PHOTO: M. Blonkonjay Jackson
By Mwalimu-Koh Moses Blonkanjay Jackson (MsEd, EdM)
Ivy League Scholar, Mathematician, Critical Thinker, Author
Thinking Thoughts
In my thinking thoughts, I considered the recent twist of events whereby Senator Abraham Darius Dillon was lashed for his comments endorsing the newly appointed Liberty Party Chairman, the beleaguered Musa Bility. As soon as the Bility issue began to settle, the embattled Nigerian, Ndubusi Nwabudike, offered to resign his post as LACC chairman late February 2021.
Prior to the Bility issue, Senator Dillon had been an aggressive opposition to Nwabudike’s confirmation as Elections Commission Chairman, and a leading advocate to remove Ndubusi from the LACC. The fact that Ndubusi was found to be a fraudster and was anyhow maintained at his post at the LACC generated massive public outcry and support to the Senator’s advocacy and filibustering. Lately, he vowed to lobby his colleagues to cast a “vote of no confidence” to remove Nwabudike.
The public is not surprised, because as the proposed light, Dillon promised he would be a “pain in the butt” to anybody who engages in shady deals and corruption. It was apparently on those promises that Bassa Boy Dillon mercilessly flogged Kissi Boy Fallah at the polls.
Albeit, the question that lingers is, “If Dillon is a bitter antagonist to corruption, and is placing his security and career on the line as advocate at all strata of the society, how can he advocate the removal of a “corrupt” Nwabudike and endorse the entry of a similarly “corrupt” Musa Bility? More damaging is the concern that has emerged overtime as to whether Senator Dillon’s reactions to the two events manifests his idiosyncrasy or illumination.
Idiosyncrasy versus Illumination
For the sake of the layman, idiosyncrasy is an unusual behavior, mannerism or reaction of a person or group of people. It refers to one’s fault, weakness, shortcoming, abnormality, eccentricity. If an individual exhibits characteristic of being idiosyncratic, he is showing weakness, fault, lop-sidedness, and covet crookedness, on the one hand.
On the other hand, illumination means light, brilliance, radiance, brightness, wisdom and cleverness. If an individual, proposes to be a “light” his role is to shine so that people can see and find their way around things. If the light goes off and on, or blinks while people who depend on it are in flight, this could cause untold damage to their thinking and perceptions. Of course a disco light is permitted to blink, spin, and give the boozers false impressions of their attires, but hardly anybody would accept a disco light in these times.
The “Corrupt” endorsed Musa Bility
Recently the Liberty Party (LP) conducted its convention in Gbarnga to elect corps of officers for its leadership over the coming years. As a persistent frontline party, over the years LP has always conducted peaceful gatherings glutted by the best and brightest in this nation. In spite of its exemplary track record, the recent convention was marked by peculiarities and ambivalence.
Firstly, there are questions in circles surrounding the unceremonious resignation of LP Chairman Zargo. The public is wondering why a chairman would plan a convention that puts in place elections committee, collects applications for positions, and then at the seat of the convention, the chairman resigns. Probably the partisans were aware of this plan, hence, let sleeping dog lie.
Secondly, the election of the beleaguered and stigmatized Businessman Musa Bility as Chairman is raising in many quarters, and leaving myriad of peculiarities and ciphers at the altar for the general public to decipher.
According to sources, Musa Bility was banned by football governing body FIFA for 10 years and fined $500,000 for breaching its code of ethics. He was found “guilty of having misappropriated FIFA funds, as well as having received benefits and found himself in situations of conflict of interest” The misappropriation of FIFA funds at the time was in relation to those granted under the global body’s “11 against Ebola” campaign and as part of its Financial Assistance Program. While Bility has vowed to appeal the case, he still stands a culprit as the ban remains in place to date.
Now, with such a damning stigma and grotesque attribute hanging over Mr. Bility, juxtaposed to the prestige and proven track record of the famous and unrelenting LP, it leaves even the layman befuddled. How how such a decision was reached, if not by some internal dictatorial tendency within the LP that the public is not privy to?
To add oil to the blazing fire, Senator Dillon who everybody has seen and held in high esteem due to his fight against corruption, was quick to support Bility’s election and justified his eligibility for the LP Chairmanship.
The “Corrupt” Smart Ndubusi Nwabudike
According to sources, on June 19, 2020, the Liberia Bar Association (LBA) expelled Nwabudike for having fraudulently acquired Liberian citizenship, which qualified him to become a lawyer in Liberia. Additionally, Nwabudike possessed several passports that carried different dates of birth. In the same year, Senator Dillon called on the president to dismiss the controversial Nigerian as head of the country’s anti-corruption commission. In spite of Dillon’s campaign and support from other groups to oust Nwabudike, he was retained up to his resignation.
