By Josiah Flomo Joekai, Jr., BA, MA
July 26, 2018 makes Africa’s Oldest Independent Republic, Liberia, one hundred seventy-one (171) years old. Independence Day should be a rallying time for Liberians to reflect and celebrate the pride of a nation that has existed for more than a century and half.
Interestingly, the truth of this historic experience is that the day comes with deep sense of urgency irrespective of one’s disposition thus imposing so many demands. Accordingly, Liberia’s independence is always commemorated with mixed feelings and reactions.
On this historic day, the affluent are always the ones making the best of it because of the resource advantage that provides them with opportunities. They go for long drives or excursions with their families enjoying the beauty of God’s priceless creation and the ambiance of festivities that engulf the nation. Many of them take off time to make classy voyages overseas with their families particularly, to the United States and other Western Capitals to celebrate what is supposed to be the independence of a country they have constantly robbed. Others go about hosting lavish parties across the country right in the face of their poverty-ridden citizens with profound insensitivity.
They ignore the pains and sufferings of the disadvantaged masses and embark on their wasteful adventures and festivals with poor taxpayers’ money. This is just a tip of the iceberg, reflective of the obvious reality of a plundered economy.
Similarly, many students take advantage of the short vacation to join family members across the country to share the happiness that independence brings. The exciting family reunions and unrestricted access to some of the best traditional Liberian cuisine such as the irresistible Torborgie of Lofa, Kpasayamba of Grand Cape Mount, Dormboy of Grand Bassa, Gaygbar or GB of Nimba just to name a few does inspire a great sense of belongingness.
Many of these students have limited or no understanding of the importance of honoring independence. So, they go about in their own fashion and style sharing moments of joy through sports, fetching water at streams and helping with other daily chores that bring back the memories of growing up in their birth places. Also exploring the vast rainforest and relishing the games of hunting and fishing along rivers and streams amazingly deposits remarkable unfading memories.
At the same time the suffering majority, predominantly peasants who dwell in hopelessness and despair do struggle without success in fending for themselves. Over the years, they have appallingly survived from leftovers, handouts and crumbs or bits for the most part of their lives living in slums and shacks. For too long, these compatriots have been objects of deprivation in their own country.
Even in their “less human state”, they are burdened by the urgency of the so-called independence celebration. They too are obliged to go all out in search of just anything they can do to secure befitting meals for their families in observance of a day that is so meaningless to them.
The pressure of getting their children to look good and be satisfied like their peers of the wicked elites is another dimension of their compelling struggle. It is obvious that for them, celebration of independence stops right at how their families can survive on that day and nothing beyond. Walloping in poverty all their lives has reduced their expectations or given them no essence for the celebration of the independence of their own country. As such, they’re alienated in their own country by their own countrymen. This is a sad reality.
For those in business, the entire independence season is a time for them to maximize profit and make their businesses grow. Obviously, the urgency driven by the Independence Day euphoria is their reliance. Many economic activities do take place on the margins of the historic independence celebration in terms of securing and marketing various types of needed merchandises. It is the season of unlimited supply and unprecedented purchases. There’s usually no limited supply of goods and provision of services because of the soaring demands.
Many families find it fascinating to reshape their homes and store up enough food with assorted drinks for parties and festivities that display a show of extravagance. Parents are faced with the nonnegotiable task of satiating their children’s materials quest or unlimited wants.
At the same time, public buildings are somewhat refurbished with major streets of Monrovia and provincial towns renewed. Certainly, the economic wheels do turn enormously for this period at the expense of the nation’s independence celebration, but dramatically, the glowing economic splish-splash dies immediately the Independence Day celebration ends. So, like a bonanza rush, business people never miss out on this glorious opportunity to make quick money.
For the children, observance of independence is another opportunity for them to share moments of joy. Although they do not understand the true meaning or essence of being an independent nation, they are nonetheless fairly aware that July 26 is Independence Day and it is the moment of celebration; nothing less and nothing more. So, no one, not even their parents can take away from them the happy memories of July 26.
With imaginations and high expectations of independence celebration at memory, their parents are obliged to purchase for them the best clothes, foot wears, toys and just anything attractive to complement their happiness. For many of them, the day doesn’t go without some of the best topics of interest. Some even demand further to be accompanied to playgrounds where they can celebrate with their friends or to movie theaters to watch hilarious movies of their choices.
