My travel experience with SN Brussels did not come to mind until I read a story about a Counselor who had sued the airline for overchaging for extra baggage, etc. Liberians love to complain. I had other things to say too regarding the over-all story:
I just read about a law suit against SN Brussels by Counselor F Musah Dean, Jr. Since I had done no International travels since leaving Liberia in 1990, I had no idea what to expect when I boarded United Airlines for Brussels last year, en route to Liberia.
Besides the separate African Terminal at Brussels Airport, the five- to six-hour of waiting time for a flight to Africa is grueling. Schipol Airport in Amsterdam or Heathrow Airport in London does not do that to us Africans, if I can remember. I thought about the glaring separation of terminals while waiting at Brussels; but I brushed it off when that tiny voice in me kept reminding me that this was a kind of injustice and discrimination.
With regard to the unknown chemical spraying, I too experienced the ritual. I did not know what to make of the whole exercise. I can’t remember whether the spraying was done while we were getting on or off the plane. I don’t want to speculate or become too critical, but some explanation needs to me given by the airline authorities.
How long are Africans going to blame other people? When are we going to follow international standards and operate our own airlines effectively? When will Liberia in particular, replace that plane that was lost over East Africa many, many years ago? What happened to pride? It is hard time that we hear of corruption and theft everyday, and yet, complain bitterly when other people put their pride on the front burner and develop their countries and operate their airlines effectively and profitably. We prefer to steal and squander and take care of individual business then to advocate for a National Airline…our own Liberian National Airways. Liberia can have its own airline if we, for a moment, put our hearts into the idea.
Just imagine this scenario: Take all the money that John Morlu’s audit reports consider as money misappropriated, misused or squandered. In more recent times, the Ministries of Finance and Health have been highlighted and put on record for ineffective management of funds in their care. Even though there are vehement outcries from those in charge of these ministries, tendencies that have become a norm when audits are instituted in Liberia, there is no smoke where fire has not been started. The fact that the signature of a former boss is used for months to transact business under a new boss makes such a deliberate oversight ridiculously alarming and causes eyes to roll in people’s heads. The red flag of suspicion is right there for the whole world to see.
The Secretary-treasurer at my work place signs all payroll and vendor checks. Two weeks after she was promoted, her signature was replaced with that of the person who was designated to act in her place. The Minister of Finance should be aware of and accustom to this type of procedure. As I write this, no bank in America will honor a check carrying the signature of our former Secretary-treasurer.
Going back to the inconvenience of not having our own, it is now time for Liberians to take pride in ownership. We need to stop squandering our own resources and think about the general welfare of all. We need to purchase our own commercial plane or anything that will make us proud and keep us comfortable.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
April 12, 1980
After someone wrote about the missteps of the 1980 coup in Liberia, I couldn't resist adding my observation to the conversation:
I learned something new today. I had no idea that the person Samuel Kanyon Doe, President of Liberia, was once known as Samuel Kupti Doe. This is like opening the file to a classified document, to me.
So G Baccus, Tipoteh, and the other progressives were asked to take over the ship of state during the early hours of the coup of April 12, 1980? And the progressives refused or chickened out? That was a big disgrace, though. And these same progressives or remnants thereof are today begging to rush into the same Executive Mansion? Give Liberians a break!
If the Progressives could not take over the government through the ballot box and the opportunity came up through a military coup, why did they squander that golden opportunity? Why did the progressives put the Liberian people through the hell of 1979 and then failed them a year later? Why?
I know one thing: If Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had been part of that native-elite group, she would have agreed to grab that bull by the horns with the military "backing" her. Was there a woman in that group that we know of, anyway?
Kollie's frustration is shared by many. It is difficult to admit, but whatever mistakes were made on the morning of April 12, 1980, those mistakes and many others following the days and years after, set the stage for the trouble the country faces today. The so-called progressives failed the Liberian people, big time. They were afraid to step up to the plate or to implement what they had been preaching across the country, inciting the youth as they canvassed the country side with false political and economic rhetoric. Or, let's just say that Boley and Gbala wanted something else, especially since SKD was from Grand Gedeh. Is there more to this story? Like Tolbert and the True Whiggers, was SKD pushed to remain in power by the gravy seekers surrounding him?
