A Political Statement For Liberia In The 21st Century
PHOTO: The Author
By Pero M. K. Kerkula
In the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech” delivered on December 10, 1964.
My Fellow Compatriots, Chiefs, Elders, Youth, Women, Professionals, and People of Goodwill:
I write to you at a moment when Liberia is engaged in a courageous struggle to rebuild a nation of dignity, justice, and prosperity for all.
I write on behalf of a people who have walked the streets of Monrovia, Gbarnga, Ganta, Buchanan, Roberts Sport, Zwedru, Voinjama, and Harper — a people who have endured civil war, the Ebola epidemic, and hardship, yet who still believe in the promise of our nation.
I write on behalf of market women in Red Light, Duala, and Waterside; farmers in Lofa and Nimba; rubber tappers in Margibi; miners in Gbarpolu and Grand Cape Mount; fishermen in Grand Kru and Sinoe; and students at the University of Liberia and Cuttington University — all of whom are crying out not for handouts, but for opportunity.
We are mindful that only yesterday, injustice wore many faces: corruption, nepotism, tribalism, poverty, and a politics of division.
We are mindful that our Constitution calls us “One Nation, Indivisible,” but too often our practice has favored party politics over people, and power over principle.
But I also write as a trustee of a great tradition: the tradition that teaches us there can be no development without peace, and there can be no peace without justice.
On Governance, Stability and Merit
A government must be of the people, by the people, and for the people — not of politicians alone.
The Legislature, the Executive, the Judiciary, our natural resources, our roads, and the public treasury belong to Liberians — not to any political party.
To achieve stability, we must build and rebuild institutions that are strong, transparent, and accountable, and that are managed by professionals appointed on the basis of merit, competence, and character — not partisanship or party loyalty.
Public nominations, confirmations, and appointments must reflect the best of Liberia. Every Liberian, regardless of county, tribe, or political affiliation, must have a fair chance to serve.
A vote in a so-called “stronghold” must be counted with the same dignity as a vote anywhere else. That is the true mark of advancement in our democracy.
On Justice and Equality
Justice delayed is justice denied.
Equality means a child in Grand Gedeh has the same chance at quality education as a child in Montserrado, Bong, Margibi, Lofa, Nimba, or Maryland.
It means women, youth, and persons with disabilities must have a seat at every table where decisions about their lives are made.
It means the law must protect the poorest as fiercely as it protects the powerful.
On Unity and Peace UNITY AND PEACE
We are one people — from North to South, from East to West — but above all, we are Liberians.
Tribalism, nepotism and regionalism are chains we must break if we are to move forward and build a nation-state capable of progress, growth and development.
No one group built this nation alone, and no one group can build the next 100 years alone.
From the chiefdoms of Lofa and Nimba, to the counties of the southeast, to our rural towns and villages, to the streets of Monrovia and the coastal communities of Grand Bassa and Sinoe — our blood, our history, and our future are woven together.
Our diversity is not a weakness. It is the raw material for national strength. It is our markets, our music, our 16 national languages, and our traditions that make Liberia rich.
We must embrace our collective identity as Liberians, not a divided identity as separate peoples.
“Lift every voice and sing” until the harmonies of our tongues ring out as one anthem: One Nation, One People, One Destiny.
On Socio-economic Development
I have the audacity to believe that every Liberian can have three meals a day, decent healthcare, quality education, and meaningful work with dignity and pride.
We must move from aid to trade, from raw extraction to value addition, and from youth unemployment to youth innovation.
Our roads, our ports, our agriculture, and our digital economy must serve one purpose: to put money in the pockets of ordinary people and to lift families out of poverty.
If we can succeed in Washington, D.C., New York City, Dallas, London, Paris, Accra, Freetown and Dakar, we can succeed even more in Monrovia, Gbarnga, Ganta, Buchanan, and across Liberia.
Time is neutral. It can be used to build or to destroy. The urgency is moral.
We cannot afford another generation lost to poverty while our resources flow abroad.
Let us pursue – National Unification, as we did in the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s.
A Call to Action
So I write to you today: unarmed truth and unconditional love for country must have the final word.
What selfish men have torn down, patriotic men and women can build up.
Let us work together to rebuild our nation. Devoid of tribal politics, we can elect the best candidates to steer the affairs of our nation-state and secure succeeding generations.
Let us pursue peaceful ends through peaceful means.
Let us choose ballots over bullets, dialogue over division, and public service over self-interest.
And so, I leave you with this charge: Let us lift every voice to sing the new song of Liberia — a song of governance with integrity, justice for all, equality without exception, unity without division, peace with stability, and development that leaves no one behind.
God bless Liberia.
God bless Liberians.
Pero M. K. Kerkula
September 3, 2026.