For them, this day is about enjoying the aroma that fills the air, seizes control of their nostrils and changes the taste of their saliva giving them hope of what is to come in a bit. They delightfully take pride in being served delicious dishes, dressed in some of the best clothes and dance to the rhythm of the best music of the time.
They are also highly inspired and thus appreciate the freedom to run around and play happily together. Unfortunately, this happiness is short-lived as darkness sets in to send them to bed against their will. However, in their world, absolutely, no amount of restrictions or any control measures can prevent them from sharing the joy and happiness that independence brings.
For successive governments, it is time to stage elaborate and extravagant ceremonies to exemplify the day the oldest nation on the continent of Africa became sovereign. Needless to mention, these festivities are so unique in nature that they have become national norms. From time to time, these national events have consistently recorded speeches or dramatizations recounting the strange history of the formation of Liberia dating as far back as 1822 and its weird journey to this point, 2018. The story of this incredible journey has generated enormous anxieties and apprehensions amongst citizens raising concrete questions about the pride of a nation that is more than a century and half old but still struggling to come to speed with its contemporaries.
That is exactly why for many conscious minded Liberians, commemoration of independence is a time of sober reflection, one that takes a deeper dive into the essence of the independence of a nation that is seriously challenged by long standing political, social and economic instability. This prolonged decadence engendered bad governance and fueled a class system which bred marginalization and deprivation.
The consequences of these vices are visibly reflective of persistent rampant corruption, abject poverty and disunity that have battered the very essence of the existence of Africa’s first Republic. The depravities further undermined the leadership role of the country in establishing regional, continental and international organizations from the 1940s and championing African freedom dating as far back as the 1960s.
It is not a secret and in no small way too that Liberia was a signatory to the founding of the United Nations (UN) in 1945. Prior, Liberia was one of the 63 Member States that made up the League of Nations between 1920 and 1939. The League of Nations was formerly dissolved on April 18, 1946 after it transitioned into the UN. Important to note also is the fact that a Liberian, Angie Brooks Randall once served as President of the UN General Assembly.
In Africa, Liberia under the leadership of President William V. S. Tubman initiated the first discussion on the formation of the Organization of African Unity (OAU) now African Union (AU). That historic meeting took place in Saniquellie, Nimba County from July 15-19, 1959 hosted by President Tubman with his colleagues, Presidents Ahmed Sekou Touré of Guinea and Kwame Nkrumah of Ghana. The Saniquellie meeting was a precursor to the May 25, 1963 Addis Ababa Foundational meeting of the OAU.
Liberia and Sierra Leone originally founded the Mano River Union on October 3, 1973 followed by a declaration containing five major protocols concluded by the two countries in Bo, Sierra Leone. Guinea and Cote d’Ivoire joined the MRU in 1980 and 2008, respectively. The MRU has also emerged as a great source of sub regional integration, peace and security.
Similarly, on May 28, 1975, Liberia was a founding member of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). It is no doubt that ECOWAS contributed tremendously to ending Liberia’s decade and half civil crisis. The regional body organized and deployed a peacekeeping force with troops contributed by Member States. With the great leadership of ECOWAS and the Force Command, the West African peacekeeping force was able to bring the prolonged crisis to an end with support from the United Nations. Currently, ECOWAS is supporting Liberia’s recovery and development strides. In particular, ECOWAS’ role in strengthening security in the aftermath of the departure of the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL), the promotion of peace, trade and regional integration remain an indelible imprint on the minds of all well-meaning Liberians.
It is no doubt that Liberia’s independence in 1847 inspired the independence of other African nations and played a pivotal role in the establishment of these historic institutions. However, the irony is that in spite of the leadership role Liberia played on the world stage from the get-go, there is limited or no significant mention of such achievements in historical perspectives referencing these milestone accomplishments. Well, it is anyone’s guess that the lack of genuine leadership with a true sense of purpose for more than a century and half has eroded these legacies.
Ultimately, observing the independence of a nation with such unfathomable history should no longer be about pun and pageantry. Not at all because it goes beyond extravagance, especially the continuous display of griots heaping praises on shadowed dictators and their regime collaborators who from time to time deliver customized speeches that have persistently undermined the cultivation of the principles and values that constitute the pride of a struggling nation.
