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.
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
Blowing The Whistle On Liberia's Crooks
The alarm being sounded in the market place of discontent in Liberia is corruption. People are siphoning the country's revenue as if it was an inheritance. The outcry is huge. Why should I be sitting on the fence?
I really wanted to write about Firestone this week, but the stealing and rumors of stealing that keep coming out of Monrovia continue to prompt me to keep sounding the alarm in the market place of discontent. To those in high positions from Margibi County where Firestone is located, or those born in Firestone who are now in government, it is time that the name Firestone Plantations Company be erased or eliminated from the minds of our people and the books of Liberia .
Like Morris’s Farm, Cooper’s Farm, Mount Barclay …all Rubber Estates, Firestone Rubber Estate should be more appropriate a name in Liberia . Plantation is synonymous to slavery and I don’t like it one bit, for it legitimizes slavery in a country whose majority has over the years, been treated with inequality by ironically, people who were once themselves slaves.
Now, let me begin to make more noise about the unabated news of stealing and the shameless behavior of say, 60% of those Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf brought into her government. How accurate is the percentage? I don’t know, but when Ellen’s government is now known to be three times more corrupt than Gyude Bryant’s government, of all governments, then any figure will carry the day.
I, like many others who support Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, am running out of ammunition to fight the doomsday preachers and prognosticators. Every social gathering in the Diaspora talks about one thing and one thing only: The rampant corruption and misuse of power in the present government of Liberia . We endeavor with all our might to point out some of the positive things going on in Liberia . Nothing overshadows progress more than corruption in high places. And to shift those whose misdeeds are so glaring from one ministry to another entity, to even the less-sophisticated minds, is nothing but amazing.
The competition for dubious activities by Harry Greaves and Morris Saytumah has become historical in the annals of corruption in the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf government. If Greaves is not suing the Legislature of Liberia, Saytumah is soliciting money, By Directive of the President, to take sick newspaper editors for medical treatment in other countries. Murphy’s Law has taken hold of the Oldma’s government. And lo and behold, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has been condoning this thing by allowing compassion and sympathy to send her legacy to hell.
Excuse ye the expression, for Sarah Johnson appeared in my dream: “Tell my daughter,” she told me, “that a good name is far better than silver or gold. Keeping dishonest people in her government will ruin her. She must demonstrate the fiduciary discipline for which she is known. The Liberian people will not forgive her if she continues to tolerate the dishonesty of her friends and relatives in government. Nothing should come between her and her country.”
The only Minister I heard of who agrees with John Morlue, the Auditor General, is Ngafuan, the Minister of Finance. Even the Legislators, who at first could not stand Mr. Morlue, are now soliciting his advice on the country’s financial mishaps. Many more honest cabinet minister need to come out of their shells and help shine the light on the evil that is keeping our people poorer and our country a hundred years backward.
I am tired, and I know many more concerned Liberians are fed up, with the way things are in our country. Liberia and majority of its people have seen no progress in almost 161 years of existence. Our people continue to live in huts and zinc shacks. Some are drinking water from creeks chemically polluted by big industries that care less for the human condition.
Majority of our people continue to be without health care, with as many as possible walking barefooted. The revolution was about serving the people and improving their lot. The people continue to remain victims of the revolution. In a sense, it was all a gimmick; it was all a big, self-aggrandizing lie.
The people’s struggle must be fought by a new generation of patriots, for as James Russell Lowell wrote, “time makes ancient good uncouth.” And of course, people born to parents of ancient ideas and myopic thoughts will not succumb to the banishment of the status quo.
Liberians from all walks of life must begin to sound the alarm on uncouth behaviors…behaviors that bring harm to the nation and its people. Liberians must not relent in voicing their displeasure not only with the president but also with those who claim to carry the banner of patriotism and nationalism on their bosoms but yet, are mired in the mud pit of corruption.
I really wanted to write about Firestone this week, but the stealing and rumors of stealing that keep coming out of Monrovia continue to prompt me to keep sounding the alarm in the market place of discontent. To those in high positions from Margibi County where Firestone is located, or those born in Firestone who are now in government, it is time that the name Firestone Plantations Company be erased or eliminated from the minds of our people and the books of Liberia .
Like Morris’s Farm, Cooper’s Farm, Mount Barclay …all Rubber Estates, Firestone Rubber Estate should be more appropriate a name in Liberia . Plantation is synonymous to slavery and I don’t like it one bit, for it legitimizes slavery in a country whose majority has over the years, been treated with inequality by ironically, people who were once themselves slaves.
Now, let me begin to make more noise about the unabated news of stealing and the shameless behavior of say, 60% of those Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf brought into her government. How accurate is the percentage? I don’t know, but when Ellen’s government is now known to be three times more corrupt than Gyude Bryant’s government, of all governments, then any figure will carry the day.
I, like many others who support Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, am running out of ammunition to fight the doomsday preachers and prognosticators. Every social gathering in the Diaspora talks about one thing and one thing only: The rampant corruption and misuse of power in the present government of Liberia . We endeavor with all our might to point out some of the positive things going on in Liberia . Nothing overshadows progress more than corruption in high places. And to shift those whose misdeeds are so glaring from one ministry to another entity, to even the less-sophisticated minds, is nothing but amazing.
The competition for dubious activities by Harry Greaves and Morris Saytumah has become historical in the annals of corruption in the Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf government. If Greaves is not suing the Legislature of Liberia, Saytumah is soliciting money, By Directive of the President, to take sick newspaper editors for medical treatment in other countries. Murphy’s Law has taken hold of the Oldma’s government. And lo and behold, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf has been condoning this thing by allowing compassion and sympathy to send her legacy to hell.