Should the same Liberian people therefore listen to the same nonsense today? Of course not. Once a failure, in my mind's eye, always a failure. Imagine turning the country over to the likes of Choppie Charlie and these big-mouth, plenty-talking gravy seekers of today. These are remnants of a failed group looking for a new groove. Those of us who witnessed chaos at its max should not allow the new generation of Liberians to be bamboozled by empty rhetoric from "progressives."
What's the way forward? Get on the ship that is headed for progress and a better day for the nation and its people. Learn what is involved in running a nation; learn how to overcome the huddles of nepotism and tribalism and Native-Liberianism. Twenty one parties or twenty one candidates clamoring for power will not bring progress and development to Liberia and its people.
Join and help the real Progressive presently occupying the Mansion. Be humble like the one who just visited the President in Monrovia. Go and look the Madam straight in the eyes and tell her what you will do differently if given the chance, especially in these difficult economic times. In other words, look at reality and the humongous failure of the past. Dig into the crevices of your soul and ask yourself: Is there really a better alternative out there, even with all the bad news of corruption in Liberia? Can any other group do better in so short a time?
The irrational exuberance of April 12, 1980 and that of December 24, 1989, left our mouths bitter and feeling like we had drunk jo-lo-gbo. We do not want to experience that feeling anymore, especially from inexperienced individuals who are ready to jump ship at a moment's notice.
Getting rid of 133 years of one-party rule by a tiny population of the country may have been embraced by 95% of of the population. It was the right thing to do, but did 95% of the people benefit from such a daring move? No. The new wine got polluted and contaminated by the old barrel. It will take sometime to replace the old barrels. And that is what is going on in the Liberia that we all want to see prosper.
The mistakes of the past will be talked about and archived in libraries and on television sets for years to come. The urgency of now requires that we roll up our sleeves and our pants and work toward a brighter future for our children. Liberia has not done well for itself.
I learned something new today. I had no idea that the person Samuel Kanyon Doe, President of Liberia, was once known as Samuel Kupti Doe. This is like opening the file to a classified document, to me.
So G Baccus, Tipoteh, and the other progressives were asked to take over the ship of state during the early hours of the coup of April 12, 1980? And the progressives refused or chickened out? That was a big disgrace, though. And these same progressives or remnants thereof are today begging to rush into the same Executive Mansion? Give Liberians a break!
If the Progressives could not take over the government through the ballot box and the opportunity came up through a military coup, why did they squander that golden opportunity? Why did the progressives put the Liberian people through the hell of 1979 and then failed them a year later? Why?
I know one thing: If Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf had been part of that native-elite group, she would have agreed to grab that bull by the horns with the military "backing" her. Was there a woman in that group that we know of, anyway?
Kollie's frustration is shared by many. It is difficult to admit, but whatever mistakes were made on the morning of April 12, 1980, those mistakes and many others following the days and years after, set the stage for the trouble the country faces today. The so-called progressives failed the Liberian people, big time. They were afraid to step up to the plate or to implement what they had been preaching across the country, inciting the youth as they canvassed the country side with false political and economic rhetoric. Or, let's just say that Boley and Gbala wanted something else, especially since SKD was from Grand Gedeh. Is there more to this story? Like Tolbert and the True Whiggers, was SKD pushed to remain in power by the gravy seekers surrounding him?
Should the same Liberian people therefore listen to the same nonsense today? Of course not. Once a failure, in my mind's eye, always a failure. Imagine turning the country over to the likes of Choppie Charlie and these big-mouth, plenty-talking gravy seekers of today. These are remnants of a failed group looking for a new groove. Those of us who witnessed chaos at its max should not allow the new generation of Liberians to be bamboozled by empty rhetoric from "progressives."
What's the way forward? Get on the ship that is headed for progress and a better day for the nation and its people. Learn what is involved in running a nation; learn how to overcome the huddles of nepotism and tribalism and Native-Liberianism. Twenty one parties or twenty one candidates clamoring for power will not bring progress and development to Liberia and its people.