These events which continuously lavish so much of the taxpayers’ money have never been about the sad reality of the nation’s existence and deriving a common sense of direction. Instead, this so-called traditional fashion of commemorating the country’s independence has always been about the political glorification of various regimes, particularly Presidents (past and present) and their cohorts, thus the gross insensitivity to the perpetual relapsing state of the nation.
Today, the nation is haunted by a despicable legacy of grisly killings, illiteracy, disease, poor infrastructure and of course a poverty-stricken population. This infamous legacy is on account of the systemic inequality and exclusion that have existed from the days of the settlement of freed slaves in Liberia in 1822 to the bloody coup d’état of 1980; and the outbreak of the brutal armed conflict in 1989. These periods created an undesirable political culture incapable of producing genuine leaderships that could address the dilemmas of the so-called policies of the American Colonization Society (ACS), Native Liberian Independence claims and Americo-Liberian hegemony.
By all accounts, this spectacle inaugurated dictatorial tenets in Africa’s first Republic within the context of a complete structural autocratic style of governance which succeeded itself for more than one hundred years thereby alienating majority of the citizens in their own country. This visible divide remains an unresolved factor that continues to fuel the odium and acrimony in our body polity.
For obvious reasons, this situation aggravated the brutal ethnic regime in the 1980s and warlord politics in the late 1990s which further exacerbated the violent conflicts and the breakdown of the nation between 1979 and 2003. Therefore, it is safe to say that Liberia’s socio-economic and political history up to 2003 was largely characterized by subjugation, discrimination and violent conflicts.
Thus, it is obvious that in the midst of abundant and enviable natural resources such as diamond, gold, iron ore, vast rainforest and rubber; the country could not have developed in the absence of good governance backed by the rule of law.
However, in all of this, there was a semblance of hope in 2005 when the country experienced for the first time the conduct of democratic elections under the watch of the international community. The elections brought to power Africa’s first female President, Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Madam Sirleaf did not just rise to the country’s highest office as an ordinary Liberian woman. She was a longstanding factor in the Liberian political arena recognized globally for her stern fight against regimes and boldness in speaking truth to power. Her profound understanding of global affairs and trusted relationship with influential western capitals propelled her over the years for her election in 2005 and 2011, respectively. Obviously, she was the ideal candidate and that’s why she won those elections.
Although Madam Sirleaf won that historic election highly acclaimed nationally and internationally, that election era however witnessed the birth of a strange factor across the Liberian political spectrum. The participation of a celebrity, Candidate George Oppong Manneh Weah in the 2005 elections was a defining moment for our nascent democracy.
Despite Mr. Weah’s defeat in a compelling runoff election, he won the hearts of the crucial segment of voters, the young people who are driven to love him naturally simply on account of his iconic standing. The youth constitutes the majority of voters in the country but sadly lack the basic understanding of the importance of making the right choices. Obviously, this has implications for the growth of Liberia’s fragile democracy.
The moment Mr. Weah tested the political waters in 2005; it became evidently clear that the days ahead on the country’s political landscape would remain unsettled because of the “Weah factor”. The reason is simple. He is a soccer icon without any trace of success in corporate or political leadership. Hence, assuming the highest office of the land needed the highest attention.
With such solid determination demonstrated by Mr. Weah, it was completely incomprehensible to realize that “political leaders” could not visualize this factor as a historic groundbreaking moment for a disquieting shift in the body polity of Liberia. These so-called political leaders in their persistent deception and hypocrisy have never been able to consult and forge genuine ideological alliances to strengthen and raise the bar of the political culture of the nation to reflect any standards or sanity. Consequentially, the failure of the so-called political architecture to selflessly prevent this strange phenomenon from happening has further compounded the country’s leadership dilemma.
Nonetheless, in all of this, Madam Sirleaf’s election represented hope that reassured many Liberians of the re-establishment of the foundation of a shattered nation; a dysfunctional country it was one with no structures or systems in place by any measure. The country was completely isolated and rendered a failed state when the President assumed leadership.
Mindful of her election also as a test to women’s leadership in Africa and by extension, globally, Madam Sirleaf wasted no time in playing to the tone of the international community. The move by her to effectively organize a government with an acceptable structure mirrored her commitment to uphold the rule of law. The President’s rapid move to embrace democracy and engender its tenets of fair play, equality and justice placed Liberia under international spotlight and set the stage for improving its image in the global community.
