The people from Nimba County living in America have become so divided that if many of them had their own way, a war would be the only thing to demonstrate who is who. The organization that brings these people together for development has become a political football. And playing this game seems to be a passion for many. At times, I get very frustrated and and begin to express my innermost feelings:
Nimbaians: As a member of the Board that assembled in New York in May of 2007 to hear the argument why Mr Andrew Wongeh should or should not be impeached, I have an obligation to remain walking a fine line when it comes to my personal opinion about the future of UNICCO. After almost two and a half years of exchanging tough verbiage and sometimes heated rhetoric, it's become clear that all of the wrangling from both sides of the aisles has done nothing but divided us more.
I must admit that there are moderates on both sides that are willing to vomit blood, even becoming anemic inorder for UNICCO to get back on its feet of glory. There are also the conservatives in UNICCO who don't really care what others feel. Their dog in this fight, they believe, must come out the winner, no matter how long it takes. I have never been a conservative in the sense that it's either my way or the highway. Now I understand what it means when it is said that UNICCO is a family organization.
A few weeks ago I was in Philadelphia. I was there upon an invitation to be part of the celebration of Mr Andrew Wongeh's birthday and his graduation from Graduate School. Our small Town, Siaplay, does not have a lot of book people. I have been and continue to be showered with praises for being the first from Siaplay to have graduated from College some 100 years ago! So, my presence was another opportunity to waste it on me, again. I am happy that the torch has been passed and Siaplay can now boast of many, many college graduates.
Even though Wongeh is my cousin, entering the hall that night felt like entering enemy territory. Besides the Siaplay people present and Dahn Dennis whom I have seen on many occasions at Maryland functions, I knew no one else. I felt odd because Philadelphia is where two local UNICCO chapters exist. And again, strangely enough, my other cousin, Romeo Dahn, leads the other side. There is something peculiar about Philadelphia and my Siaplay cousins.
As the celebration went on in full gear, a gentlemen walked up to me, extended his right hand and introduced himself: "Hello, Mr Kweme," he said. " I am Clarence Gono." Clarence and I have exchanged some serious writings. That night was the first time I had seen him. We shook hands and hugged. The next thing I knew, I was being introduced to Joana Toweh by Mr Wogbeh. Then there was Miamen from Chicago. Ordinarily, I would have passed these people on the streets like June passes by July. Seeing Clarence and Joana and Miamen; inviting Sunwabe, Jr for a GB dinner in Maryland; seeing Sam Kpahn and Lurlay at the Tapita Meeting in Silver Spring, all of these strange meetings have given me a different perspective about being a part of a divided group. It hurts my heart to see Nimbaians fighting each other they way they do.
If the proposed project from the North Carolina conference is to be undertaken big time, we need the participation of all Nimbaians. That includes, Wogbeh, Joana Toweh, Drs Taryor, Wonkeryor, Boayue, Flomo, Gonpue, Siaway; Ms Sendolo Belleh, Romeo Dahn, Tony Fele, Wongeh and Keita; Sam Koaloe, Dahn Dennis, Hendrix and Tom Grupee; Kokeh, Barbel, Diama, Miamen and Wopea; Mai Yuan, Victoria Zarkpah, and all the wonderful Nimba women of Nimba County who have been caught in this sad episode in our history.
If the proposal from Chicago regarding the setting up of a special, Eminent Group to bring the two groups together, then the notices being disseminated about a Minnesota Conference and a Chicago Conference in September and October of 2009, respectively, should be put on hold until this Eminent Group comes up with a statement.
I am tired and fed up with two groups of UNICCO and two conferences. I am tired and continue to be confused and baffled about the main court case and now the new court case. The withdrawal of the main court case that has drained our resources, must be done immediately. The withdrawal of the Minnesota court case is so necessary. The timing of this one is just wrong. As I said before, I think my stance on the issues in UNICCO carries a moderate tone.
As I moan and groan over the predicament we face, I am beginning to transform my mentality to that of a Blue Dog UNICCO member. The former Vice President, Mr Paye, I believe, is a Blue Dog UNICCO Member. A Blue Dog member is that member who emerges from within a group of conservative UNICCO members, who believe wholeheartedly, that the future of this organization must be put on hold. We need more Blue Dog members to catapult this persistent conservative mindset of keeping this organization divided, year in and year out.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
Molding A New Generation Of Patriots
Liberia is 162 years old. From all indications, the country, like humans, seems to be deteriorating with age. There is a shortage of everything imaginable. Corruption is not lessening at all and the illiteracy number continues to climb. Sometimes it's difficult saying the same thing over and over again with no effect. But this is what is necessary to keep people's feet to the fire!
