PHOTO: Boat Deck on the Mesurado River in 1926
By Hun-Bu Tulay, ntevoma@gmail.com; Cell#+231777111032/886517356
“It is not the smartest politician or the most intelligent or the most outspoken that survives, but the politician who is most responsive to a change that survives.” – Hun-Bu Tulay
In part two of From Pages of Liberia Histories, we quoted the great Physicist Sir Isaac Newton, and we would like to restate that quotation for those who have not read part two: “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” Keep these words in mind as you read this feature because they will help you understand why some Liberian Presidents did far better than others. At the end of part two, we informed you that the next feature or part three would focus on the two RRs (Roads and Rule of Law) in the acronym ‘ARREST’ which is the Unity Party Agenda.
Roads
The first ‘R’ in the ARREST Agenda stands for Roads. The most common definition of a Road is ‘a wide way leading from one place to another, especially one with a specially prepared surface which vehicles can use’. In our minds, this is what President Boakai and his sophisticated Unity Party Partisans had in mind. If this is the case, the Unity Party wants to limit Liberians to only travel by vehicles and no other means of transport. Hence, we will expand this discussion. Instead of Road, there are other means of connection or paths of travel that lead from one place to another. We call this transportation. We will therefore focus on transportation instead of roads.
Transportation can be simply defined as the movement of goods and persons from place to place, and there are various means by which such is accomplished. There are many different modes of transportation, and these include air, water and land. Air transport (aero plane and cable), land transport (rail and road), and water transport (any form of water vehicle). Hence, it is unfortunate that President Boakai and his supporters want to limit Liberia to land transport (road) only in the Party Agenda. It is interesting to note that land transportation, particularly road, was not popular in Liberia until the late 1960s.
Water Transport – 1822 – late 1970s
Water transport was the popular means of transporting goods and people in Liberia during the period 1822 to the late 1970s. Our forefathers came to present day Liberia by means of water transport (the first 88 immigrants came on a ship called Elizabeth) and so were the other immigrants that followed; they all came on ships. Those that were met here also were using water transport. As we know the immigrants settled in different parts of present-day Liberia. Those that settled in Clay-Ashland, Caldwell, Millsburgs, White Plains, Arthington, Careysburg, Crozerville, etc. were called the upriver boys. They came to Monrovia by means of water transport. So were people from Sinoe, Maryland, Grand Bassa and Grand Cape Mount County. In fact, there was a deck on Water Street opposite Providence Island that was used as a decking station. Below is the deck in 1926.
In Mr. M. Burleigh Holder’s Book “The Hand of God” he wrote that in 1923, the year he was born, there was absolutely no car road connecting White Plains to Monrovia. Those in these areas came to Monrovia on boats.
Air Transport: 1940s to 1980s
The second popular mode of transportation in the country was air transport, both local and international. Monrovia- Robert International Airport was once the hub for many aircrafts including Pan American Airlines, Brussels Airlines, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, British Caledonian Airway, Swissair, UTA, Scandinavian Airlines System, Air France, etc. One could get a connecting flight or travel from Liberia to any part of the world. Domestic airlines started in 1948 with the establishment of Liberia National Airline. This was followed with the establishment of Ducor Air Travel Transport and Weasua Air Transport. And in 1974, the Liberia National Airlines merged with the Ducor Travel Transport to form Air Liberia. For cargo, the Liberia World Airlines (LWA) was established. The government had a Presidential Plane in the 1970s named ‘Speedy One’. There were sixteen Domestic Airports in the country managed by Air Liberia. There were also other airports managed by Missionaries and Concession Companies. It was possible to fly to any city or large urban towns in Liberia by air; unfortunately, almost all these domestic airports are all abandoned and lie in ruins today.
Road Transport
Road transport by vehicle did not become popular until the late 1960s. See some photos below.
Broad Street 1932 Ashmun Street 1930
The photos above are those of Broad and Ashmun Streets in the 1930s. Do you think there were motor roads ten miles from Monrovia? In fact, present day Newport and Michelin Streets were once the farms of the Cooper Family. As late as the 1950s, these areas were called the Cooper Family. The Presidents before Edward James Roye were not interested in connecting Monrovia to the Western, Central, and Eastern parts of the country roads. Those who could not afford boats, trekked to Monrovia.