In particular, the establishment of integrity institutions such the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission, Governance Commission, National Elections Commission, Civil Service Agency, Liberia Revenue Authority and General Auditing Commission consistent with her 2006 inaugural declaration to fight corruption as “public enemy number one” was a great prospect that further improved the country’s image and considerably restored the trust and confidence of the citizenry in the government. The unadulterated fact is that the successes achieved by the Sirleaf Government during her first term were on account of these concrete actions.
Down the road in 2011, Madam Sirleaf succeeded herself for a second term after winning the second democratic election. This time, with Mr. Weah also on the ballot but as Vice-Presidential Candidate to Amb Winston Tubman the Presidential Candidate. Mr. Weah also lost that election because many of his supporters lost faith in the ticket with Amb Tubman as Standard Bearer.
In effect, many of Weah’s supporters were disappointed that Tubman did not represent the change they craved eventually considering the Tubman-Weah ticket as a dilution of their revolution. Another fact that led to his defeat was the much-publicized speculations that he (Mr. Weah) was engaged in using his popularity stunt to extort money from some of his competitors including Candidates Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Unity Party, Cllr. Charles Walker Brumskine of the Liberty Party and his own Standard Bearer, Amb. Winston Tubman. Too often, there were unconfirmed reports from credible sources that Mr. Weah was seriously involved in commercial politics at the disadvantage of his party officials.
This in my opinion fermented serious internal conflicts that left several of his confidants disenchanted. Well, all of that became history as there was one woman who benefitted from the spoils of this breakdown; it was Madam Sirleaf. She won the election and had the opportunity once more to sustain the transformation of the broken country she inherited.
By then, the government enjoyed tremendous international support that triggered investment in various sectors of the economy. Prospects were encouraging. Revenue increased sharply from US$80million when the President took over in 2006 to 600 million in 2018 when she left power. Through Foreign Direct Investment, her government was said to have mobilized 16 billion to be put into the economy.
The attraction of such unprecedented investment can be credited to the demonstrated commitment of the government to fighting corruption, debt cancellation, freedom of speech, promotion of gender equity and the protection of human rights which rapidly transitioned the country from war to peace. The successful conduct of the two successive democratic elections of 2005 and 2011considerably set the stage for democratic governance in Liberia in the aftermath of many years of bad leadership and economic stagnation.
Nevertheless, despite these great recovery accomplishments, the oxymoron is that Madam Sirleaf undermined her own legacy by appointing her children and other family members to key positions in government. She also failed to muster the courage to prosecute several government officials indicted by audit reports for embezzling millions of state resources. These actions and inactions on the part of the President, particularly the lack of political will to deal with these creeping vices seriously weakened her anti-corruption campaign and eventually eroded her legacy.
Inevitably, it became obvious that prior to her exit from power, corruption became very pervasive evidenced by widespread fraud, bribery and impunity which swamped her government and imposed serious economic hardship on the citizenry. Public officials enjoyed a free ride clearly demonstrated by dishonesty and insincerity in the management of the country and its resources. The latter part of Madam Sirleaf leadership reflected gross mismanagement thus endangered the gains that were made and cast uncertainty for the future of the country.
Madam Sirleaf’s departure from office was certain as provided for by law following two uninterrupted Presidential Terms from 2005-2011 and 2011-2017, respectively. The President’s exit was greeted by economic hardship. Life became extremely difficult and her government turned out to be very unpopular despite the huge international recognition. The writings were on the wall and change was inevitable. Madam Sirleaf had to go.
The opposition Congress for Democratic Change (CDC) which strongly opposed the Governing Unity Party (UP) for 12 years got reinvigorated and adapted “a do or die posture’ in her quest to be elected in the historic 2017 Legislative and Presidential Elections. They were very optimistic of a win with soccer icon George Oppong Manneh Weah at the top of the ticket as Presidential Candidate and Jewel Howard-Taylor, the wife of former warlord and President, Charles G. Taylor as Vice Presidential Candidate. In spite of the popularity of Mr. Weah and the support of Madam Taylor’s Party, the National Patriotic Party (NPP) of former President Taylor, they were very mindful of the participation of the former Vice President of Liberia, Mr. Joseph Nyuma Boakai.
Mr. Boakai, a statesman with impeccable leadership credentials was in the spotlight. The former Vice President is a committed and dedicated public servant with many years of service in both public and private sectors. He is a distinguished diplomat, an agriculturalist, educationalist and outstanding administrator. Although Mr. Boakai served as Vice President in the highly detested Sirleaf administration but he commands a great deal of respect from the citizenry for his deep sense of humility and honesty.