Join and help the real Progressive presently occupying the Mansion. Be humble like the one who just visited the President in Monrovia. Go and look the Madam straight in the eyes and tell her what you will do differently if given the chance, especially in these difficult economic times. In other words, look at reality and the humongous failure of the past. Dig into the crevices of your soul and ask yourself: Is there really a better alternative out there, even with all the bad news of corruption in Liberia? Can any other group do better in so short a time?
The irrational exuberance of April 12, 1980 and that of December 24, 1989, left our mouths bitter and feeling like we had drunk jo-lo-gbo. We do not want to experience that feeling anymore, especially from inexperienced individuals who are ready to jump ship at a moment's notice.
Getting rid of 133 years of one-party rule by a tiny population of the country may have been embraced by 95% of of the population. It was the right thing to do, but did 95% of the people benefit from such a daring move? No. The new wine got polluted and contaminated by the old barrel. It will take sometime to replace the old barrels. And that is what is going on in the Liberia that we all want to see prosper.
The mistakes of the past will be talked about and archived in libraries and on television sets for years to come. The urgency of now requires that we roll up our sleeves and our pants and work toward a brighter future for our children. Liberia has not done well for itself.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
The Property-theft Case in Liberia
The fifteen-year civil war in Liberia left behind remnants of an evil that may lead to another war...the remnant of land or property-snatching by people who thought the world had come to an end and that people who ran away to survive would never come back to their country. Many people stole belongings that were not theirs. Many Liberians fell victim to this immoral act. The stories of these victims must be told and heard and the injustice resolved. The piece below is a sample of my frustration:I just read your interview with the Land Commission Chairman, Dr T.O. Brandy. I also read the other day that our Mandingo brothers in Nimba County are threatening to boycott the 163rd Independence Day Celebration scheduled to be held this year in Sanniquellie. Their contention is that their Mano brothers in Ganta and in other parts of the county have taken back or taken over land purchased from the Manos many, many years ago.
One of the main reasons I visited Liberia in December of 2009 was to try to locate two lots of land I purchased in 1987 on the Robertsfield Highway. Even though I had the Deed in my possession, it was just difficult for me to remember the definite spot, even as I tried to decipher the bearings on the Deed. When I finally located the area, I realized that the corner stones I planted on my property had been uprooted and replaced with corner stones carrying some strange initials. Someone had purchased a piece of property adjacent to mine but thought it wise to take ownership of half of my two lots. This is not right.
With $40 I was able to ask someone to make me new corner stones to mark the piece of the property I thought was still mine. Calling back to Liberia after I returned to the United States, I was told that someone from Ghana had come and again uprooted the corner stones I had replanted. If this is not inciting a land war between the Kweme Family and whoever the person from Ghana is, then I don’t know what to call it!
I might be able to purchase another lot or two, but why should I give in to illegal activities; why must I condone robbery? If the Land Commission can put in place a system to review all deeds and ownership rights to purchased property in the country, I think I will get back the other half of the land the person from Ghana is claiming to be his or hers.
Here is a little research I made: Liberia occupies 43,000 square miles of land. This is about 27,520,000 acres or 11 million plus hectares of land mass. The population of the country is 3, 400,000. Each Liberian, if the math is done correctly, has ownership to about 8 acres of land.
Like everything else that has happened to Liberia, the land issue is a serious matter. A lot of serious talk will have to be done. The whole land-ownership thing needs to be reevaluated and reexamined from scratch. I know that not everyone in Liberia will get his or her eight acres, but no one person should have more land than is required by law.
Chairman Brandy should expect no hi-fives yet. Nothing has been settled. The Chairman needs to come back from those reviews and resolutions and town hall meetings with long-lasting settlements and with flying colors; he needs to end the land disputes and bring land-peace to the country; and then, we will crown him with all the congratulations and praises known to man.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Keeping our Woman-President for another Term
It is amazing how men have literally over the years done so much damage and evil to the human kind. For 159 years men of all kinds ruled Liberia and there is not much to show for it. The conditions my grandfather witnessed and experienced during his days continue to exist today. Life for most Liberians remains illusive to say the least.