We in the Washington, DC Area celebrated our 26 on Saturday at the Liberian Embassy. It was the best I have witnessed since I have been going there. If I am not mistaken, there were more people than the food could handle. That's a first.
Each of the 15 counties had a booth to showcase its ware and cultural artifacts. I visited the Sinoe booth and was able to take a glance at the Constitution of the Sinoe County Association. I saw the River Gee County booth and the Grand Bassa County booth. I expected to purchase a bowl of rice and tor-bor-gee at the Lofa County booth, but that was not to be.
For my own reason, I have decided to curtail the eating of chicken. I just feel that I have eaten too much of this particular type of birds in my life time. So, when I did not find tor-bor-gee at the Lofa County booth, I began thinking: Where will I go to find a real good bowl of rice and smoked-fish gravy? This dish is prepared in all counties in Liberia, but when you think about serious dry rice and smoked-fish gravy, I believe Montserrado County takes this one, hands down. So off to the Montserrado County booth I went.
Between the booths of Bong County and Bomi County was the Montserrado County booth. Not much was happening in Bong and Bomi. Without much fanfare, I hurriedly proceeded directly to my destination. I was not disappointed. There was no split peas and pig feet; there was no smoked-fish gravy; but there was dry rice mixed with smoked-fish and SPAM with some real Goba Town palm oil; not the funny-tasting, diluted palm oil we are used to buying in this country.
After eating what I desired and being the patronizing person I am, I decided to take a tour of the Embassy grounds. The place was jammed packed. It was like being down Waterside. Like I said earlier, I have not seen that many vendors and customers on these grounds in many years.
Dorzon and his family, one of Liberia's best food catering groups in our area, was at its usual best. What surprised me though was the killer prices. A plate of rice and cassava leaves was $5.00 last year, This year, it was $10. With the economy this tough and with the number of people I saw, if the Liberian food vendors didn't get rich on this 26 Day celebration, then I just don't know when these people will ever get rich!!!! I ran away from the Montserrado booth just because a small piece of fried fish tail was being sold for $2.50. A man!
When I was a little boy there was no way I would go near a dancing Gbetu or even near a long Devil. Even a Liberian Santa Clause used to make my heart pound. But at the Embassy, Liberian-American children were running after the Gbetu and pulling at its straw attire. As for the long Devil, cell phone cameras were flashing from every close-up angle imaginable. The long Devil was having fun too, tapping little kids and obviously frightened grown ups on the heads with its fleece. These dancing Devils had so much fun, they cared less whether their attendants were close by or not.
I saw placards and posters imploring Liberians to unite, for diversity is obviously the strength we need to survive in that country. Most countries that we know have gone through hell. Yet, they were able to pick up the pieces and move on with the most important thing humans can boast of: Life.
The reconciliation and punishment we seek are not a guarantee that life for us will be all rosy. If punishment, for example, was all that, then rampant corruption and the unending stealing we see in Monrovia would be a thing of the past, especially after the incident of April 12, 1980 and its aftermath. It's a terrible thing to do an over kill in meting out justice just to regret the action a year or two later.
As we celebrate 162 years of underdevelopment, illiteracy and war, Liberians need to pick up a lot of broken pieces and look to the future with the goal of molding a new nation of people with a high sense of patriotic attitude. It is a must that we use this year's celebration to begin charting this new path for our children and their children.
We in the Washington, DC Area celebrated our 26 on Saturday at the Liberian Embassy. It was the best I have witnessed since I have been going there. If I am not mistaken, there were more people than the food could handle. That's a first.
Each of the 15 counties had a booth to showcase its ware and cultural artifacts. I visited the Sinoe booth and was able to take a glance at the Constitution of the Sinoe County Association. I saw the River Gee County booth and the Grand Bassa County booth. I expected to purchase a bowl of rice and tor-bor-gee at the Lofa County booth, but that was not to be.
