the struggle was intended and for whose livelihood and welfare the drum beat could be heard far and wide.
I have never understood why the Bong Mines-Kakata highway was never paved. The distance is about 20-30 miles. The rumor mill had it that the government of Liberia took the money intended for the road and used it on something else. This brings me to the money collected for Liberian refugees in Ghana who were in dire need at a particular time.
Transparency and accountability have been the Achilles' heel for almost all Liberian Organizations in the Americas. Most Liberians are fed up with the destructive and corrupt politics of those who call themselves community leaders.The money that was collected for the Ghana Refuge crisis, with Mariah Seaton at the head, has not been accounted for and with great disrespect to us Liberians in the Diaspora, ULAA and its leadership has determined that a bunch of fools like us need not know what happened to the money that was collected by concerned members of the community. This is the kind of misstep that sends credibility down the abyss of no return. This is the kind of compunction and audacity that continue to drive away Liberians who are anxious to help.
Let's stop the joke. The real PEOPLE of Liberia are those in River Gee who continue to walk bare footed and can barely sustain themselves. The children in RockTown, Maryland County who are unable to buy uniforms for school, are the real PEOPLE we should be concerned about. The real PEOPLE whose livelihood we keep falsifying are those living in Belle Yalla, Gbarpolu County whose lifestyle have not changed since 1847. Yes, the real PEOPLE we should be talking about are those refugees who came to America and fell through the cracks all because ULAA was AWOL.
The time for politics as usual is over. The time and moment for social reawakening is now. Liberians around the world are in search of genuine and caring leaders who will see the great need to lift the PEOPLE of Liberia up from the state of destitution in which they find themselves. Character assassination and leaving no stone unturned at undermining those who are willing to sacrifice for the real cause of the PEOPLE, will not auger well for those of us who are bent on bringing about real change in the lives of the PEOPLE of Liberia.
Liberians, we are now at a cross road. We can either decide to continue to stand still and look around or, we can choose someone on ULAA's election day who will move this organization in the direction of the 21st century. That is why the same old, same old is just sickening. That is why the first half of the 21st century belongs to women who have long held the view and vision of a better society. That is why it is the right thing to do...on election day...to vote for Dr Mariah Seton...to take ULAA and the rest of the organizations under the umbrella to a completely different level of experience and existence.
The time for Liberians to mince words and ideas is history. We need to see things as they are and muster the courage to kick against evil tendencies. We should not continue to promote falsehood and blind following just for our own convenience. We are so shamefully backward in development projects that it is a shame we are the last to see this major ill.
Dr Mariah Seton has shown that she is a capable, trustworthy, and caring person who means well for Liberians in the diaspora and the motherland. That is why my battle cry at this time in history is: Seton/Curtis all the way to victory!
Why am I so optimistic? The reason has been pounded into recesses of my mind by the late Robert Kennedy, in his own words: "Some people see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not?"
This year's ULAA election has captured my imagination, especially so that a lady who has given her all for the Liberian community, is a candidate for the presidency of an Organization that should mean something to the Liberian people, world wide. To change a system one must be a part of the change process. It is fabulous to sit and watch from the sideline. It is wonderful to sit and whine and allow others to fight for a shift in the mindset of those who prefer the status quo. Not me. The talent that just got ripened to allow me to express my gut feelings, continues to drive in high gear:
This memo goes out to Liberians who are begging for a tsunami-type change in the history and operation of ULAA (The Union of Liberian Associations in the Americas).
Fellow Liberians:
If all goes well, this will be my first time voting in a ULAA election...and I have been in this country for more than fifteen years...and in the Nation's capital, for that matter. ULAA's portrayal has not sat well with me...and if all was said and done, many, many people in the Diaspora will vouch that ULAA has been and continues to be dubbed as an elite organization. ULAA has been the springboard that catapulted many of its leaders to positions of power in Liberia. I hate to think that that was the original objective of this organization.
Most Liberians are frustrated and disgruntled with the ULAA leadership. The umbrella under which the thousands of Liberian organizations in America are supposed to find refuge, is riddled with holes...leaving Liberians soaking wet... like drowned rats..fending for themselves. Charles Taylor, past president of ULAA, did well in promoting the real image of the organization and its ideals. I was not here but I know Mr Taylor ended many of his speeches..to rousing ovations... with the words: In the cause of the people, the struggle continues.