Excuse ye the expression, for Sarah Johnson appeared in my dream: “Tell my daughter,” she told me, “that a good name is far better than silver or gold. Keeping dishonest people in her government will ruin her. She must demonstrate the fiduciary discipline for which she is known. The Liberian people will not forgive her if she continues to tolerate the dishonesty of her friends and relatives in government. Nothing should come between her and her country.”
The only Minister I heard of who agrees with John Morlue, the Auditor General, is Ngafuan, the Minister of Finance. Even the Legislators, who at first could not stand Mr. Morlue, are now soliciting his advice on the country’s financial mishaps. Many more honest cabinet minister need to come out of their shells and help shine the light on the evil that is keeping our people poorer and our country a hundred years backward.
I am tired, and I know many more concerned Liberians are fed up, with the way things are in our country. Liberia and majority of its people have seen no progress in almost 161 years of existence. Our people continue to live in huts and zinc shacks. Some are drinking water from creeks chemically polluted by big industries that care less for the human condition.
Majority of our people continue to be without health care, with as many as possible walking barefooted. The revolution was about serving the people and improving their lot. The people continue to remain victims of the revolution. In a sense, it was all a gimmick; it was all a big, self-aggrandizing lie.
The people’s struggle must be fought by a new generation of patriots, for as James Russell Lowell wrote, “time makes ancient good uncouth.” And of course, people born to parents of ancient ideas and myopic thoughts will not succumb to the banishment of the status quo.
Liberians from all walks of life must begin to sound the alarm on uncouth behaviors…behaviors that bring harm to the nation and its people. Liberians must not relent in voicing their displeasure not only with the president but also with those who claim to carry the banner of patriotism and nationalism on their bosoms but yet, are mired in the mud pit of corruption.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Our Sad Interconnection
The dilemma Liberia faces is punishing those who brought havoc upon the people and country. We are so interconnected that it is near impossible to harm one and not cause a wave of bad feelings from other connected parts of the chain. My gut feeling is that those who revelled in humiliating our people and destroying our country, these people should be handled by the international community. Fragile Liberia has no place to accommodate our killers and tormentors.
I am sitting at my desk at work and thinking about all the good and the bad things that are happening in Liberia. I do not have all the information I need to pin point exactly these good and bad things. But from reading here and there I hear that $87 Million will soon be pumped into the country’s economy by an investment company to build houses in Virginia, Brewerville, and on Robertsfield highway for low as well as middle income citizens.
Since Monrovia is so congested, why wasn’t the Kakata area, say near Todee junction, selected for this project? If I can remember, Kakata is like 40 miles from Monrovia. I drive 40 miles one-way to work everyday. Anyway, that is a good thing; for when I finally come home, I will be able to live somewhere comfortably until I can build my own house.
Later on, my mind took me to the civil war that started on December 24, 1989. Charles Taylor was all over the radio waves. President Doe was also all over the radio waves. Majority of Liberians did not know who else was pushing Mr Taylor. What many of us knew was that Charles Taylor once worked for President Doe and the big news was that Taylor had sold a plane or something and had duped the President. Money is one of those things that spoil friendship!
The race to reach Monrovia to capture President Doe was intense. News began to filter out from the front line that Prince Johnson, one of Charles Taylor’s top guns, had defected. Not many people knew who Prince Johnson was; but the news was that the guy was fierce. From America I heard that Prince Johnson had a stool that he sat on, in the middle of the road. Enemy soldiers traveling on roads where Prince Johnson controlled had no chance. I believe, Senator, the people of Liberia deserve to hear your war-years stories in book form.
A lot of Johnsons took part in our civil war. From America, one Ellen Johnson was leading a group. From Camp Johnson Road, a Roosevelt Johnson was making his name, protecting his people, as we heard. Roosevelt Johnson, we also learned, was also a fierce warrior. oh yes, Koboi Johnson would have made an awesome foursome!
Even though Ellen Johnson is one of us, Gola father, Kru grandmother, she was brought up with and influenced by the Congau people. My thinking is if Ellen’s intention was to protect or fight for anyone, the fight would be for the Congau people. Roosevelt Johnson was fighting to protect his tribal Krahn people. And Prince Johnson was there to fight for and protect his people from Nimba County.
For the Gola, Kru and Congau people, Ellen Johnson was there for you. For the Krahn people, Roosevelt Johnson and the President of Liberia, Samuel Doe, Amos Gbon, George Boley, and many other prominent fighters were there to protect your interest. For the Mandingo, Gio, Mano, Gbi, and Krahn people of Nimba County, Prince Johnson was the son who was destined to protect you. Many other counties were now vulnerable. They had no one to fight for them. Bong, Lofa, Maryland, Cape Mount and a few other counties needed to be represented in the war. Tom W was there to fight for the people of Bassa and Rivercess Counties. Oh, there was another Johnson who got ambushed in Grand Bassa County during the early stage of the war. I wonder from which county he came.
Because of this vulnerability, a son of Lofa County, Alhaji Kromah, got into the fray. He too was expected to fight for and protect the Kissi, Mandingo, Lorma, Belle, and Gbandi people of Lofa County. From this picture, it is now clear that a full-blown civil war was in the making. The people of Liberia were in for a long and devastating period, never before experienced.
My wife’s paternal grandmother, a Belle, who lived in Gwellita in Lofa County, was forced to walk miles and miles into the Belle forest. Because of her age, she died during her ordeal. Her village was burned and none of us know where she was buried. When we heard the news, we knew that Mr Kromah was not in Lofa County to protect all of its population.
My sister in-law and her husband, Stephen Konah, lived in Bong Mines. The family had a small clinic they operated near one of the gates leading into the compound of the company. Stephen Konah was from Nimba County. When Prince Johnson and his fighters reached Bong Mines, It was impossible to ignore the new Sherriff in town.