Although it is commonplace that Nwabudike is corrupt, he is admittedly a smart man because he made all of the learned scholars in this country look like buffoons. For example, he outwitted the Supreme Court grant him access to its revere chambers and presence. He bamboozled the bar association which is swamped and inundated with highly intelligent Liberian lawyers to the extent he served as an LBA official; Ndubusi dribbled the Executive Branch and the ruling party to serve at the Governance Commission and the LACC. Most of all, he cajoled the Legislature to allow him several passages until the adage “99 days for rogue, one day for master” came to fruition. Truly, Nwabudike is a smart Nigerian man, though corrupt to the core.
The idiosyncratic Sen. Dillon
Fellow Liberians, I intuit there are several instances Dillon’s oppositions could utilize to dim his light if not turn it off, if he is does not manage his human weakness and tread more smartly. The apology proffered when he proposed to stone the President’s convoy followed by his apology to a young female for an unpleasant outburst, all point in similar directions that manifests idiosyncratic tendencies.
Based on the Bility and Nwabudike scenarios, one is apt to perceive the endorsement of Bility is Dillon’s weakness, or idiosyncrasy. So far there are conversations in circles that due to Senator Dillon’s idiosyncratic tendencies, he shunned the adage, “what is good for the goose, should be good for the gander” or in Liberian parlance, “the thing weh good for Peter must also be good for Paul”
Realistically, the question that remains to be answered is, “Is Dillon who is the light and illumination for Liberia idiosyncratic?” Maybe not or maybe, because he is human.
The Illuminating Sen. Dillon
Over his campaign days and elections to the Senate, Hon. Dillon had always declared himself the “Light” of the Senate. Admittedly, it was this vow to shine and expose corruption in all its form, shape and fashion, that garnered the huge supports and gave the freshman Senator a proper footing in this hot political sphere.
From where I sit, there are debates in circles as to whether Dillon has satisfactorily proven to be a genuine dazzling light or a Chinese light. For example, at least over the last three decades, the Senate was a fearful society lodge or Zoe bush where secrets that were not too deep were kept. The public did not know Senators were taking home huge portions of their meagre resources while common laborers and technocrats were languishing in abject unnecessary poverty. By Dillon’s advent, it is now an open secret that the Senate is a spineless bunch of money eaters, brown envelope grabbers who lack willpower to stand up to a struggling executive branch. The veteran Senator Prince Johnson recently confirmed Dillon’s stance.
So far, it appears the exuberant, audacious and highly articulate Senator Dillon has touted he is capable of being a dazzling light not only for the Senate but for the whole country. My name!
The Charge for Sen. Dillon
Fellow Liberians, the act of electing, endorsing and appointing without due diligence is not phenomenal to Senator Dillon. It is an open secret that some people are appointed to positions for which they are not qualified because of relationship; some people endorse because they receive bribes or brown envelopes; some are elected simply because their tiny hands are held up by bigger hands. Recently, a group of clergymen endorsed Thomas Fallah and anointed him, but he was defeated. United States President Donald Trump was endorsed by some US clergymen but could not win Joe Biden.
Now, why did Abraham endorse Musa who FIFA has marked as being corrupt, and in turn antagonized Nwabudike? Is it because Bility is an old friend or a Liberian? If yes, is he therefore exhibiting idiosyncrasy. Is it because Liberty Party does not have any credible and more politically potent partisan to be its chairperson? Is it because of Bility’s capacity to lobby, deal, and woo supports for the LP? What are the specific unique qualities that the FIFA indicted Bility possesses?
As you think these thoughts, it behooves Senator Dillon to come “straight up” with a more logical justification regarding his decision to kick fake and corrupt Nwabudike out, and tolerate dishonest and corrupt Bility who ate Ebola money.
Now may the Lord bless and keep Musa Bility, Ndubusi Nwabudike and Sen. Abraham Darius Dillon; may He make His face to shine on them; may He give them grace and give them the peace that passes all understanding in Jesus’ name. Amen.
Simply Thinking Thoughts
About the author:
The CEO and founder of the Diversified Educators Empowerment Project (DEEP), Mwalimu-Mkoh M. Blonkanjay Jackson holds a Master of Education from the Harvard, and Master of Science in Mathematics Education from St. Joseph’s University; he is a Yale University Teachers Initiative Math Fellow, and UPENN Teacher Institute Physics Fellow. He is part-time lecturer at the UL Graduate School of Education. Mr. Jackson served the government of Liberia diligently for four years and returned to private practice as Development Specialist and Education Engineer. The Mwalimu-koh can be reached at 0886 681 315 / 0770 206 645.