In the cause of the people, the struggle continues were words that deafened the ears of Liberians in the 70s and 80s, and even the 90s. The PEOPLE of Liberia, 80 % of whom are illiterate and helpless, embraced and fell victims to the charade of a few. The dancing in the streets of Monrovia and other cities in Liberia; the elated feelings generated after hearing tricksters and war lords talk of a glorious tomorrow on BBC...all these and many others, turned out to be a farce and a great disappointment to the masses of our PEOPLE.
The end result of all the talks and the many great speeches was the killing of thousands of our PEOPLE, the people for whom the struggle was intended and for whose livelihood and welfare the drum beat could be heard far and wide.
I have never understood why the Bong Mines-Kakata highway was never paved. The distance is about 20-30 miles. The rumor mill had it that the government of Liberia took the money intended for the road and used it on something else. This brings me to the money collected for Liberian refugees in Ghana who were in dire need at a particular time.
Transparency and accountability have been the Achilles' heel for almost all Liberian Organizations in the Americas. Most Liberians are fed up with the destructive and corrupt politics of those who call themselves community leaders.The money that was collected for the Ghana Refuge crisis, with Mariah Seaton at the head, has not been accounted for and with great disrespect to us Liberians in the Diaspora, ULAA and its leadership has determined that a bunch of fools like us need not know what happened to the money that was collected by concerned members of the community. This is the kind of misstep that sends credibility down the abyss of no return. This is the kind of compunction and audacity that continue to drive away Liberians who are anxious to help.
Let's stop the joke. The real PEOPLE of Liberia are those in River Gee who continue to walk bare footed and can barely sustain themselves. The children in RockTown, Maryland County who are unable to buy uniforms for school, are the real PEOPLE we should be concerned about. The real PEOPLE whose livelihood we keep falsifying are those living in Belle Yalla, Gbarpolu County whose lifestyle have not changed since 1847. Yes, the real PEOPLE we should be talking about are those refugees who came to America and fell through the cracks all because ULAA was AWOL.
The time for politics as usual is over. The time and moment for social reawakening is now. Liberians around the world are in search of genuine and caring leaders who will see the great need to lift the PEOPLE of Liberia up from the state of destitution in which they find themselves. Character assassination and leaving no stone unturned at undermining those who are willing to sacrifice for the real cause of the PEOPLE, will not auger well for those of us who are bent on bringing about real change in the lives of the PEOPLE of Liberia.
Liberians, we are now at a cross road. We can either decide to continue to stand still and look around or, we can choose someone on ULAA's election day who will move this organization in the direction of the 21st century. That is why the same old, same old is just sickening. That is why the first half of the 21st century belongs to women who have long held the view and vision of a better society. That is why it is the right thing to do...on election day...to vote for Dr Mariah Seton...to take ULAA and the rest of the organizations under the umbrella to a completely different level of experience and existence.
The time for Liberians to mince words and ideas is history. We need to see things as they are and muster the courage to kick against evil tendencies. We should not continue to promote falsehood and blind following just for our own convenience. We are so shamefully backward in development projects that it is a shame we are the last to see this major ill.
Dr Mariah Seton has shown that she is a capable, trustworthy, and caring person who means well for Liberians in the diaspora and the motherland. That is why my battle cry at this time in history is: Seton/Curtis all the way to victory!
Why am I so optimistic? The reason has been pounded into recesses of my mind by the late Robert Kennedy, in his own words: "Some people see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not?"
Kweme
7/21-22/08
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Running For A Second Term
Some people are bent on promoting nothing positive about the administration of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. Their only goal is to incite bad feeling amongst the people, majority of whom are vulnerable to lip service and the noise of empty drums. To buttress their whims, they are calling for the president to abandon any notion of running for a second term, forgetting big time, that the constitution of Liberia gladly gives Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf the option to run or not to run, whether detractors like it or not.
With this as a backdrop, it was just not me to sit and allow my stomach to swell from the bitterness being perpetrated by individuals the likes of whom the Liberian people have already had. I had to spew out what my guts were rumbling about:
Arthur David's letter to Frontpageafrica was good reading. As I was reading through I was also praying that he would give a few names...a few potential presidential names... that Liberians could ponder over from now until 2010. Arthur flipped in his mind's eye by telling himself that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf should go for a second term as president of Liberia. He then flopped when he began to suggest that the old ma should not run after 2010 but that someone else should be the next president of Liberia. Arthur did well by reminding us that the 21 remaining presidential candidates of 2005 have not, so far, shown the characteristics and zeal that would change the minds of the Liberian people. Those presidential candidates who scored 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 percentage points respectively in the 2005 presidential election would still maintain the same results come election day, 2010.
Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa in 1994. Besides the terrible social conditions of the majority of black people in South Africa, the country's economic status in the world was way up there. If Mr Mandela had to work hard to change anything it had to be the improvement of his people's social decadence. After five years, it was OK to turn over the reign of power to a younger and stronger generation. If everything in South Africa was as bad as is today in Liberia, Mandela would have gone for another term.
I am not a part of the present Liberian gravy train. I was never a part of any past Liberian gravy trains. I am bitter that I had to leave my country. Yet, I am of the opinion and strong conviction that it will be good for the country that the Old Ma run for a second term. Our country is in ruins. Our people are out of work. Monrovia is littered with electric generators huffing and puffing bad air into the lungs of our people. Those who want to be presidents of Liberia are not sharing the wealth they have with the people they want to govern. These presidential aspirants live in their gated homes, ride their huge SUVs as ordinary Liberians struggle to maintain their basic sanity.
Investors coming to Liberia at this time are doing so because of the security and investment climates they see under a democratically elected Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf..a person that they can trust. These investors are not prepared for the unknown. From what I have been hearing, some of those who want to see someone new as president are also advocating major changes in how Liberians see themselves. For example, there is this crazy notion out there that under a new administration, Liberians with certain names will have to abandon their names to make them more Liberian than others. Rodney Sieh, for example, will have to struggle trying to change from Rodney to Tappeh Sieh. Cooper Kweme would be known as Gongbay Kweme and so forth and so on.
These and many other funny and trivial changes would cause confusion and start the beginning of another chaotic situation that someone said could have occurred if a George Weah had been elected president of Liberia. That's how we missed the boat in 1980 when Samuel Doe was overwhelmed by the advice of people who helped to bring us to where we are today. The time we take to make sure that Sumo Nyama and Mydea Zoega are definitely from Bong and Bassa counties, we could be using that time wisely to bring investors to build the cities of Gbarnga and Buchanan.
If I were an investor I would avoid places where names and county of origin were more important than substance. If it will take serious Liberians...young and old..twelve years to come to their senses, then I would prefer a 77-year old Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to take us to that realization. We need someone..a president...who will transcend bitterness, sectionalism, and tribalism and bring our people together for a common purpose.
We cannot dwell on the past. Nelson Mandela did not dwell on the past. That is the most important characteristic of him that Liberians must inculcate and emulate. We cannot and should not force our first lady-president to run away from the huge task of trying to build a country and reconcile its population. The Constitution gives 6 years and talks of a second term. Is the second term 4 years or another 6-year? That is something Liberians need to look at. But for now, I feel very uncomfortable replacing my best hunting dog in the middle of a sure kill.
We all flip-flop once in awhile. There was a time when Nelson Mandela himself refused to negotiate with the South African Authorities. That was a big flip. Most of his colleagues in jail with him were upset when he decided to reconsider his stance, after 27 years. To them that was a major mistake...an ominous and deceptive flop. We all know what happened when the mind of Nelson Mandela changed for the good of society. If circumstances dictate that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf must run for a second term, what's the problem with that? Why can we let freedom ring and give the Liberian people the chance to decide for themselves? Why must some us go around inciting indifference and falsehood amongst a vulnerable people?
As for me, as long as the knight on the white horse continues to elude me, I am going to stick with EJS all the way to 2016.
With this as a backdrop, it was just not me to sit and allow my stomach to swell from the bitterness being perpetrated by individuals the likes of whom the Liberian people have already had. I had to spew out what my guts were rumbling about:
Arthur David's letter to Frontpageafrica was good reading. As I was reading through I was also praying that he would give a few names...a few potential presidential names... that Liberians could ponder over from now until 2010. Arthur flipped in his mind's eye by telling himself that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf should go for a second term as president of Liberia. He then flopped when he began to suggest that the old ma should not run after 2010 but that someone else should be the next president of Liberia. Arthur did well by reminding us that the 21 remaining presidential candidates of 2005 have not, so far, shown the characteristics and zeal that would change the minds of the Liberian people. Those presidential candidates who scored 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 percentage points respectively in the 2005 presidential election would still maintain the same results come election day, 2010.