Ellen-Johnson-Sirleaf, the first Liberian female president needs to set a foundation that will change the way things have been done over the years. Six years is not a sufficient time to get this new dawn going. That is why, according to the constitution, she must make use of the twelve years given to set the country up for a more prosperous and equitable future for the 3.4 million inhabitants of Liberia. Hear me below:
I have people at my work place who have worked, retired and have been rehired. Apparently, America hates to see experience go to waste. I like that. I did not always have that feeling, though. Mixing and blending the young with the old is a good thing for Liberia. We don't even have the manpower, yet, those who are supposed to be in Liberia and helping to close the gap, are on these listservs giving instructions and making some unreasonable demands. They incite our people to think of us as "importees."
It is amazing how men are the ones complaining and wanting desperately to kick Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf out of office. For 159 years Liberia and its people have had nothing to boast about from the rule of all these men who have been in power. Now, and all of a sudden, six years of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is a despicable thing to fathom. Men have ruined our country and driven many of us into foreign parts. Liberian men are now the smartest angels in town and they can't wait to once more claim ownership of the country.
If I had my way, Liberia will, for the next 20 or 30 years, have only women presidents. That will give men time to reflect on the damage they have done to the country and allow them to strategize on how to recoup from the stupidity of the past.
The next term of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf will see more young and patriotic men and women in major decision-making areas in government. Her being at the helm of the ship of state of Liberia will be a good thing for the country. The wonderful foundation presently being put into place will be the guiding post for the future of our country.
So for you men who have forgotten so quickly...forgotten how myopic and destructive you've been over the period of 159 long years, I want to say: Shame on you for wanting to snatch away the hope we see in the horizon. You may love the country dearly, but you have demonstrated nothing over the years to win over any positive opinion from many like me.
Like we say in Liberia: If you know what I know, your better move your hand from there! For you have, over the years, squandered ever opportunity handed you on silver platters. You've blown everything out of proportion by using us, killing us, and forcing us out of our country and sending us to places far away from our culture and tradition.
Ellen-Johnson-Sirleaf, the first Liberian female president needs to set a foundation that will change the way things have been done over the years. Six years is not a sufficient time to get this new dawn going. That is why, according to the constitution, she must make use of the twelve years given to set the country up for a more prosperous and equitable future for the 3.4 million inhabitants of Liberia. Hear me below:
I have people at my work place who have worked, retired and have been rehired. Apparently, America hates to see experience go to waste. I like that. I did not always have that feeling, though. Mixing and blending the young with the old is a good thing for Liberia. We don't even have the manpower, yet, those who are supposed to be in Liberia and helping to close the gap, are on these listservs giving instructions and making some unreasonable demands. They incite our people to think of us as "importees."
It is amazing how men are the ones complaining and wanting desperately to kick Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf out of office. For 159 years Liberia and its people have had nothing to boast about from the rule of all these men who have been in power. Now, and all of a sudden, six years of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is a despicable thing to fathom. Men have ruined our country and driven many of us into foreign parts. Liberian men are now the smartest angels in town and they can't wait to once more claim ownership of the country.
If I had my way, Liberia will, for the next 20 or 30 years, have only women presidents. That will give men time to reflect on the damage they have done to the country and allow them to strategize on how to recoup from the stupidity of the past.
The next term of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf will see more young and patriotic men and women in major decision-making areas in government. Her being at the helm of the ship of state of Liberia will be a good thing for the country. The wonderful foundation presently being put into place will be the guiding post for the future of our country.
So for you men who have forgotten so quickly...forgotten how myopic and destructive you've been over the period of 159 long years, I want to say: Shame on you for wanting to snatch away the hope we see in the horizon. You may love the country dearly, but you have demonstrated nothing over the years to win over any positive opinion from many like me.
Like we say in Liberia: If you know what I know, your better move your hand from there! For you have, over the years, squandered ever opportunity handed you on silver platters. You've blown everything out of proportion by using us, killing us, and forcing us out of our country and sending us to places far away from our culture and tradition.
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