Roye’s Vision for the Transport Sector
As far back as the 1870s, President Roye had a far better vision of how the country’s transport problem would be solved. He called this “EASY CONNECTIVITY”. His vision was to extend the government’s influence as far in the country as Mesurado because of the economic potential. And his plan was to have three modes of transport, namely, road, rail, and water. He was going to dredge the St. Paul River to make it navigable and construct roads and rails. This vision cost him his life because the narrow-minded people were not interested in expanding the government’s influence. For them Liberia was Ashmun and Broad Streets. Tolbert took Roye’s vision on roads and connected Robertsport to Monrovia and Vahun to Monrovia. For connectivity, Tolbert stood on the shoulders of President Roye.
285 Pieces of Yellow Machines
We now hear debates in every corner of the country on the pros and cons for the current negotiation in acquiring 285 Yellow Machines. We are not here to join these debates, it is true that the current President said before his election that if elected, NO VEHICLE WOULD GET STUCK ON ANY MAJOR ROAD IN THE COUNTRY. But the question is, will spending US$22Million for upgrading the laterite roads and acquiring the 285 pieces of Yellow Machines ensure the President’s objective? If yes, for how long? In everything one does in life, there are alternative choices that should be considered. For example, a man who wants to get to New York has alternative routes, RIA-Accra-Nairobi-New York or RIA-Casablanca-New York or RIA- Accra-Addis Ababa New York or RIA-Accra-Brussels-New York. We have just given you four different ways of flying to New York City. The question now is, which of these routes is convenient for you? Similarly, in engineering projects, the engineers present to their clients a variety of alternatives and the most superior alternative is selected. In Engineering Schools, we teach a course called “Engineering Economics.” This course helps engineers to evaluate different alternatives in accomplishing an engineering project. The question now is this: What were the various alternatives available for accomplishing the President’s 100-day deliverables? We did not see or have not seen the alternatives that were available. Did the Ministry of Public Works engineers even consider other alternatives before spending the US$22 Million? Maybe they did or did not. Could we have achieved President Boakai’s 100-day deliverable objective using other alternatives? Of course, the answer is a BIG YES.
Paving all Primary Roads without soliciting loans
During the Madam Sirleaf-Boakai Administration, we discussed how the government could resolve the deplorable road condition in the country. It was from these discussions that the now ROAD FUND ACT was legislated by the Legislature. We believe it is possible to pave all our primary Roads without soliciting a LOAN. One of the donors proposed to the government around 2014 to enter a PROGRESSIVE PAYMENT CONTRACT AGREEMENT FOR THE PAVEMENT with two or more Road Construction Companies to pave the Primary Roads. In Progressive Payment Contract Agreements, payments are made to a prime contractor during the life of a fixed-price type contract based on a percentage of incurred total costs. The contractor pre-finances the cost and submits an invoice to the client for payment. However, considering that the government does not often meet her commitments, this donor was willing to arrange a deal with Barclay Bank-London to sign as guarantor if the government failed to pay the contractors. For us, this is a better alternative in achieving the President’s objective of NO VEHICLE GETTING STUCK IN THE MUD because in the Progressive Contract Agreement for a road corridor, the contractor ensures that the corridor is roadworthy all year around until completion. The country’s Primary Roads could be divided into corridors. For example, the Buchanan-Greenville corridor, Barclayville – Greenville corridor, and Monrovia – Tubmanburg – Gbarpolu corridor or Salayea – Voinjama corridor or Voinjama – Mendakoma corridor, etc. Here we are talking about paved roads.
The Trojan Horse
Would the 285 Yellow Machines be the Trojan Horse for President Boakai? We all have read or heard about the Wooden Horse that was given to the Trojans after the Greeks failed to break the protective wall of the city of Troy. It was given as a gift to the people of Troy. In the tummy of the wooden horse were one thousand warriors. For those who have read or heard the story, the city of Troy was captured by the Greeks through this deception.