Mr Konah and his family cooked for and did all they could to accommodate Mr Johnson and his group of fighters. The fierce warrior from Nimba County did nothing to protect and save Mr Konah. Mr Stephen Konah was brutally murdered in front of his family by those who were supposed to protect him. The reason: The group was not sure whether Mr Konah was a spy for government forces or a genuine supporter of Mr Johnson.
What was the war about if it did not save the lives of the innocent? Why did many refuse to admit to the atrocities they committed against their own people? Why were some people fighting to save their people why others were gleefully killing their own? Why are we crying about the untold destruction and the=2 0backwardness of our country when we know within ourselves that we did the damage?
It is a difficult thing for the common person like me to decide who, amongst our killers, should be sent to the gallows, incarcerated or set free. To know that these killers of men are roaming the streets of our towns and villages makes for a chilling feeling. To know that men we once feared are now making our laws and teaching our people; to know that the same people who once killed innocent people and stole our money are now deacons in churches and Imams in mosques, carrying the Bible and Koran on their chests in broad day light; to live with these terrible feelings everyday, is indeed frightening, stressful and heartbreaking.
The international community needs to help us Liberians decide what to make of the results of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. All those who played major roles in our civil conflict must be made to face the consequences. Whatever list is out there that is already causing concerns should be given due process, for justice must be done to all men and women.
There is just no jail in Liberia to keep Prince Johnson or Conneh or Alhaji Kromah or Senator Dolo. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has become larger than life. Is there a jail house in Liberia where she can be incarcerated because she started off this thing with $10,000? Are the women of Liberia, her greatest strength, our mothers and sisters who voted her into the presidency, are these women ready to see their idol in hand cuffs?
Our situation is so pitiful and interconnected. I hit a huge wall whenever I think about the dilemma Liberians face in doling out justice to those who killed us. Like Charles Taylor, I just wish these big Whigs were all somewhere else as we decide from the comfort of our cities, towns and villages what to do with them. If our tormentors were somewhere else, far, far away from Monrovia, my call would be: Let those people stay right where they are.
How in the world will the baby Jesus be sent from Egypt when King Herod is still roaming the streets of Nazareth?
I am sitting at my desk at work and thinking about all the good and the bad things that are happening in Liberia. I do not have all the information I need to pin point exactly these good and bad things. But from reading here and there I hear that $87 Million will soon be pumped into the country’s economy by an investment company to build houses in Virginia, Brewerville, and on Robertsfield highway for low as well as middle income citizens.
Since Monrovia is so congested, why wasn’t the Kakata area, say near Todee junction, selected for this project? If I can remember, Kakata is like 40 miles from Monrovia. I drive 40 miles one-way to work everyday. Anyway, that is a good thing; for when I finally come home, I will be able to live somewhere comfortably until I can build my own house.
Later on, my mind took me to the civil war that started on December 24, 1989. Charles Taylor was all over the radio waves. President Doe was also all over the radio waves. Majority of Liberians did not know who else was pushing Mr Taylor. What many of us knew was that Charles Taylor once worked for President Doe and the big news was that Taylor had sold a plane or something and had duped the President. Money is one of those things that spoil friendship!
The race to reach Monrovia to capture President Doe was intense. News began to filter out from the front line that Prince Johnson, one of Charles Taylor’s top guns, had defected. Not many people knew who Prince Johnson was; but the news was that the guy was fierce. From America I heard that Prince Johnson had a stool that he sat on, in the middle of the road. Enemy soldiers traveling on roads where Prince Johnson controlled had no chance. I believe, Senator, the people of Liberia deserve to hear your war-years stories in book form.
A lot of Johnsons took part in our civil war. From America, one Ellen Johnson was leading a group. From Camp Johnson Road, a Roosevelt Johnson was making his name, protecting his people, as we heard. Roosevelt Johnson, we also learned, was also a fierce warrior. oh yes, Koboi Johnson would have made an awesome foursome!
Even though Ellen Johnson is one of us, Gola father, Kru grandmother, she was brought up with and influenced by the Congau people. My thinking is if Ellen’s intention was to protect or fight for anyone, the fight would be for the Congau people. Roosevelt Johnson was fighting to protect his tribal Krahn people. And Prince Johnson was there to fight for and protect his people from Nimba County.
For the Gola, Kru and Congau people, Ellen Johnson was there for you. For the Krahn people, Roosevelt Johnson and the President of Liberia, Samuel Doe, Amos Gbon, George Boley, and many other prominent fighters were there to protect your interest. For the Mandingo, Gio, Mano, Gbi, and Krahn people of Nimba County, Prince Johnson was the son who was destined to protect you. Many other counties were now vulnerable. They had no one to fight for them. Bong, Lofa, Maryland, Cape Mount and a few other counties needed to be represented in the war. Tom W was there to fight for the people of Bassa and Rivercess Counties. Oh, there was another Johnson who got ambushed in Grand Bassa County during the early stage of the war. I wonder from which county he came.
Because of this vulnerability, a son of Lofa County, Alhaji Kromah, got into the fray. He too was expected to fight for and protect the Kissi, Mandingo, Lorma, Belle, and Gbandi people of Lofa County. From this picture, it is now clear that a full-blown civil war was in the making. The people of Liberia were in for a long and devastating period, never before experienced.
My wife’s paternal grandmother, a Belle, who lived in Gwellita in Lofa County, was forced to walk miles and miles into the Belle forest. Because of her age, she died during her ordeal. Her village was burned and none of us know where she was buried. When we heard the news, we knew that Mr Kromah was not in Lofa County to protect all of its population.
My sister in-law and her husband, Stephen Konah, lived in Bong Mines. The family had a small clinic they operated near one of the gates leading into the compound of the company. Stephen Konah was from Nimba County. When Prince Johnson and his fighters reached Bong Mines, It was impossible to ignore the new Sherriff in town.