With Mr. Boakai’s unmatched reputation, education and experience, it was obvious that he would become Mr. Weah’s main competitor in the 2017 elections to replace Madam Sirleaf. Besides, many pundits averred that he was better situated to take over from Madam Sirleaf to consolidate the gains and surmount the economic challenges that beset the country. The elections of 2017 were very crucial and considered as a benchmark for measuring the growth of Liberia’s embryonic democracy.
Like the last three post-war elections, Liberians were visibly divided along two lines; “intellectual and common people”. The CDC campaign which largely comprised of the youngest generation of voters (i. e. the youth), the unemployed and the unskilled labor force charged Mr. Boakai and his supporters who were predominantly of the education and working class of being the people responsible for the bad state of the country’s economy.
They were inclined to believe that educated people had failed the nation. Thus, by inference, a good leadership is not measured by the leader’s level of education or experience. This was even conspicuously demonstrated by the CDC’s official campaign song title “The Country Giant” and the popular slogan of their campaign “You know book, you don’t know book, we will vote for you”.
In addition, they also cast a guilty verdict by association on Mr. Boakai for his role as Vice President in the Sirleaf administration without any objectivity. Of course, their inexplicable inclination resonated very well with the CDC base. The urgency for change of the Sirleaf leadership drove their campaign without any reflection on the obvious; how differently would the CDC seek to govern from the UP Government? Thus, the CDC did not present any coherent and implementable plan to the Liberian people as the platform upon which it sought to lead the country. Instead, it simply ran and got elected on mere slogans such as “That’s our time”, “Hope is alive”, and “Change for hope”. In essence, the focus of the campaign was primarily about change of leadership and not policy and strategy.
On the other hand, the Boakai campaign considered the intellectuals, instituted a formal campaign structure and elaborated a comprehensive platform that was disseminated during its campaign activities nationwide. The UP platform was well articulated at campaign rallies and debates emphasizing the need for robust recovery. The plan prioritized construction of roads as a way of opening up the country to development in all spheres, investment in education and health care among others. Copies were adequately distributed nationwide with the aim of committing itself to addressing the economic and development needs of the country. It resonated well with the intellectual base.
The satire was that across the nation, segments of the population were already hostile to any form of intellectualism since Team Boakai was accused of failing the state. What even added insult to injury was the widespread speculation of the support of President Sirleaf to the CDC. Even though she denied this on several occasions when asked by journalists, the defections from her Party of almost all her confidants to the CDC without any measure of intervention from her, became an apparent confirmation. In fact, the widespread conspicuous marriage of her son and former Minister of Finance and Development Planning as strategists and bank rollers of the CDC campaign were vivid manifestations in this regard.
Pundits and large segments of the Liberian society strongly believed that Madam Sirleaf undermined the Presidential bid of her long time committed and dedicated friend and Vice President, Mr. Boakai. It is still unconceivable by many well-meaning Liberians and the world at large to fathom the depth of ingratitude exhibited by President Sirleaf towards a man who served her government and the Liberian people with demonstrated sincerity, commitment and dedication during her entire 12 years of leadership.
Madam Sirleaf refused to identify herself with the Boakai campaign and was never seen at any of his major rallies. She made no contribution whatsoever to the presidential bid of the Standard Bearer of her own Party, the UP. Strangely, it was no secret that she bank rolled the CDC campaign through her son and former Minister of Finance and Development Planning; Robert Sirleaf and Amara Konneh, respectively. Interestingly, the former President’s son, Mr. Sirleaf is blameworthy for millions siphoned at the National Oil Company of Liberia for which his mother, the President personally took responsibility. Sadly, she is yet to tell the Liberian people how and when she and her son will restitute the stolen millions.
The 2017 elections have come and gone. In spite of the fact that the process was inundated with grave unanswered electoral questions of fraud and malpractices, Mr. George Oppong Manneh Weah was declared President in keeping with the wishes of Madam Sirleaf and her cronies. She and the National Elections Commission under the watch of one of her associates, Mr. Jerome George Korkoya had no fear or concerns about the implications of their manipulations and maneuverings but to simply deliver highly questionable elections. Once Mr. Weah committed to protecting the President no matter what, she did everything possible to ensure that he (Mr. Weah) was served the Presidency ignoring the impending adversity.
