There is a word in Afghan called Wahsta. Wahsta means that no matter what, tribal affiliation and loyalty will always exist. Here is the quotation and what I glean from it with regard to the ignored or negligent development most of the people of Liberia have experienced over the years:

"According to a tribal tradition, it is appropriate to treat different people differently; killing someone outside of the tribe is seen as morally acceptable. Such differential treatment is not seen as unjust but is an indication of loyalty and solidarity to one’s tribe. Nepotism or favoritism towards members of the group is expected. In Afghanistan this is known as “wahsta” [WAH-stah]. Wahsta is particularly common in the hiring of workers. In other words, if a farmer is looking for field laborers, for example, the family, tribe or clan would always come first."


I read the piece above and immediately realize that this is it. Liberians have had this for 133 years from one tribe or ethnic group or section of our society....the congau group or Americo-Liberians. Then in 1980, the Krahn group enjoyed, big time, this status. Even today when we mention how the Krahns were all over the place during President Doe's regime, they say da lie. Even the Krahn book-people vehemently deny this. They want us to prove it. Proving what is globally known is boring!

The democratic version of rule is fine, but for Africa, we must admit without eating the crab silently, that indeed wahsta will always exist. How do we unshackle ourselves from this phenomenon, knowing that we must live together as 16 different ethnic groups in fifteen counties in Liberia?

My simple take: If a Gola person is the president of Liberia, that person should make sure that the opportunity to excel is open to all Liberians. Like Tubman said, each tribe in Liberia will have the chance to govern. Each ethnic group should be given the prospect that one day its time will arrive. That time has come. The urgency is now!

Let's try allowing each ethnic group six or four years to run the presidency of Liberia. Excluding the Golas, Krahns, Congaus, who have their chance, in the next seventy-two years as of 2016, the rest of the ethnic groups or counties in Liberia would have had the chance to captain the ship of state. With this system in place, Liberians will no longer worry about one tribe killing members of another tribe while the others sit and watch. With this new system in place, the rest of the people will wave their fingers and say: No, no! Don't even try it! Don't start that foolishness again!

Let me see: If I represent my ethnic group or county as president of Liberia, do I appoint so, so Dan and Maan and Krahn and Gbi and Mandingo and Kpelle people to the cabinet? My cabinet must look like Liberia, and so the democratic way will always prevail. The presidency is what we are concerned about.

Choosing the President and Vice President: There is this huge drum on wheels with 15 crumbled sheets of paper representing the 15 counties of Liberia. At a gathering of citizens, the wheel is turned fifteen times. A fifteen-year old girl puts her hand in the drum and brings out a crumbled sheet.The president who has two years left in his/her term, opens the sheet and reveals the county of the next president to the citizens that have gathered. A county that has been chosen is not entered into the next round of choice.

If this is being done at the Centennial Pavilion or the Capitol Building, fifteen county flags are flown at full staff, side by side of the Liberian flag. When the county is chosen, all fifteen flags will be lowered. As the nation waits, the flags of the counties whose sons or daughters will lead the nation for the next four or six years, will then be hoisted by two fifteen-year old kids from the two counties. Examples: County of the President: Nimba. County of the VP: Margibi: Nimba/Margibi; County of the President: Sinoe. County of the VP: Grand Gedeh: Sinoe/Grand Gedeh. The flag from the president's county is hoisted on the right and that of the VP on the left of the Liberian flag.

The campaign to select the president and vice president of Liberia is now set to take place in just two counties! Electing the president on a rotational basis is the best way forward for Liberia.

Wahsta is a given in Africa. It's the culture. It's an ethnic/tribal thing. Let's knowingly keep it that way and reduce the stress.

I feel like I just drank a nice cup of Liberica Coffee on a cold January morning in Ganta.

Good research, Dennis Jah