Mr Konah and his family cooked for and did all they could to accommodate Mr Johnson and his group of fighters. The fierce warrior from Nimba County did nothing to protect and save Mr Konah. Mr Stephen Konah was brutally murdered in front of his family by those who were supposed to protect him. The reason: The group was not sure whether Mr Konah was a spy for government forces or a genuine supporter of Mr Johnson.
What was the war about if it did not save the lives of the innocent? Why did many refuse to admit to the atrocities they committed against their own people? Why were some people fighting to save their people why others were gleefully killing their own? Why are we crying about the untold destruction and the=2 0backwardness of our country when we know within ourselves that we did the damage?
It is a difficult thing for the common person like me to decide who, amongst our killers, should be sent to the gallows, incarcerated or set free. To know that these killers of men are roaming the streets of our towns and villages makes for a chilling feeling. To know that men we once feared are now making our laws and teaching our people; to know that the same people who once killed innocent people and stole our money are now deacons in churches and Imams in mosques, carrying the Bible and Koran on their chests in broad day light; to live with these terrible feelings everyday, is indeed frightening, stressful and heartbreaking.
The international community needs to help us Liberians decide what to make of the results of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. All those who played major roles in our civil conflict must be made to face the consequences. Whatever list is out there that is already causing concerns should be given due process, for justice must be done to all men and women.
There is just no jail in Liberia to keep Prince Johnson or Conneh or Alhaji Kromah or Senator Dolo. Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has become larger than life. Is there a jail house in Liberia where she can be incarcerated because she started off this thing with $10,000? Are the women of Liberia, her greatest strength, our mothers and sisters who voted her into the presidency, are these women ready to see their idol in hand cuffs?
Our situation is so pitiful and interconnected. I hit a huge wall whenever I think about the dilemma Liberians face in doling out justice to those who killed us. Like Charles Taylor, I just wish these big Whigs were all somewhere else as we decide from the comfort of our cities, towns and villages what to do with them. If our tormentors were somewhere else, far, far away from Monrovia, my call would be: Let those people stay right where they are.
How in the world will the baby Jesus be sent from Egypt when King Herod is still roaming the streets of Nazareth?
Monday, June 22, 2009
Ending The Blame Game
With general elections around the corner, manipulators of the Liberian people are coming out en masse with the same old divisive ideas of blaming one group of people for the country's demise. Mentally and psychologically, majority of the Liberian people were kept down by a small group of freed slaves, for 133 years. Morally and physically, our people and the country were destroyed when the majority finally took the rein of power.
To rebuild Liberia and unite its people, something new has to happen. The blame game, however, must end. That is my gut feeling:
The population of Liberia is now 3.4 million people. Does this amount include Liberians living outside of the country? I am just curious.
On April 12, 1980, Liberians woke up to the voice of Master Sergeant Samuel K Doe of the People’s Redemption Council. MSGT Doe told us, the Liberian people that 133 years of Americo-Liberian rule had ended; that years of rampant corruption and misuse of power were over. There was dancing in the streets of Monrovia and in towns and villages all across the country. 95 percent of the people were rejoicing because 5 percent had controlled the helm of power for too long a time.
The beneficiaries and gravy seekers of 133 years of Americo-Liberian rule were obviously and understandably saddened by the incident of that memorable morning. Although a few had been killed, many Americo-Liberians and their surrogates left the country; many of the same people remained in the country. Some became Ministers and big shots in the new government.
It was not long after the celebration that it became clear that after 133 years of inequality imposed upon 95 percent of the population, after 133 years of separation of Liberians into two groups---Congo and Country, the people of Liberia were about to witness a nightmare never before experienced in the country’s 133 years of independence.
What did I expect when the coup occurred and the True Whig Party was dislodged? What did I expect when Samuel Doe and the PRC announced that they were now in power in Liberia and that rampant corruption and misuse of power had come to a screeching halt? I expected the doors that had been closed for so long to majority of the people of Liberia to now be opened to all Liberians. I expected to see the government of Liberia to look like Liberia. I expected more schools and especially more universities. I felt it was just wrong for students in Harper or in Voinjama to come all the way to Monrovia to attend the only University in the country. Of course, I expected a lot more from the new majority government in Liberia.
It was good to see citizens from all the counties in the country, including Congo people, in the new government. I could not understand why it was so difficult to appoint a citizen from Nimba County Vice President of the country when the Congo people were in charge? After all, James E Green from Sinoe County had been Vice president. Why was it always a Congo person or a surrogate who had to be President or Vice President of a country that belongs to all Liberians? What was it that made Americo-Liberians so afraid of their own people whom they had lived with for more than a hundred years? People living in Lofa, Grand Gedeh, Nimba, Bong, Bomi counties were Liberians too, right?
As I was saying, I expected a lot from the PRC and Samuel Doe. I wanted to see unity amongst the soldiers who had taken over. I wanted them to be united in their efforts to demonstrate to the Americo-Liberians that we were all in this boat together. Oh how wrong a path on which my thoughts were leading me! As I was looking at the bright side of the coin, the surrogates and gravy seekers of our new government were hatching something else---something more sinister and devastating than any of us could foretell.
The demonic thoughts and dark-alley manipulations by the surrogates and gravy seekers of the new government started a domino effect that began with General Quiwonkpa’s transfer from the Army Barracks to being Secretary General of the PRC. The killing of General Weh-Syehn and other soldiers who announced the change on the morning of April 12, 1980, was a big set back for unity. I did not like the verbal presentations of those who were now in power, but I felt assured that our country would never be the same again. I felt that with an equal playing field, Congo and Country people would compete fairly for a slice of the nation’s pie. We would all be unanimous in our efforts to finally build the Liberia of our collective liking.
