Sometimes I wonder whether Liberians will ever get their acts together when it comes reconciliation and the development of that country. It appears to be all fun to me as I spill my gut feelings:
I hate to concur with John Gay who lived from 1685 to 1732, that:
"Life is a jest, and all things show it;
I thought so once, and now I know it."
John must have experienced the same feeling I felt when I told an advocate of the 70s, who later became a Minister in the Samuel Doe government, how the same people he said he was fighting for were complaining of the same rampant corruption and misuse of power for which the previous government was dislodged. This advocate turned Minister looked into my eyes and asked: "Who people you're talking about?"
I was shocked and felt betrayed. In the cause of the people, the struggle continues means different things to different people. I thought it meant all of the people of the land or the neighborhood. So actually when a Bassa man pumps his fist in the air and cries...in the cause of the people, he is really saying that his fight is for the Bassa people. His fight is not for the people of Liberia.
Now I am beginning to understand and believe the rumor that President Doe wanted every ship on the sea to come to Liberia and take away our Krahn brothers and sisters. It didn't have to be that way if the struggle was for the entire nation and people.
Liberia is a nation of 15 counties and people of many ethnic groups. A blend of these groups now make up the 16th county in the Diaspora...400,000 Liberians, according to the Liberian Embassy in Washington, DC.
The war has messed us up and divided us to the point of self destruction. We really need to change course and focus on the future of Liberia. All of us need to fight the common enemy of corruption and misuse of power. Those who now think that one group of Liberians is more patriotic than the other should think twice. What is more unpatriotic than killing people who are not of your ethnic group? What is more unpatriotic than bringing chaos to a people all because of greed and self promotion?
Sometimes I wish those who brought hell and nightmare to Liberia would just shut up and pray for peace and reconciliation and stop exacerbating our problems. They have already misled us. How competent can they be to advise us again?
I woke up at 5:05 am this morning in the epicenter of a 3.6 earthquake. The house shook and rattled. I woke up and thought to myself, this must be an earthquake. Had it been 6.6 or 7.6, I would be speaking with my mom who died many moons ago. Now that I am still here with those who experienced the same jolt, I will continue to express my gut feelings about the evil that many brought to Liberia.
I am not supposed to be experiencing earthquakes or the slipping and movement of the earth plates!
Friday, July 16, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
What Next For Liberia?
Owing people money is a painful experience. So when the international community like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund decided to waive Liberia's $4.7 Billion debt, I had to join the happy bandwagon:
I am happy that Liberia has met the criteria necessary to cancel billions of dollars from her credit record. I see no reason why some people will be upset with this gesture from the international community.
I will be more than happy if American Express wipes away the $2800 I owe them. I will be extremely elated if Target told me today that the $1500 I owe them was now waived and that I could start purchasing stuff on their credit card again.
My total debt to credit cards here in America is about $5000 and I am nervous about it. Many will say that I am crazy to be worried about such a drop in the bucket, especially when one compares my debt with the debt burden of others. In Liberia we say, you hang your hat where your hand can reach.
Now that Liberia is almost free from external debts, what will the government do? If my $5000 debt were waived today, I will be able to send something to my old aunt in Liberia who has been wondering whether I still understand what our relationship means. I will be able to at least commit myself to paying some of the tuition for my nephew who wants to attend Cuttington University. I will not attempt to charge anything on those credit cards that took that 100-pound gorilla off my back.
In Liberia's case, the first thing I will expect the government to do is to tell me and many other Liberians who contributed to a Savings Bond scheme in the early 80s that our investment generated some interest and that it was now time for us to at least benefit from the ROI. I could use that money to start a business and hire a few of those who were downsized. If I can make my old aunt and nephew happy after my debt was waived, it is only fair for the government of Liberia to bring some credibility to itself by making its citizens happy by giving back interest to huge sacrifices made in the 80s, under strange and unbearable situations.
The next thing I expect the government to do is to concentrate on improving the school system in the country. Teachers in training should not be eating farina and red oil in 2010. Students should not be sitting on dirt floors in leaking huts to get an education in 2010. Teachers' pay should be taken to them; they should not be traveling to Ganta or Zwedru or Greenville or Zorzor to receive their monthly salaries. This old way of doing things in Liberia needs to be eliminated once and for all, especially in 2010.
With Liberia's debt waived, we can fix our water system and begin to generate income; we can get electricity to most of our people for a fee and improve the general welfare of the nation. And most importantly, those roads in Liberia. This debt waiver should allow Liberia to do something serious about the road condition. The roads are terrible. Commerce will improve exponentially if Liberia gives road-building the necessary attention. This should be high on the development priority-list
To leave America or Europe to come home for good is the goal of most Liberians. There is no where like home; but man, we don't want to feel miserable because of the lack of electricity, water, schools, roads, etc. Liberians, like many others, want to move up the ladder, not remain on the first rung forever and ever.
I celebrate with those who feel strongly that canceling Liberia's external debt is a good thing for the country. It is a wake-up call for us to spend our money from our abundant resources wisely and expeditiously, and in the interest of the suffering masses.
I am happy that Liberia has met the criteria necessary to cancel billions of dollars from her credit record. I see no reason why some people will be upset with this gesture from the international community.
I will be more than happy if American Express wipes away the $2800 I owe them. I will be extremely elated if Target told me today that the $1500 I owe them was now waived and that I could start purchasing stuff on their credit card again.
My total debt to credit cards here in America is about $5000 and I am nervous about it. Many will say that I am crazy to be worried about such a drop in the bucket, especially when one compares my debt with the debt burden of others. In Liberia we say, you hang your hat where your hand can reach.
Now that Liberia is almost free from external debts, what will the government do? If my $5000 debt were waived today, I will be able to send something to my old aunt in Liberia who has been wondering whether I still understand what our relationship means. I will be able to at least commit myself to paying some of the tuition for my nephew who wants to attend Cuttington University. I will not attempt to charge anything on those credit cards that took that 100-pound gorilla off my back.
In Liberia's case, the first thing I will expect the government to do is to tell me and many other Liberians who contributed to a Savings Bond scheme in the early 80s that our investment generated some interest and that it was now time for us to at least benefit from the ROI. I could use that money to start a business and hire a few of those who were downsized. If I can make my old aunt and nephew happy after my debt was waived, it is only fair for the government of Liberia to bring some credibility to itself by making its citizens happy by giving back interest to huge sacrifices made in the 80s, under strange and unbearable situations.
The next thing I expect the government to do is to concentrate on improving the school system in the country. Teachers in training should not be eating farina and red oil in 2010. Students should not be sitting on dirt floors in leaking huts to get an education in 2010. Teachers' pay should be taken to them; they should not be traveling to Ganta or Zwedru or Greenville or Zorzor to receive their monthly salaries. This old way of doing things in Liberia needs to be eliminated once and for all, especially in 2010.
With Liberia's debt waived, we can fix our water system and begin to generate income; we can get electricity to most of our people for a fee and improve the general welfare of the nation. And most importantly, those roads in Liberia. This debt waiver should allow Liberia to do something serious about the road condition. The roads are terrible. Commerce will improve exponentially if Liberia gives road-building the necessary attention. This should be high on the development priority-list
To leave America or Europe to come home for good is the goal of most Liberians. There is no where like home; but man, we don't want to feel miserable because of the lack of electricity, water, schools, roads, etc. Liberians, like many others, want to move up the ladder, not remain on the first rung forever and ever.
I celebrate with those who feel strongly that canceling Liberia's external debt is a good thing for the country. It is a wake-up call for us to spend our money from our abundant resources wisely and expeditiously, and in the interest of the suffering masses.
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