Nelson Mandela became President of South Africa in 1994. Besides the terrible social conditions of the majority of black people in South Africa, the country's economic status in the world was way up there. If Mr Mandela had to work hard to change anything it had to be the improvement of his people's social decadence. After five years, it was OK to turn over the reign of power to a younger and stronger generation. If everything in South Africa was as bad as is today in Liberia, Mandela would have gone for another term.
I am not a part of the present Liberian gravy train. I was never a part of any past Liberian gravy trains. I am bitter that I had to leave my country. Yet, I am of the opinion and strong conviction that it will be good for the country that the Old Ma run for a second term. Our country is in ruins. Our people are out of work. Monrovia is littered with electric generators huffing and puffing bad air into the lungs of our people. Those who want to be presidents of Liberia are not sharing the wealth they have with the people they want to govern. These presidential aspirants live in their gated homes, ride their huge SUVs as ordinary Liberians struggle to maintain their basic sanity.
Investors coming to Liberia at this time are doing so because of the security and investment climates they see under a democratically elected Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf..a person that they can trust. These investors are not prepared for the unknown. From what I have been hearing, some of those who want to see someone new as president are also advocating major changes in how Liberians see themselves. For example, there is this crazy notion out there that under a new administration, Liberians with certain names will have to abandon their names to make them more Liberian than others. Rodney Sieh, for example, will have to struggle trying to change from Rodney to Tappeh Sieh. Cooper Kweme would be known as Gongbay Kweme and so forth and so on.
These and many other funny and trivial changes would cause confusion and start the beginning of another chaotic situation that someone said could have occurred if a George Weah had been elected president of Liberia. That's how we missed the boat in 1980 when Samuel Doe was overwhelmed by the advice of people who helped to bring us to where we are today. The time we take to make sure that Sumo Nyama and Mydea Zoega are definitely from Bong and Bassa counties, we could be using that time wisely to bring investors to build the cities of Gbarnga and Buchanan.
If I were an investor I would avoid places where names and county of origin were more important than substance. If it will take serious Liberians...young and old..twelve years to come to their senses, then I would prefer a 77-year old Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to take us to that realization. We need someone..a president...who will transcend bitterness, sectionalism, and tribalism and bring our people together for a common purpose.
We cannot dwell on the past. Nelson Mandela did not dwell on the past. That is the most important characteristic of him that Liberians must inculcate and emulate. We cannot and should not force our first lady-president to run away from the huge task of trying to build a country and reconcile its population. The Constitution gives 6 years and talks of a second term. Is the second term 4 years or another 6-year? That is something Liberians need to look at. But for now, I feel very uncomfortable replacing my best hunting dog in the middle of a sure kill.
We all flip-flop once in awhile. There was a time when Nelson Mandela himself refused to negotiate with the South African Authorities. That was a big flip. Most of his colleagues in jail with him were upset when he decided to reconsider his stance, after 27 years. To them that was a major mistake...an ominous and deceptive flop. We all know what happened when the mind of Nelson Mandela changed for the good of society. If circumstances dictate that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf must run for a second term, what's the problem with that? Why can we let freedom ring and give the Liberian people the chance to decide for themselves? Why must some us go around inciting indifference and falsehood amongst a vulnerable people?
As for me, as long as the knight on the white horse continues to elude me, I am going to stick with EJS all the way to 2016.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Ending The Step-Child Mentality
Liberians, old and young, see no reason why the United States of America is bent on not giving unprecedented and unconditional help to Liberia, even in time of great turmoil and mishap. The notion that Liberia is America's step child became a cancer in the minds of Liberians to the point that they expected America to save the country during its senseless civil war. America did what it could do, but it came very late in the game.
Liberians or the leaders thereof have not shown any sense of serious responsibility to the development of their country or the inclusiveness of the entire populace for the general good of the nation. I could not sit supinely as the thought of accusing fingers began pointing west.
We all know that Liberia announced her independence to the world in 1847. We all know that this piece of land situated on the West Coast of Africa, that was once the size of the State of Ohio and is now compared to the size of the State of Tennessee in the United States, has had 22-23 Presidents. We also know today that the country known as Liberia had a population that stood at 2.5 Million people for many years and that after 14 years of civil war, that nation can now boast of an addition of 500,000 more people just after that horrendous episode in its history.