133 years of Americo-Liberian rule may have educationally paralyzed 95 percent of our people, but when 95 percent of the people were given the chance to redeem all of us of this past evil, a small group of manipulators and gravy seekers derailed the golden opportunity handed to us through the sacrifice of a few brave men.
We can continue to blame those who kept us down for 133 years. We can say that Americo-Liberians were or are a mean set of people who thought and continue to think that they were or are better structured by God to rule the rest of us. We can lay the underdevelopment of our country squarely in their laps. But when it comes to our turn to demonstrate to the world and our people what we did then and what we are doing now with the given opportunity, there is actually nothing meaningful that the representatives of 95 percent of the people can show. Whereas Americo-Liberians mentally and psychologically killed the majority, representatives of the majority have made sure they physically destroyed those who were their strength. Physically destroying or killing members of the majority was the one recipe needed to bring the country to what it is today.
There is no question, Liberians will have to reconcile if we want to live together in peace. The burden is on all of us to tell the truth…to tell each other why we were so mean to each other and to give each other the assurance that such evil will not be allowed to come our way again.
Because one evil led to another evil, those who were vicious and who became law and gospel will have to face some retribution for such vicious crime against humanity. For we know that burning the bridges behind you after killing your own people did not suffice; for here you are, coming back to the same villages you destroyed…coming back to the survivors of those you killed in your hours of excitement.
We need to come up with bold, new and transformational ideas to build the country and unite our people. The blame-game will have to end if we must move forward.
To rebuild Liberia and unite its people, something new has to happen. The blame game, however, must end. That is my gut feeling:
The population of Liberia is now 3.4 million people. Does this amount include Liberians living outside of the country? I am just curious.
On April 12, 1980, Liberians woke up to the voice of Master Sergeant Samuel K Doe of the People’s Redemption Council. MSGT Doe told us, the Liberian people that 133 years of Americo-Liberian rule had ended; that years of rampant corruption and misuse of power were over. There was dancing in the streets of Monrovia and in towns and villages all across the country. 95 percent of the people were rejoicing because 5 percent had controlled the helm of power for too long a time.
The beneficiaries and gravy seekers of 133 years of Americo-Liberian rule were obviously and understandably saddened by the incident of that memorable morning. Although a few had been killed, many Americo-Liberians and their surrogates left the country; many of the same people remained in the country. Some became Ministers and big shots in the new government.
It was not long after the celebration that it became clear that after 133 years of inequality imposed upon 95 percent of the population, after 133 years of separation of Liberians into two groups---Congo and Country, the people of Liberia were about to witness a nightmare never before experienced in the country’s 133 years of independence.
What did I expect when the coup occurred and the True Whig Party was dislodged? What did I expect when Samuel Doe and the PRC announced that they were now in power in Liberia and that rampant corruption and misuse of power had come to a screeching halt? I expected the doors that had been closed for so long to majority of the people of Liberia to now be opened to all Liberians. I expected to see the government of Liberia to look like Liberia. I expected more schools and especially more universities. I felt it was just wrong for students in Harper or in Voinjama to come all the way to Monrovia to attend the only University in the country. Of course, I expected a lot more from the new majority government in Liberia.
It was good to see citizens from all the counties in the country, including Congo people, in the new government. I could not understand why it was so difficult to appoint a citizen from Nimba County Vice President of the country when the Congo people were in charge? After all, James E Green from Sinoe County had been Vice president. Why was it always a Congo person or a surrogate who had to be President or Vice President of a country that belongs to all Liberians? What was it that made Americo-Liberians so afraid of their own people whom they had lived with for more than a hundred years? People living in Lofa, Grand Gedeh, Nimba, Bong, Bomi counties were Liberians too, right?
As I was saying, I expected a lot from the PRC and Samuel Doe. I wanted to see unity amongst the soldiers who had taken over. I wanted them to be united in their efforts to demonstrate to the Americo-Liberians that we were all in this boat together. Oh how wrong a path on which my thoughts were leading me! As I was looking at the bright side of the coin, the surrogates and gravy seekers of our new government were hatching something else---something more sinister and devastating than any of us could foretell.
The demonic thoughts and dark-alley manipulations by the surrogates and gravy seekers of the new government started a domino effect that began with General Quiwonkpa’s transfer from the Army Barracks to being Secretary General of the PRC. The killing of General Weh-Syehn and other soldiers who announced the change on the morning of April 12, 1980, was a big set back for unity. I did not like the verbal presentations of those who were now in power, but I felt assured that our country would never be the same again. I felt that with an equal playing field, Congo and Country people would compete fairly for a slice of the nation’s pie. We would all be unanimous in our efforts to finally build the Liberia of our collective liking.
133 years of Americo-Liberian rule may have educationally paralyzed 95 percent of our people, but when 95 percent of the people were given the chance to redeem all of us of this past evil, a small group of manipulators and gravy seekers derailed the golden opportunity handed to us through the sacrifice of a few brave men.
We can continue to blame those who kept us down for 133 years. We can say that Americo-Liberians were or are a mean set of people who thought and continue to think that they were or are better structured by God to rule the rest of us. We can lay the underdevelopment of our country squarely in their laps. But when it comes to our turn to demonstrate to the world and our people what we did then and what we are doing now with the given opportunity, there is actually nothing meaningful that the representatives of 95 percent of the people can show. Whereas Americo-Liberians mentally and psychologically killed the majority, representatives of the majority have made sure they physically destroyed those who were their strength. Physically destroying or killing members of the majority was the one recipe needed to bring the country to what it is today.
There is no question, Liberians will have to reconcile if we want to live together in peace. The burden is on all of us to tell the truth…to tell each other why we were so mean to each other and to give each other the assurance that such evil will not be allowed to come our way again.