For my own reason, I have decided to curtail the eating of chicken. I just feel that I have eaten too much of this particular type of birds in my life time. So, when I did not find tor-bor-gee at the Lofa County booth, I began thinking: Where will I go to find a real good bowl of rice and smoked-fish gravy? This dish is prepared in all counties in Liberia, but when you think about serious dry rice and smoked-fish gravy, I believe Montserrado County takes this one, hands down. So off to the Montserrado County booth I went.
Between the booths of Bong County and Bomi County was the Montserrado County booth. Not much was happening in Bong and Bomi. Without much fanfare, I hurriedly proceeded directly to my destination. I was not disappointed. There was no split peas and pig feet; there was no smoked-fish gravy; but there was dry rice mixed with smoked-fish and SPAM with some real Goba Town palm oil; not the funny-tasting, diluted palm oil we are used to buying in this country.
After eating what I desired and being the patronizing person I am, I decided to take a tour of the Embassy grounds. The place was jammed packed. It was like being down Waterside. Like I said earlier, I have not seen that many vendors and customers on these grounds in many years.
Dorzon and his family, one of Liberia's best food catering groups in our area, was at its usual best. What surprised me though was the killer prices. A plate of rice and cassava leaves was $5.00 last year, This year, it was $10. With the economy this tough and with the number of people I saw, if the Liberian food vendors didn't get rich on this 26 Day celebration, then I just don't know when these people will ever get rich!!!! I ran away from the Montserrado booth just because a small piece of fried fish tail was being sold for $2.50. A man!
When I was a little boy there was no way I would go near a dancing Gbetu or even near a long Devil. Even a Liberian Santa Clause used to make my heart pound. But at the Embassy, Liberian-American children were running after the Gbetu and pulling at its straw attire. As for the long Devil, cell phone cameras were flashing from every close-up angle imaginable. The long Devil was having fun too, tapping little kids and obviously frightened grown ups on the heads with its fleece. These dancing Devils had so much fun, they cared less whether their attendants were close by or not.
I saw placards and posters imploring Liberians to unite, for diversity is obviously the strength we need to survive in that country. Most countries that we know have gone through hell. Yet, they were able to pick up the pieces and move on with the most important thing humans can boast of: Life.
The reconciliation and punishment we seek are not a guarantee that life for us will be all rosy. If punishment, for example, was all that, then rampant corruption and the unending stealing we see in Monrovia would be a thing of the past, especially after the incident of April 12, 1980 and its aftermath. It's a terrible thing to do an over kill in meting out justice just to regret the action a year or two later.
As we celebrate 162 years of underdevelopment, illiteracy and war, Liberians need to pick up a lot of broken pieces and look to the future with the goal of molding a new nation of people with a high sense of patriotic attitude. It is a must that we use this year's celebration to begin charting this new path for our children and their children.
Friday, July 17, 2009
The Problems We Face As Liberians
Liberians are fighting each other so much on the listservs that I get frustrated at times and know not what to do. To satisfy myself, I jot down a few lines, especially when I see others pumping money into Liberia to help our people:
I don't hear a lot of brouhaha about this kind of thing. I don't even hear people saying, oh, dog, thank you ya for our people.There have been about a billion or so words keyed on these listservs by Liberians since January this year. If all of us who contribute literally to the many topics put forth could decide on a particular pet project that we can all agree on to sponsor in Liberia, I think our yoyo and blah, blah, blah would mean a lot more to the people of Liberia.
Besides other people downgrading us, we ourselves are not good to us. We have all become a confused people, looking for a way out of our national dilemma. Liberians have become their own nightmare. We need some serious international help, from psychiatric help to self-esteem boosting.
I don't hear a lot of brouhaha about this kind of thing. I don't even hear people saying, oh, dog, thank you ya for our people.There have been about a billion or so words keyed on these listservs by Liberians since January this year. If all of us who contribute literally to the many topics put forth could decide on a particular pet project that we can all agree on to sponsor in Liberia, I think our yoyo and blah, blah, blah would mean a lot more to the people of Liberia.