In spite of all the early warnings, Mr. Weah is President and the reality is rapidly setting in by the day. It was anyone’s guess that the government would have encountered serious organizational and delivery problems based on the obvious. The CDC did not campaign on policy, plan or strategy. The Coalition campaigned on the popularity of its Standard Bearer relying solely on his great achievements in soccer land; Africa Best, FIFA World Best and Europe World Best. The beauty is that Mr. Weah evaded all debates and platforms that sought to bring out his leadership qualities if he had any. Obviously, you do not expect anybody and not only Weah, to be elected to the Presidency on such basis particularly, without any trace of measurable success in corporate or political leadership as indicated.
In six months since the CDC leadership took over the mantle of authority, the economy has deteriorated beyond imagination. This does not in any way suggest that the country was in a perfect economic condition prior to the inception of the Weah government. However, the gross failure of the President and his government to institute the necessary immediate economic plans to surmount the hardship confronting the nation led to the current degenerating state of the economy. In fact, in the words of one of Liberia’s outstanding student leaders, Mr. Martin K. N. Kollie, “the Liberian economy is on life support”.
Today in Liberia, families can hardly fend for themselves as the cost of living is astronomically high. The prices of commodities have unprecedentedly skyrocketed. The exchange rate for US$1.00 is LRD$162.00 and might hit LRD$170 before Independence Day. The pace of the increase in the US rate and high cost of living is worrisome.
In the absence of a clearly defined economic revitalization plan, there will be no success in reviving the economy. There is an urgent need for the cultivation of a renewed sense of direction to rescue the present situation in the country. Another interesting dimension of the pie is the endless list of incoherent promises made by the President that may not be easily realized in this economy.
It is unfathomable that in less than six months the Government of President Weah has promised to construct a coastal highway, build a new Monrovia, construct a military hospital and transform the slum community of West Point into a modern housing estate. This line of development is disjointed and very unrealistic since it does not come out of any form of plan that answers the key policy questions of where, why, how, when and who? The country is once more in it for a long haul and a clear manifestation of this reality is the gross lack of a genuine sense of direction.
Liberia’s independence history is indeed a bizarre journey. The absurdity is that after 171 years of existence as a so-called sovereign nation, the country is still an object of extremely poor and suffering people and least amongst equals. It is sad that Liberians have a long history of being victims of their own choices they make at the polls. Although the “so say one, so say all” era ended after the demise of President William V. S. Tubman, it was however a major suppressive factor during his regime.
Following his demise, his successor, President William R. Tolbert, Jr. embarked on his “from mat to mattress” policy which engendered social, political and economic integration to a large extent. President Tolbert was poised to revive the economy and promote integration and unity amongst citizens. Unfortunately, the President was a victim of heightened political tensions (The infamous rice riot) in the country amidst dissatisfaction over increase in the price of rice, the country’s staple food in 1979. His non-alliance policy also caused international stir and concerned during the height of the cold war.
Sadly, in 1980, President Tolbert was murdered in a bloody coup d’état with 13 of his Cabinet Ministers by a firing squad on the orders of the leader of the People’s Redemption Council (PRC), Master Sergeant Samuel K. Doe. Embracing the military junta, Liberians took to the streets across the country singing to the glorification of the bloody coup makers “native woman born soldier, soldier killed Tolbert”. This gruesome act committed by the military junta opened an awful chapter in the country’s political history with serious consequences for governance.
Mr. Doe and his PRC ruled the country on decrees for a period of five years from 1980 to 1985 at which time he was immensely pressured by certain western powers to turn power over to a civilian leadership through a democratic process. Mr. Doe smartly rewrote the constitution, fashioned to suit his presidential bid and anticipated rule. The new Constitution was adopted in 1986.
Prior to the adoption, The President organized a kangaroo election in which he was declared winner eventually breaking grounds for the intensification of the already existing political tension and acrimony in the country. His main opponents; the late Jackson F. Doe of the Liberia Action Party (LAP) and Classroom Teacher, William Gabriel Kpolleh of the Liberian Unification Party (LUP) were intimidated and robbed of their chances. In particular, Jackson F. Doe was believed to have won the 1985 elections but denied of his victory by self-declared President Doe.
All of these maneuverings and manipulations deprived Liberians of their choices in the 1985 elections, thereby breaking grounds for the brutal civil war of 1989 in which President Doe was gruesomely killed as well by Mr. Prince Y. Johnson of the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), an offspring of Mr. Taylors’ National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL).