Because one evil led to another evil, those who were vicious and who became law and gospel will have to face some retribution for such vicious crime against humanity. For we know that burning the bridges behind you after killing your own people did not suffice; for here you are, coming back to the same villages you destroyed…coming back to the survivors of those you killed in your hours of excitement.
We need to come up with bold, new and transformational ideas to build the country and unite our people. The blame-game will have to end if we must move forward.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Stealing of the country's money has become a way of life for those entrusted with the lifeline of Liberia. Employees and government officials are knee deep in keeping our people backward and promoting the failed-state status of our homeland. When I read that members of the president's family were also busy sucking our country dry of its diversity by taking lucrative positions in this government, I had to jump in with my gut feelings:
When I am not writing to the Editor of FrontPageAfrica, I am busy on the Internet, on Liberian listservs, fighting other Liberians who believe in their hearts that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is somehow transforming into the worst president Liberia has ever had. The frustration out there is amazing. Supporting Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf now a day is becoming a daunting endeavor for many of her staunch supporters. I wonder whether she is hearing any of the thousands of criticisms coming her way.
About a month ago I read that FrontPageAfrica was being denied access to certain areas in the Ellen Government. I don't know how far this has gone, but it seems from your daily output that the doors to these restricted areas are being gradually opened for you to peep in. Keep peeping in, for there is nothing more exhilarating than to see and report to the people some of the evils that go on behind closed doors and in dark alleys.
Some people are extremely mad that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf wrote her memoir while she is still occupies the presidency of Liberia. Some even say that the title: This Child Will Be Great is egotistical and a bluff. Because of what some old man said near her bed side when she was about a day or two old, these people argue, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf did not rest until she became great by becoming President of Liberia. She did everything in her power to fulfill that prediction.
Our people are tough and when they get on your back, it's like white on rice. My counter argument to this book brouhaha is that if someone told me that I would be great, I would do everything in my power to do the best I can to fulfill the dream of greatness. And if my greatness benefited society, there would be no reason for regrets. I told the story of my Eleventh Grade Teacher who wrote on the back of my Report Card at the end of the year that: Cooper Would Be An Excellent College Student.
I took that comment very seriously. No one had ever come to our school to tell us about any college. After high school in Liberia, many, many students are left to fend for themselves. Potential Doctors and Lawyers and Engineers and Writers are left to rot on the dryer of inequality. When it seemed to me that I was slowly becoming a bad statistics, I remembered the comment of my Eleventh Grade Teacher. Those words gave me the push I needed to enter the University of Liberia. Like Ellen, I wish all Liberians could find some words said by some stranger to make them move forward in a positive way.
I don't know what has become of the $508,000 confiscated from the Nigerian Businessman by the security forces of Liberia. I heard an argument on Star Radio via the Internet between the Justice Minister and a Member of the House of Representatives. The well-spoken Justice Minister who was once Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, I believe, seemed baffled by the persistence of the Representative's inquiries. If I were grading the arguments, I would give the Minister a D and the Rep an A. The FOC in this case was used in a dubious and hasty manner. Why couldn't these smart people people keep that money in the bank until a thorough investigation was completed? Is there a comprehensive break down of how this money was so hastily spent? What is going on, my people?
History is repeating itself in Liberia. And the band wagon is getting loaded with history makers. Those who vilified John Morlu for saying that the EJS government was three times more corrupt than the previous governments are hanging their heads in shame. How will the people of Liberia benefit from the resources of their country when one day $1 Million is deposited into a bank and the next day 10 strangers will go and begin withdrawing the same money from the bank? Who are these bankers? Are they part of the syndicated group of corrupt Liberians and foreigners?
Looking at those 13 officials of the Liberian Government who were executed in April of 1980, I would think that such a scene would remind the president and her family of those dark days in the history of our country. It is a shame and a big disgrace that we as human beings are so quick to wipe from our minds the evil of the past. I hate to think that the same thought of Liberia being the farm of the Tubmans and the Tolberts when they were in power, those same thoughts are popping up again in the minds of Liberians.
Someone who just left Liberia was saying in a gathering that there would be a coup if the United Nations took its troops from Liberia today. Why would anyone want such a thing to happen to us again? Why is Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf falling into the same trap that Tolbert and Doe and Taylor did everything to fall into? What is it about government that makes fools out of great men and women?
I did not like when the whole of Grand Gedeh left the East and settled in Monrovia when President Doe was in power. I did not like when Frank Tolbert and Steve Tolbert and all the Tolberts sat in those lucrative positions when William Tolbert was in Power. For 27 years, Cape Palmas was all over the Liberian people because William Tubman was president of Liberia.
Today, the whispers about the Sirleafs and their cousins and their sons and daughters and their in laws are all over the place. Those who, by the skin of their teeth, not the love of God, were able to escape the incident of 1980, are back and more prepared to steal everything in their path and again, run away to far-away lands to bury their loot. Every president of Liberia brings a baggage that leaves a worthless legacy behind. Our first female president seems to be falling into this strange web of doom. And I don't like it. This ship is heading toward a precipice. Friends of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf need to tell her the God truth.
Since the norm is that history must repeat itself and there are those who are bent on making history by carrying on the same thievery that continues to keep our people down and our country a failed state, the future of Liberia looks bleak. For no matter who comes next as president of this country, nothing will be different. The whole of Sinoe County will migrate to Monrovia if the next president comes from that part of the country.
This vicious cycle is never-ending.
5/20/09
When I am not writing to the Editor of FrontPageAfrica, I am busy on the Internet, on Liberian listservs, fighting other Liberians who believe in their hearts that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is somehow transforming into the worst president Liberia has ever had. The frustration out there is amazing. Supporting Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf now a day is becoming a daunting endeavor for many of her staunch supporters. I wonder whether she is hearing any of the thousands of criticisms coming her way.