Over the years, Liberia has been called by many different names: Little America, America's Step Child, Star of Africa, and many more that I can't recall at this particular moment. I have not been able to figure out whether Liberia's attachment to America was something allowed my the United States or whether this was a fantasy engraved in the minds of Liberians by those Liberians who enjoyed some special or cordial relationship with Uncle Sam. Why was Liberia considered America's step child when Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana or Kenya was never mentioned as Britain's adopted daughter or step anything? Why is Cote I'voire, Senegal, Morocco, Togo, or Cameroon not considered a step child of France?
Liberia or those who have been in charge of the country have had their share of ridicule from the step father. I remember President Doe being called Mr Moe by President Reagan. I also remember President Tolbert being talked about when a microphone was left open in the hall of Congress. From experience living in America for more than 15 years, I can put my head on the chopping board and say that Liberia's step father has had and continues to have serious kitchen-table conversations about how far Liberia has come since 1847.
This brings me to some of the comments made to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission by Secretary Cohen in Minnesota. When asked why was it necessary for the United States to sit by and allow Liberians to eat each other up for 14 years, the Secretary said it was because the United States did not want Liberia to “become a ward of America.” In a more forceful explanation, Secretary Cohen shared with Liberians the attitude of the then National Security Advisor. Hear him: "National Security advisor Scowcroft said that the US could not intervene in the Liberian crisis because doing so would have meant that Liberia would perpetually be a ward to America.”
I know what a ward is but I felt the need to refresh my memory. So I googled the word. In a church, a ward is the local congregation; in a country, a ward is an electoral district. Even in mechanics, I found out that a ward is a mechanical lock. But the meaning that I felt meant a lot to America was the legal implication. In law, a ward is someone or something placed under the protection of a legal guardian. This last meaning has a huge responsibility attached and America did not want anything to do with it. I wonder whether this was the same feeling the great United States had when Rwanda was going through its share of hell.
It did not take long for the former Yugoslavia to get help from America. The people of Grenada did not have to call for help. Uncle Sam was in the streets of that country in a jiffy. In recent times, Iraq saves its money why Uncle Sam spends $10 Billion a month (or a week?) in that oil-rich country. Am I mad that America tolerated our inhumanity to each other for 14 long years? Am I pissed off that our presumed step father/mother took so long to wipe the tears from our eyes and to help heal the wounds we incurred during the war years? Am I that vexed? My emotions are mixed.
Liberians were made to believe that America would do anything for the country, no matter what, no matter when. I don't know how this notion came about, but for the downtrodden and less fortunate ones in Liberia, that perception and assumption worked. My father told me once...and this was a man who never set foot in a classroom...that if anything should happen to Liberia, America would be there instantly to protect the country. Unprovoked attack on Liberia by another country may generate some interest in the United States; but to say carte blanche that Uncle Sam would be willing to take up arms for a tiny, little country in Africa is just wishful thinking; or like my Togolese Principal used to say: A figment of our own imagination.
With my mixed emotions I am seriously tempted to ask: What have Liberians done for themselves lately? Do these people really love their country? Are Liberians willing to sacrifice their all for the best country in the world? Have those in power been truthful to the people they have governed over the years? Are Liberians patriotic enough to sacrifice for the country their forefathers left behind?
In times like these when I see Antoinette Sayeh leaving Liberia for a job in Washington, DC, I can not join those who celebrate her departure. I mourn the fact that here is a woman who could have a tremendous impart on the financial transparency of a country in distress. Yet, she has chosen to abandon ship that is in stormy seas. This means that those who can change mindsets are quick to develop cold feet at the least distraction. John Morlu at Auditing came under great threat and stress. He is still on board. Many others like Kofi Woods, whose origin is being questioned by an old mindset, remains committed to changing the way we have done things for ages. Banks, Gongloe, Toe; all of these Liberians are sacrificing something to make life better for the people.
If Liberians can demonstrate that they mean business when it comes to seeking the interest of their own people, then others like Uncle Sam will see the dire need to come to the aid of a people determined to change; the United States of America will not be afraid of being a guardian of anything hopeful. For as the Bible says: God helps those who help themselves. Maybe America gets her cue from the Great Book.
Liberians or the leaders thereof have not shown any sense of serious responsibility to the development of their country or the inclusiveness of the entire populace for the general good of the nation. I could not sit supinely as the thought of accusing fingers began pointing west.