In an effort to end the devastating civil war in 1997, a special election was organized and former Warlord Charles G. Taylor was perversely elected on the song “you kill my pa (father), you kill my ma (mother), I will vote for you”. Coming out of the crisis situation in 2005 and 2011 as well, the chorus changed a little bit to reflect some degree of decency as President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was elected on the slogan “Educated vs. Footballer”. To the astonishment of all in 2017, Soccer Star and President George Oppong Manneh Weah was elected on the slogan “you know book, you don’t know book, we will vote for you”. These unspeakable moments in our nation’s history do truly reflect an incredible journey.
Absolutely, Liberia has come of age and with such unbelievable history, the onus is on every Liberian to adapt a renewed sense of thinking towards the country. However, the government has to exercise leadership by adapting concrete measures to revive the economy in the immediate term. This is fundamentally required and has to be treated as a matter of urgency. The government can achieve this milestone by reaching out and creating a pool of experts beyond partisan and family lines capable of rescuing the crashing economy.
The government will have to make it as a matter of priority to draft and adopt in a referendum, a new constitution to replace the 1986 Constitution. Currently, many of the provisions of the 1986 Constitution are either archaic or ambiguous and therefore; not easily applicable in the current dispensation. This measure is by all accounts paramount because good or improved governance as seriously needed in Liberia is only possible based on the adequacy or appropriateness of laws.
Under the Constitution, citizens have roles, rights and responsibilities in the governing process. They can only exercise such roles and responsibilities and enjoy such rights if they adequately and appropriately understand them. Therefore, in keeping with Article 10 of the 1986 Constitution of Liberia, the government should make it a matter of priority to establish a Commission named and styled “The National Civic Education Commission of Liberia (NCECL)” as a way of educating citizens through sustainable mass citizens’ education program”. The NCECL through its public education program will reproduce, disseminate and teach the principles of the Constitution to engender a true spirit of nationalism.
Additionally, the NCECL will further deepen the understanding of citizens on the core values of decent leadership, their cultural heritage, the principles of democracy with emphasis on electoral democracy and good citizenship. This measure will transform the many existing negative mindsets of Liberians about their country and government which is largely responsible for the years of destruction and underdevelopment. This sense of renewal and belongingness will ultimately set the stage for nation-building.
Surmounting a century and half of exclusion and inequality requires a stronger will to realistically and robustly confront corruption and impunity in all aspects. The government will have to take tangible actions in a timely manner to address this scourge. The first step is to allow all integrity institutions to operate in keeping with their statutory mandates.
Their operations must not be hindered in any manner. Secondly, the government needs to strengthen the mandate of the Liberia Anti-Corruption Commission (LACC) by giving it a considerable measure of prosecutorial powers through the establishment of a fast track court. Additional, the current asset declaration regime is for mere formality. The process has to be rigid so that serious tracking takes place to prevent public officials from abusing public resources.
Addressing the terrible culture of impunity in Liberia, the government of President Weah has to muster the courage to embrace the establishment of a war and economic crimes court in Liberia to try persons accused by in the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Report. It is complete absurdity to have perpetrators of heinous crimes go with impunity. Many of those accused for war and economic criminals are paradoxically rewarded with public offices thereby giving them the opportunity to further amass wealth at the expense of taxpayers’ while many of their victims live in poverty bearing the trauma and excruciating pains of horrific experiences.
Fellow compatriots, it is only when we take appropriate actions in the context of the proposed war and economic crimes court, that we will eventually prevent the reoccurrence of such uncivilized and criminal malevolence. Corruption and impunity are at the core of the country’s age-old decadence.
In my candid opinion, the commemoration of the 171st Independence Anniversary of our dear country should be a point of departure from an undeserving past to a new era of economic growth and prosperity. I have no doubt that if the government exercises effective leadership by embracing tolerance in all aspects; and govern based on the rule of law, we will make Liberia a place where every Liberian will realize the true essence of their citizenship.
HAPPY INDEPENDENCE AND GOD BLESS THE NATION!
About the Author
The Author is a Liberian Writer with 15 years of experience in the fields of education, elections and Security. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and Master’s in Peace Studies and Conflict Transformation.
Contact Information
Phone # : +19292503164
Email Address : josiahfjoekaijr@gmail.com