Besides other people downgrading us, we ourselves are not good to us. We have all become a confused people, looking for a way out of our national dilemma. Liberians have become their own nightmare. We need some serious international help, from psychiatric help to self-esteem boosting.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
What The Paramount Chief Will Say On July 26, Liberia's Independent Day
Liberia's 162nd Independence Day celebration will be most unique this year: A Paramount, for the first time in the country's history, will be the national orator. What the Paramount Chief should tell the nation and its people is the topic of the feelings in my gut right now:
According to the Daily Observer Online, July 13, 2009 edition, the orator for July 26 this year will be a Paramount Chief from Bong County . Whoever thought about this must be given a bow, for as Tibelrosa Summoh Tarponweh wrote in a commentary published by FrontPageAfrica on July 14, 2009, “What does changing national symbols like the flag, and renaming cities and streets has to do with the callous disregard of laws by state functionaries and neglect of the governed?” So, for the 162nd anniversary of Liberia ’s Independence, the Paramount Chief from Bong County should focus on other things that will really bring change to his county and country.
The paramount chief should start off by saying that after 162 years, the people of Liberia are tired of crossing monkey bridges to get their sick love ones to clinics or hospitals miles and miles away. After getting a rousing ovation for this, the Paramount Chief should tell the Liberian people, the majority of whom are just like him…that they are tired of not being able to take their farm produce to market because of the deplorable condition of the roads in the country.
After those two statements, the Paramount Chief will have to interrupt the applause by going on further and telling his distinguished audience that the majority of the people of Liberia now know that they were left out from fully participating in their country’s development by keeping them as illiterate as possible. “We hear that to keep the majority of us from seeing the light,” the Paramount Chief will continue, “our leaders took all the money that was generated from Bong Mines, Lamco, the Sarpo National Forest, LMC, the Oil Palm Companies, LAC, B F Goodrich, Firestone and many other money-generating entities, to send their children to schools in America and Europe, leaving us here in Liberia to struggle and fend for ourselves.” The Chief must make it clear that this kind of inequality and divisive and discriminatory attitude must be abolished from our national polity.
The Paramount Chief knows that there is a lot of tension in the country at this time, especially, since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission put out its report. He has to address this, for without peace in the country and the people united, none of the things he just mentioned can be implemented. The Chief must remind the Liberian people that the war that killed so many of his people was a useless war. “Where are Generals Bush Shaking, Snake In The Grass, Peanut Butter, and Rambo today? All those who brought so much pain and suffering to us during the 14 years of war, where are they?” The Paramount Chief must ask. The Chief must again remind his very attentive audience that those who once pointed guns in their faces, raped their wives and children are right here in Liberia, amongst us; some begging for mercy while some are just too big for their britches to even admit that they did some terribly wrong and inhumane things to us, their own people.
The Paramount Chief will not want to keep his listeners sitting in their uncomfortable seats for too long in the hot auditorium; he will want his speech to be short and concise; a speech that will be remembered for generations to come. So, he will turn his attention to the President of Liberia: “Madam President,” he will say. “You are our only woman President, democratically elected, that our country has had since we declared to the world our Independence , 162 years ago. Almost 69% of those who voted in 2005 felt that you were the best qualified to lead us, even though we knew that you carry on your back a kinjah with a lot of questionable stuff in it. We also voted for you so that when push comes to shove, you, Madam President, will stand strong, like a patriotic Commander-in-Chief, to unite the people of this land.
The Paramount will tell Liberians and foreigners witnessing the Independence Day Celebration that our own Liberian men have over the years bamboozled the country. Besides keeping majority of the citizens oppressed and suppressed, all the Liberian men who have been in leadership, have destroyed this country from greed, immorality, and a vision that has been extremely nearsighted.
This Kpelle Paramount Chief will tell Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf that if she has never worked harder for her country, now was the time for her to demonstrate to the Liberian people that she is ready to work for them. She must use all the energy and means at her disposal to bring peace and unity to Liberia . She must rally her people and make them to understand that in this dog-eat-dog world of politics, she was able to play hardball just like those who were advanced in the game, from Joseph Jenkins Roberts to Charles Ghankay Taylor, and was able to survive to become their first female president in the whole of Africa . "Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Madam President," the Chief will continue, "you must come out, braver than ever before and confess to your people how you agonized day and night when you saw that things were not going right as planned."
The Paramount Chief will end his speech by calling on all of his fellow chiefs to join him and the president of Liberia in galvanizing the people and encouraging them to see the need for genuine reconciliation. For without genuine reconciliation, equal opportunity for all Liberians, and love and respect for one another, there will be no unity and of course, a doomed Liberia.
Amidst a thunderous applause, the Chief will end by saying in Kpelle: Kwa gana; ku kelay kwa pa, kwa gbeteh. Interpretation: We've destroyed it; all of us must come to together, to fix it.