The 285 pieces of Yellow Machines are the TROJAN HORSE FOR PRESIDENT BOAKAI because the 285 pieces of Yellow Machines will not pave our roads. There are people in President Boakai’s INNER CIRCLE who want him to fail and the sooner he recognizes this, the better for the country and its people who are suffering. Having this equipment arriving in the country before the PROCUREMENT PROCESS IS WRONG. The letter the INNER CIRCLE allowed the President to sign and send to the Legislature undermined the President’s objective. NO MINISTER OF STATE OR ADVISOR SHOULD ALLOW THE PRESIDENT TO SEND SUCH LETTER TO THE LEGISLATURE on the Yellow Machines. SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THE INNER CIRCLE OF THE PRESIDENT ARE MISLEADING HIM. HENCE, IT COULD BE CONSTRUED THAT THEY HAVE A HIDDEN AGENDA OR MOTIVE. And that is to SUCK Liberia DRY and make the masses suffer more. They must be CHECKMATED NOW BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE.
Does the country have the heavy-duty operators and operating cost to operate this equipment if the government succeeds in acquiring them? Even if the answer is yes, this equipment will only be used to upgrade the laterite roads and maybe engage in some agricultural activities. Considering the maintenance history of the country, 50% of the 285 pieces of Yellow Machines will break down after the first year. Secondly, considering that the Ministry of Public Works’ Road Maintenance Training Center (RMTC) has been closed for the past 30 years and is currently in ruins, do we have the trained manpower to operate and maintain this equipment? Thirdly, what is the brand of these Yellow Machines? Do our technicians have experience in operating and maintaining this make of equipment? Do we have spare parts for this equipment in the country to easily purchase and replace eventually damaged parts? Have we calculated the operating cost? From where we sit, the answer to all these questions is likely a BIG NO. It seems that we did not think through carefully before starting the negotiation for these 285 Yellow Machines or investing US$22 Million on the GRADING of the laterite roads. We are about to SQUANDER ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY as was done in the past. Nobody or organization gives you 285 Yellow Machines costing a minimum US$50 Million with no strings attached. Remember the story of the TROJAN HORSE.
Road Fund
The Road Fund Act calls for some of the funds to be used for road maintenance. Are we using some of the funds to maintain our roads? The streets of Monrovia are in deplorable conditions, particularly Benson Street, UN DRIVE-Bushrod Island, starting from the Gabriel Tucker Bridge to St. Paul Bridge. Even the Neezoe Road is in a deplorable condition. We have not learned to use the funds for the intended purpose in the country or as legislated and that is why we are so underdeveloped. Some of our government officials are our biggest problem in this country.
Neezoe Road condition in the Paynesville suburb of Monrovia
Rule of Law “Deal Not Words”
True Whig Party Slogan
Nowadays, many people do not believe in Deals but mere words. First, let us define Deal with a positive connotation. Deal is an agreement entered into by two or more parties for their mutual benefits, especially in a business or political context. In the case of political parties, it is an agreement entered into between the parties and the citizens of the country. Word is ‘a speech sound or a combination of sounds, or representation in writing, that symbolizes and communicates a meaning’. Unlike Deal, word is not an agreement entered between two parties for their mutual benefits. Unfortunately, many leaders after Edward James Roye’s leadership did not uphold the Slogan of the party, especially when it was led by the Mulatto elements of the country.
President Roye’s Death
There are three versions of his death. The version written by Doris Bank Henries tells us that Roye escaped from Prison and tried to escape with some money in a belt around his waist and got drowned. Karnga and Cassell tell us that Roye was arrested and dragged naked through the streets of Monrovia, and he died in prison. Edward Wilmot Blyden, an eyewitness, tells us that Roye was shot at the front of the prison by a mulatto when he was released from prison around 6:30 P.M. Can a man who escaped from prison carry money? Where did he get the money from? Many historians wrote that Roye was arrested and was put in prison. It is alleged that his overthrow was not because of corruption or misapplication of the British Loan Money. We all know that it was not for the money. For example, President David Coleman wanted to institute similar policy, and this was rejected by the Legislature. He resigned from the presidency. Roye was killed because of his policies, particularly his plan to connect the interior regions to Monrovia. The Mulattoes felt threatened. Roye had great plans for Liberia. In part four, we will discuss his educational plans. Do you know that it was Roye who first proposed the establishment of a CENTRAL BANK in Liberia? Oh yes, he did in 1871. So, most of what Tolbert did was from Roye’s Master Plan for the country. They killed the vision bearer and took over the party and ruled the country for 109 years.