About a month ago I read that FrontPageAfrica was being denied access to certain areas in the Ellen Government. I don't know how far this has gone, but it seems from your daily output that the doors to these restricted areas are being gradually opened for you to peep in. Keep peeping in, for there is nothing more exhilarating than to see and report to the people some of the evils that go on behind closed doors and in dark alleys.
Some people are extremely mad that Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf wrote her memoir while she is still occupies the presidency of Liberia. Some even say that the title: This Child Will Be Great is egotistical and a bluff. Because of what some old man said near her bed side when she was about a day or two old, these people argue, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf did not rest until she became great by becoming President of Liberia. She did everything in her power to fulfill that prediction.
Our people are tough and when they get on your back, it's like white on rice. My counter argument to this book brouhaha is that if someone told me that I would be great, I would do everything in my power to do the best I can to fulfill the dream of greatness. And if my greatness benefited society, there would be no reason for regrets. I told the story of my Eleventh Grade Teacher who wrote on the back of my Report Card at the end of the year that: Cooper Would Be An Excellent College Student.
I took that comment very seriously. No one had ever come to our school to tell us about any college. After high school in Liberia, many, many students are left to fend for themselves. Potential Doctors and Lawyers and Engineers and Writers are left to rot on the dryer of inequality. When it seemed to me that I was slowly becoming a bad statistics, I remembered the comment of my Eleventh Grade Teacher. Those words gave me the push I needed to enter the University of Liberia. Like Ellen, I wish all Liberians could find some words said by some stranger to make them move forward in a positive way.
I don't know what has become of the $508,000 confiscated from the Nigerian Businessman by the security forces of Liberia. I heard an argument on Star Radio via the Internet between the Justice Minister and a Member of the House of Representatives. The well-spoken Justice Minister who was once Dean of the Louis Arthur Grimes School of Law, I believe, seemed baffled by the persistence of the Representative's inquiries. If I were grading the arguments, I would give the Minister a D and the Rep an A. The FOC in this case was used in a dubious and hasty manner. Why couldn't these smart people people keep that money in the bank until a thorough investigation was completed? Is there a comprehensive break down of how this money was so hastily spent? What is going on, my people?
History is repeating itself in Liberia. And the band wagon is getting loaded with history makers. Those who vilified John Morlu for saying that the EJS government was three times more corrupt than the previous governments are hanging their heads in shame. How will the people of Liberia benefit from the resources of their country when one day $1 Million is deposited into a bank and the next day 10 strangers will go and begin withdrawing the same money from the bank? Who are these bankers? Are they part of the syndicated group of corrupt Liberians and foreigners?
Looking at those 13 officials of the Liberian Government who were executed in April of 1980, I would think that such a scene would remind the president and her family of those dark days in the history of our country. It is a shame and a big disgrace that we as human beings are so quick to wipe from our minds the evil of the past. I hate to think that the same thought of Liberia being the farm of the Tubmans and the Tolberts when they were in power, those same thoughts are popping up again in the minds of Liberians.
Someone who just left Liberia was saying in a gathering that there would be a coup if the United Nations took its troops from Liberia today. Why would anyone want such a thing to happen to us again? Why is Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf falling into the same trap that Tolbert and Doe and Taylor did everything to fall into? What is it about government that makes fools out of great men and women?
I did not like when the whole of Grand Gedeh left the East and settled in Monrovia when President Doe was in power. I did not like when Frank Tolbert and Steve Tolbert and all the Tolberts sat in those lucrative positions when William Tolbert was in Power. For 27 years, Cape Palmas was all over the Liberian people because William Tubman was president of Liberia.
Today, the whispers about the Sirleafs and their cousins and their sons and daughters and their in laws are all over the place. Those who, by the skin of their teeth, not the love of God, were able to escape the incident of 1980, are back and more prepared to steal everything in their path and again, run away to far-away lands to bury their loot. Every president of Liberia brings a baggage that leaves a worthless legacy behind. Our first female president seems to be falling into this strange web of doom. And I don't like it. This ship is heading toward a precipice. Friends of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf need to tell her the God truth.
Since the norm is that history must repeat itself and there are those who are bent on making history by carrying on the same thievery that continues to keep our people down and our country a failed state, the future of Liberia looks bleak. For no matter who comes next as president of this country, nothing will be different. The whole of Sinoe County will migrate to Monrovia if the next president comes from that part of the country.
This vicious cycle is never-ending.
5/20/09
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Liberia does not have an effective lobbying group in the US Congress. The stigma of slavery of our own people and constant mistreatment of our people by us are all reasons why the friendship between Africa and the blacks in America remains lukewarm. The debate continues:
When all things are spoken and placed in their right perspective, it is believed that most African Americans would prefer associating themselves with South Africa or Kenya or Ghana rather than being associated with Liberia. On page 296 of Ellen's Book, This child Will Be Great, she writes:
"Moreover, I believe there is a segment of black Americans who want to distance themselves from the settlers of Liberia, because of what the settlers did in forming this land. They left the land of bondage and oppression and came here to impose another form of colonialism on the people already here. Who wants to be associated with that? The whole stigma of slavery and oppression that Liberia represents...that Africa represents...to many black Americans is precisely what they want to distance themselves from."
As we can see, African Americans may not have copiously checked many of the misconceptions and falsehoods about Africa. They have, however, seen and continue to witness the atrocities Africans have committed against their own people. Things will never be as rosy for them in America. Yet, they have no other alternative; they have nowhere to run to. Germans and French can move to America with ease. Africa is a whole different story for black people around the world!
In a nutshell, Africans have been mean to themselves. And as far as we are concerned, we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot.