We all know that Liberia announced her independence to the world in 1847. We all know that this piece of land situated on the West Coast of Africa, that was once the size of the State of Ohio and is now compared to the size of the State of Tennessee in the United States, has had 22-23 Presidents. We also know today that the country known as Liberia had a population that stood at 2.5 Million people for many years and that after 14 years of civil war, that nation can now boast of an addition of 500,000 more people just after that horrendous episode in its history.
Over the years, Liberia has been called by many different names: Little America, America's Step Child, Star of Africa, and many more that I can't recall at this particular moment. I have not been able to figure out whether Liberia's attachment to America was something allowed my the United States or whether this was a fantasy engraved in the minds of Liberians by those Liberians who enjoyed some special or cordial relationship with Uncle Sam. Why was Liberia considered America's step child when Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Ghana or Kenya was never mentioned as Britain's adopted daughter or step anything? Why is Cote I'voire, Senegal, Morocco, Togo, or Cameroon not considered a step child of France?
Liberia or those who have been in charge of the country have had their share of ridicule from the step father. I remember President Doe being called Mr Moe by President Reagan. I also remember President Tolbert being talked about when a microphone was left open in the hall of Congress. From experience living in America for more than 15 years, I can put my head on the chopping board and say that Liberia's step father has had and continues to have serious kitchen-table conversations about how far Liberia has come since 1847.
This brings me to some of the comments made to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission by Secretary Cohen in Minnesota. When asked why was it necessary for the United States to sit by and allow Liberians to eat each other up for 14 years, the Secretary said it was because the United States did not want Liberia to “become a ward of America.” In a more forceful explanation, Secretary Cohen shared with Liberians the attitude of the then National Security Advisor. Hear him: "National Security advisor Scowcroft said that the US could not intervene in the Liberian crisis because doing so would have meant that Liberia would perpetually be a ward to America.”
I know what a ward is but I felt the need to refresh my memory. So I googled the word. In a church, a ward is the local congregation; in a country, a ward is an electoral district. Even in mechanics, I found out that a ward is a mechanical lock. But the meaning that I felt meant a lot to America was the legal implication. In law, a ward is someone or something placed under the protection of a legal guardian. This last meaning has a huge responsibility attached and America did not want anything to do with it. I wonder whether this was the same feeling the great United States had when Rwanda was going through its share of hell.
It did not take long for the former Yugoslavia to get help from America. The people of Grenada did not have to call for help. Uncle Sam was in the streets of that country in a jiffy. In recent times, Iraq saves its money why Uncle Sam spends $10 Billion a month (or a week?) in that oil-rich country. Am I mad that America tolerated our inhumanity to each other for 14 long years? Am I pissed off that our presumed step father/mother took so long to wipe the tears from our eyes and to help heal the wounds we incurred during the war years? Am I that vexed? My emotions are mixed.
Liberians were made to believe that America would do anything for the country, no matter what, no matter when. I don't know how this notion came about, but for the downtrodden and less fortunate ones in Liberia, that perception and assumption worked. My father told me once...and this was a man who never set foot in a classroom...that if anything should happen to Liberia, America would be there instantly to protect the country. Unprovoked attack on Liberia by another country may generate some interest in the United States; but to say carte blanche that Uncle Sam would be willing to take up arms for a tiny, little country in Africa is just wishful thinking; or like my Togolese Principal used to say: A figment of our own imagination.
With my mixed emotions I am seriously tempted to ask: What have Liberians done for themselves lately? Do these people really love their country? Are Liberians willing to sacrifice their all for the best country in the world? Have those in power been truthful to the people they have governed over the years? Are Liberians patriotic enough to sacrifice for the country their forefathers left behind?
In times like these when I see Antoinette Sayeh leaving Liberia for a job in Washington, DC, I can not join those who celebrate her departure. I mourn the fact that here is a woman who could have a tremendous impart on the financial transparency of a country in distress. Yet, she has chosen to abandon ship that is in stormy seas. This means that those who can change mindsets are quick to develop cold feet at the least distraction. John Morlu at Auditing came under great threat and stress. He is still on board. Many others like Kofi Woods, whose origin is being questioned by an old mindset, remains committed to changing the way we have done things for ages. Banks, Gongloe, Toe; all of these Liberians are sacrificing something to make life better for the people.
If Liberians can demonstrate that they mean business when it comes to seeking the interest of their own people, then others like Uncle Sam will see the dire need to come to the aid of a people determined to change; the United States of America will not be afraid of being a guardian of anything hopeful. For as the Bible says: God helps those who help themselves. Maybe America gets her cue from the Great Book.
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