Rule of Law
The best definition of Rule of Law is a political ideal that all citizens and institutions within a country, state or community are accountable to the same laws including Ministers, Lawmakers, Religious Leaders, Presidents and Vice Presidents, the poor and the rich, etc. It is sometimes stated simply, “NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW”. In Liberia, the Supreme Court gave a Landmark Opinion in 1907 in the case Ditchfield vs. Dossen, the Chief Justice, read the Court opinion. Justice Doseen said thus: “The Organic and Statutory laws of Liberia in all legal matters put every man on equal footing in securing to himself the rights guaranteed not only by the law of the land as such, but by international treaties with the nations of the world”. Since this Landmark opinion in 1907, over one hundred seventeen years ago, we still have not understood the full meaning of the ‘Rule of Law’. Our people continue to SUFFER. How long will it take us to fully understand and appreciate the importance of the Rule of Law? Maybe nobody has explained this to us in simple words. We will try to do just that in part four.
Rule of Law in the country/state is the government’s commitment that includes four universal principles (accountability, open government, Just law and accessible and impartial justice). It is the foundation for healthy countries of justice, opportunity, and peace. By accountability, it means that the government and her officials as well as the private sector are accountable under the law. There is NO IMMUNITY given to anybody. By Open government, it means the processes by which law is adopted, administered, adjudicated, and enforced are accessible, fair, and efficient. By Just law, it means the law is clear, published and stable and applied evenly. It ensures human rights as well as property, contract and procedural rights for all. Accessible and impartial justice implies that justice is delivered timely by neutral, competent, ethical, and independent representatives, who are accessible, have adequate resources, and reflect the makeup of the communities they serve.
The Stakeholders that make Rule of Law to work
The main stakeholders of the Rule of Law are the citizens of the country; however, there are four stakeholders that bear the greatest responsibility. These stakeholders are as follows:
Judiciary – The judiciary is the most important stakeholder for the Rule of Law because it is an organ of the government which acts as the protector of all citizens. It is their protector against the possible excesses of the Legislature and Executive. It plays the role of guardian/protector of the constitution and the fundamental rights of the people, and this makes it more respectable than the other two organs of a democratic government.
If the people have faith in the judiciary of their government, they will have faith in the quality, integrity and efficiency of their government.
The judiciary comprises judges and lawyers. If one lawyer or judge is corrupt, the people lose faith in the judiciary as well as the government. And in such a country, if not corrected immediately, the government might eventually fall.
Unfortunately for our country, the Judiciary today is challenged because the past Chief Justice submitted the names of twelve (12) lawyers and judges to the Ethics and Grievance Committee for investigation for unethical conduct. Even a lawyer who is a fraudster has been permitted to practice law in our Judiciary System. This simple act makes the citizens, and our foreign partners lose faith in our government. The last Bench did not honor the finding and recommendation of the Ethics and Grievance Committee. The former Chief Justice and our partners told us that there was bribery and corruption in the Judiciary, but the Supreme Court did nothing. Hence, the integrity of the Judiciary has faded greatly. It is no longer like the Judiciary under Justice Dossen or Grimes or Pierre or Lewis. The Judiciary under these former Chief Justices disbarred lawyers whose conduct did not comply with the Judiciary Cannon. Judges whose conducts were unethical were asked to resign or their names were submitted for impeachment. Can the current Chief follow the Dossen or Grimes or Pierre or Lewis examples to restore the integrity of the Judiciary and give the citizens hope?
Maybe there is hope because some judges are now exposing some bad lawyers. Take for example the comment from Judge Golda Bonah-Elliott during the May Opening of Civil Law Court A at the Temple of Justice. She said, “Legal Memorandum filed by some lawyers is a mere recitation of the facts and lacks appropriate Legal reasoning and citation of law.” The judge further said these standards not only ensure the case can be disposed of efficiently but also guarantee the lawyer’s client the favors of the judicial System.” However, the judge fell short of naming such lawyers. According to her, it is time for judges and judicial actors to commit themselves to restoring public confidence in the country’s judiciary.” With these words coming from a judge, we can begin to have hope. However, judges should weed out the bad lawyers. In one of our features, we lengthily discussed who is a good lawyer or a bad lawyer.
Investigators (Police and other Security Agencies): This stakeholder plays a major role in the Rule of Law. This stakeholder collects evidence in criminal cases. There are instances where the investigators temper with the evidence (s) collected after they are induced or threatened by their bosses. In such cases, the Rule of Law is important. We can never have effective Rule of Law in a society where the police and other security agency staff responsible for investigation are underpaid.