Cooper Kweme
5/12/09
12:00 AM
When all things are spoken and placed in their right perspective, it is believed that most African Americans would prefer associating themselves with South Africa or Kenya or Ghana rather than being associated with Liberia. On page 296 of Ellen's Book, This child Will Be Great, she writes:
"Moreover, I believe there is a segment of black Americans who want to distance themselves from the settlers of Liberia, because of what the settlers did in forming this land. They left the land of bondage and oppression and came here to impose another form of colonialism on the people already here. Who wants to be associated with that? The whole stigma of slavery and oppression that Liberia represents...that Africa represents...to many black Americans is precisely what they want to distance themselves from."
As we can see, African Americans may not have copiously checked many of the misconceptions and falsehoods about Africa. They have, however, seen and continue to witness the atrocities Africans have committed against their own people. Things will never be as rosy for them in America. Yet, they have no other alternative; they have nowhere to run to. Germans and French can move to America with ease. Africa is a whole different story for black people around the world!
In a nutshell, Africans have been mean to themselves. And as far as we are concerned, we continue to shoot ourselves in the foot.
Cooper Kweme
5/12/09
12:00 AM
Monday, May 4, 2009
Being Positive For Once
Many detractors and frustrated individuals are bent on destroying what little is being accomplished in Liberia. From criminal to the worst of names, these detractors are vilifying the President, the first lady president of Liberia, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf. I can't stomach the venom being spewed. When one of these detractors challenged me to be more expansive in my criticism of the men who have ruled our country, I made it brief:
I don't have to be analytical about this. But look. From Joseph Jenkins Roberts to Charles Taylor....all these men presidents, have one way or the other, ruined our country. From 1847 to 2006....159 years, Liberia saw nothing but a period of underdevelopment, mayhem and chaos! Whose name do you hear of more often stealing the people's money? I think it's mostly men, right? Besides Aisha Conneh, I did not hear the names of a lot of women war lords during our 15 years of conflicts. In this new dispensation I do not hear the names of women in the stealing business.
The crazy notion is that because one has the right to be critical, rude and inconsiderate of one's leader, those who believe in change for the better should just lay back and read incendiary, rhetorical nonsense. For it is extremely obvious, and we all know this, that if Liberia had a Gbanapekin or a Flomolon as its leader, the people of Liberia would not have been better off than they were 3 years ago. Chaos, tribalism and you know what would have been the order of the day.
The venom being spewed by most men against Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on these listservs represents the frustration that has saturated their inner self. When the opportunity presented itself for 159 years, the men squandered and misused such opportunity. If the Liberian women were given at least 50 years to run the country, I am sure as sure can be that Liberia will be the Liberia that our children can all be proud of.
The "criminality" of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is news to the Liberian people who voted for her. And who can be more justified for what occurred in November of 2005 than the people of Liberia?Stop insulting the intelligence of our people. And, stop it now!
There are so many fake names on these listservs that it is difficult to know whose rhetoric is being responded to. What I try to do, however, is to be consistent, no matter who tries to touch my hot button.
Finally, people should stop this " in-the-cause-of-the-people, the-struggle-continues thing." That is just rhetoric. President Doe said the same thing. We know what happened to the people. President Taylor was a mother of an advocate for the people. The outcome: 250,000 plus of the Liberian people died as a result of his fake exuberance.
We all can help build Liberia by giving good advice to the president. She will not be president forever. If road construction is your passion, talk to her about it. If schools and hospitals are your main concerns, write her and let her know. Be positive for once in your life. This is the most open government Liberia has ever had.
It's just difficult for me to be so negative knowing that just a few years ago, 250, 000 of our people died for me to have this opportunity to be positive.
Cooper Kweme
5/4/09
I don't have to be analytical about this. But look. From Joseph Jenkins Roberts to Charles Taylor....all these men presidents, have one way or the other, ruined our country. From 1847 to 2006....159 years, Liberia saw nothing but a period of underdevelopment, mayhem and chaos! Whose name do you hear of more often stealing the people's money? I think it's mostly men, right? Besides Aisha Conneh, I did not hear the names of a lot of women war lords during our 15 years of conflicts. In this new dispensation I do not hear the names of women in the stealing business.
The crazy notion is that because one has the right to be critical, rude and inconsiderate of one's leader, those who believe in change for the better should just lay back and read incendiary, rhetorical nonsense. For it is extremely obvious, and we all know this, that if Liberia had a Gbanapekin or a Flomolon as its leader, the people of Liberia would not have been better off than they were 3 years ago. Chaos, tribalism and you know what would have been the order of the day.
The venom being spewed by most men against Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf on these listservs represents the frustration that has saturated their inner self. When the opportunity presented itself for 159 years, the men squandered and misused such opportunity. If the Liberian women were given at least 50 years to run the country, I am sure as sure can be that Liberia will be the Liberia that our children can all be proud of.
The "criminality" of Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf is news to the Liberian people who voted for her. And who can be more justified for what occurred in November of 2005 than the people of Liberia?Stop insulting the intelligence of our people. And, stop it now!
There are so many fake names on these listservs that it is difficult to know whose rhetoric is being responded to. What I try to do, however, is to be consistent, no matter who tries to touch my hot button.
Finally, people should stop this " in-the-cause-of-the-people, the-struggle-continues thing." That is just rhetoric. President Doe said the same thing. We know what happened to the people. President Taylor was a mother of an advocate for the people. The outcome: 250,000 plus of the Liberian people died as a result of his fake exuberance.
We all can help build Liberia by giving good advice to the president. She will not be president forever. If road construction is your passion, talk to her about it. If schools and hospitals are your main concerns, write her and let her know. Be positive for once in your life. This is the most open government Liberia has ever had.
It's just difficult for me to be so negative knowing that just a few years ago, 250, 000 of our people died for me to have this opportunity to be positive.
Cooper Kweme
5/4/09
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