According to the Daily Observer Online, July 13, 2009 edition, the orator for July 26 this year will be a Paramount Chief from Bong County . Whoever thought about this must be given a bow, for as Tibelrosa Summoh Tarponweh wrote in a commentary published by FrontPageAfrica on July 14, 2009, “What does changing national symbols like the flag, and renaming cities and streets has to do with the callous disregard of laws by state functionaries and neglect of the governed?” So, for the 162nd anniversary of Liberia ’s Independence, the Paramount Chief from Bong County should focus on other things that will really bring change to his county and country.
The paramount chief should start off by saying that after 162 years, the people of Liberia are tired of crossing monkey bridges to get their sick love ones to clinics or hospitals miles and miles away. After getting a rousing ovation for this, the Paramount Chief should tell the Liberian people, the majority of whom are just like him…that they are tired of not being able to take their farm produce to market because of the deplorable condition of the roads in the country.
After those two statements, the Paramount Chief will have to interrupt the applause by going on further and telling his distinguished audience that the majority of the people of Liberia now know that they were left out from fully participating in their country’s development by keeping them as illiterate as possible. “We hear that to keep the majority of us from seeing the light,” the Paramount Chief will continue, “our leaders took all the money that was generated from Bong Mines, Lamco, the Sarpo National Forest, LMC, the Oil Palm Companies, LAC, B F Goodrich, Firestone and many other money-generating entities, to send their children to schools in America and Europe, leaving us here in Liberia to struggle and fend for ourselves.” The Chief must make it clear that this kind of inequality and divisive and discriminatory attitude must be abolished from our national polity.
The Paramount Chief knows that there is a lot of tension in the country at this time, especially, since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission put out its report. He has to address this, for without peace in the country and the people united, none of the things he just mentioned can be implemented. The Chief must remind the Liberian people that the war that killed so many of his people was a useless war. “Where are Generals Bush Shaking, Snake In The Grass, Peanut Butter, and Rambo today? All those who brought so much pain and suffering to us during the 14 years of war, where are they?” The Paramount Chief must ask. The Chief must again remind his very attentive audience that those who once pointed guns in their faces, raped their wives and children are right here in Liberia, amongst us; some begging for mercy while some are just too big for their britches to even admit that they did some terribly wrong and inhumane things to us, their own people.
The Paramount Chief will not want to keep his listeners sitting in their uncomfortable seats for too long in the hot auditorium; he will want his speech to be short and concise; a speech that will be remembered for generations to come. So, he will turn his attention to the President of Liberia: “Madam President,” he will say. “You are our only woman President, democratically elected, that our country has had since we declared to the world our Independence , 162 years ago. Almost 69% of those who voted in 2005 felt that you were the best qualified to lead us, even though we knew that you carry on your back a kinjah with a lot of questionable stuff in it. We also voted for you so that when push comes to shove, you, Madam President, will stand strong, like a patriotic Commander-in-Chief, to unite the people of this land.
The Paramount will tell Liberians and foreigners witnessing the Independence Day Celebration that our own Liberian men have over the years bamboozled the country. Besides keeping majority of the citizens oppressed and suppressed, all the Liberian men who have been in leadership, have destroyed this country from greed, immorality, and a vision that has been extremely nearsighted.
This Kpelle Paramount Chief will tell Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf that if she has never worked harder for her country, now was the time for her to demonstrate to the Liberian people that she is ready to work for them. She must use all the energy and means at her disposal to bring peace and unity to Liberia . She must rally her people and make them to understand that in this dog-eat-dog world of politics, she was able to play hardball just like those who were advanced in the game, from Joseph Jenkins Roberts to Charles Ghankay Taylor, and was able to survive to become their first female president in the whole of Africa . "Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Madam President," the Chief will continue, "you must come out, braver than ever before and confess to your people how you agonized day and night when you saw that things were not going right as planned."
The Paramount Chief will end his speech by calling on all of his fellow chiefs to join him and the president of Liberia in galvanizing the people and encouraging them to see the need for genuine reconciliation. For without genuine reconciliation, equal opportunity for all Liberians, and love and respect for one another, there will be no unity and of course, a doomed Liberia.
Amidst a thunderous applause, the Chief will end by saying in Kpelle: Kwa gana; ku kelay kwa pa, kwa gbeteh. Interpretation: We've destroyed it; all of us must come to together, to fix it.
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