Jury/Juries: In a jury trial, this stakeholder plays a pivotal role in deciding the fate of the case. In an instant where the jury is tempered with, the Rule of Law becomes imperiled. One good example is the case ‘RL vs. Gloria Musu Scott and others.’ The Solicitor General visited the Jury Chamber, and we all know what happened. A good Defense Lawyer would petition the judge for Jury Tampering and ask the judge to disband the jury and the judge would have granted the petition or the judge would have declared a mistrial. We saw this in one case that was handled by Judge Emma Shannon Walser in the 1970s. She was the first female circuit court judge in Liberia.
Executive: This stakeholder has gargantuan authority. This stakeholder enforces the law and controls the investigators. If the Executive is interested in a case, she can influence the investigators and, in such cases, the investigators often temper with the evidence to please the Executive. We saw this in the attempted murder case (RL vs. Lucas Richards).
For the Rule of Law to work in any society/ country all stakeholders must work together to ensure the application of the Rule of Law.
We all need to know that ‘Rule of Law’ is the foundation for a healthy community and of justice, opportunity and peace. Where there is Rule of Law, we find a strong economy; such an environment is peaceful, people are more educated, life expectancy is high/longer and justice is supreme. Therefore, it is important for all three Branches of the government to work together and ensure the implementation of an effective Rule of Law in our country. The late President Daniel B. Warner, speaking about the native population of the country, reminded his compatriots what happens when this is done: “But these chiefs and their subjects undoubtedly have certain rights both natural and political, which should be highly respected by this government and people. And when this is done, and the natives are not provoked by us to the commission of lawless deeds or instigated by dishonorable men and foreigners to insubordination, there will subsist between us and them a permanent good understanding and the greatest cordiality of feeling”. We ask our officials of government to remember these words and ensure that the ‘Rule of Law’ works in our country. Remember the constitution tells us that all power is inherent in the people, and you serve at their will and consent. The people do not have to wait for you to complete the term you were elected to serve.
Writing on the Wall
History has taught us that the people of a country are supreme, because all forms of government, be it Absolute Monocratic or Dictatorship or Socialism or Communism or Nazism or Democratic, are instituted for their wellbeing and benefits. And if the people’s RIGHTS AND SAFETY are tempered with, they could take action to restore their safety and happiness. We have seen this happen in many places in history. We will name some places where the people acted.
- England, July 15, 1205-Magna Carta
- French 15th century-Louis XVl, and 1759- the Tennis Court Oath
- Liberia-April 12, 1980
- Poland Revoluton-1989
- Velvet Revolution-Nov. 1989
- The Arab Spring-2009
- Kenya Protest-2024 still on going.
In all these countries, the people changed the ways things were done. We call on our government officials to institute changes or the people will do it themselves. The CHOICE IS THEIRS.
Recommendations to President Joseph Nyumah Boakai
To avoid the people uprising against your government, we recommend the following:
- Strengthen the Rule of Law in the country. Have your Justice Ministry reopen all past mischievous murder cases and have the findings published. If need be, ask partners to assist with the investigations of these cases. Also, have the Ministry of Justice review all Audit Reports a make a comprehensive report to you, stating those that have strong evidence to prosecute and win.
- Work with the Judiciary to weed out all corrupt and bad lawyers and judges.
- Enter Progressive Payment contracts with road construction companies to commence the pavement of all primary roads
- Work with the Legislature for allocation of US$100 Million annually for the development of the country. We need to sacrifice now if we truly want development (paved roads, good hospitals, excellent educational institutions, energy, water rule of law, etc.). We need to invest in these sectors.
- Rehabilitate all domestic airports and reactivate Air Liberia with an initial capital for the procurement of three aircrafts for domestic flights.
- Invest in water transport and rehabilitate the six ports and encourage the construction of a port in Robertsport.
- Conduct feasibility studies for commercial rail transport. Liberia is the only country in West Africa that does not have a commercial rail transport system.
- Rehabilitate the Road Maintenance Training Center which was built on 22 acres of land in Grand Bassa County.
WATCH OUT FOR PART FOUR, which will be on Education, Tourism, and Corruption.