By Mwalimu-Koh M. Blonkanjay Jackson
Author, Scholar, Development Specialist
March 26, 2024
Simply Thinking Thoughts
In my thinking thoughts, when I retrospect the Biblical Easter Story and Jesus’ 7-day Episodic Holy Week as accounted in Matthew 21 and Mark 15, I see a simulation of Ambassador Joseph Boakai’s episodic 38 days as President of Liberia. Unlike President Boakai, Jesus did not have a 100-day plan but rather met the status quo head on with a strong hand, come what may. He was crucified but raised again triumphantly and moved on.
You see Brabbies, every year Christians all over the world observe Palm Sunday and Easter season. According to the fourfold Gospels of Matthw, Mark, Luke, and John, Palm Sunday commemorates the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem, when he was greeted by cheering crowds waving palm branches and shouting “Hosanna, Hosanna our King” Easter marks the time Jesus rose from the grave three days after he was killed on the cross by his own people. For many Christian churches, the Holy Week accounts for the episodes or incidents of Jesus in the first 7 days after he entered Jerusalem: he was received as King, later arrested, tortured, and killed like a convict.
Episodic 7-Day Holy Week
My fellow Brabbies, when a task is episodic, it has good and bad incidents, before it is completed regardless of whether people like it or not. In some instances, there are days, weeks, or months between the events. But in the case of the Holy Week, there was no delay.
For example, immediately the people received Jesus with profound jubilation, they might have thought he would go into a town hall and give a smooth ice cream victory speech over the Devil. No, he did not. Instead, Jesus went straight to the temple and started kicking butts!
As narrated by the Gospels, Jesus entered the temple, flogged, and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers. After the cleansing of the temple, several episodes followed that led to the death of Jesus. It was the following week, on Easter Sunday that he rose from the grave and later returned to heaven.
Simulating President Boakai’s First 38 Days
Brabbies, a simulation is an imitation, replication or repeat of something, or a reproduction. The events which mark President Boakai’s first 38 days in office are nearly similar to what happened in Jesus’ 7-day Easter story.
Similar to Jesus and entering Jerusalem triumphantly, President Boakai was revered and hailed when he was announced winner of the October 2023. Like the citizens of Jerusalem, thousands of Liberians took to the streets to wave “palm branches” and praised President Boakai as their “Rescuer” just as Jesus was received as Savior and King of the Jews. Like the citizens of Jerusalem, hundreds, if not thousands of Liberians surged on the residence of the “Pappy” to thank him and welcome him as the Savior or Liberia or the “Rescue Pappy “In almost every nook and cranny of Liberia, people were elated that George Weah had finally been booted out of office.
Motorcycle boys, private and public vehicles, and kehkeh all honked loudly until their batteries went dry. Rebel leader turned law-maker and man-of-God, Pastor Prince Y. Johnson lifted his shoulders portraying himself as the indefatigable King Maker of Liberian politics; former child soldier turned “Honorable”, the anti-ethics Yekeh Korlubah paraded the streets of Sinkor-Oldroad as the “Rescue Vigilante”; former general Butt Naked turned Pastor Joshua Blyee, touted his horn as the Rescue Soldier. Dethroned officials of the Liberty Party, Nyonblee Karnga-Lawrence and Darius Dillon assumed the titles of “Rescue Mother” and “Rescue Nephew” respectively. Former officials of the erstwhile Ellen Johnson Sirleaf government, some of whose hands were deeply in the corruption cookie jar sprinted with joy like chiggers in a sandy interior village.
Like the flogger Jesus, Like President Boakai
Like Jesus, President Boakai vowed to flog all and sundry who went out of order whether they previously helped to vote him into office. No sooner had President Boakai assumed state power than he took the posture of Jesus who went straight to the temple and started to cleanse the temple and flog those who were clapping for him few hours ago. To cleanse the temple of Liberia, President Boakai declared war on corruption and the gross quantum of vices, poverty and misapplication of state resources that shackled the society for 18 or six unbroken years. Like Jesus, the President set out to cleanse the country by vowing before the United States Government that he would establish a war and economic crimes court (WECC) regardless.
Like Jesus, President Boakai in day number 38, has not considered whether Prince Johnson or Yakeh Korlubah or General Butt Naked were part of the rescue team that gave him victory; he still stands by his vow to cleanse Liberia of the culture of impunity.
Like Jesus on Palm Sunday, President Boakai approved the LACC’s mandate that all former and future leaders should declare their assets or else; like Jesus, in order to cleanse Liberia of thieves, robbers and heartless state actors, he set up and immediately commissioned an asset recovery commission; he vowed to freeze bank accounts and seize all ill-gotten wealth whether abroad or at home.
Crucifying President Boakai
On the fifth day of the Holy Week, Jesus was arrested tortured and placed on the cross because he was straight forward and set out to cleanse his father’s house. His own Brabbies who had earlier praised him were now shouting, “Crucify him, crucify him” This is the same thing that is happening to President Boakai.
As soon as the President started cleansing Liberia of corruption and vices, his own supporters who had placed their lives on the line, took to the trenches, and committed valuable time and money started to shout, “Crucify him, crucify him” Of late, Pastor Prince Y. Johnson has overtly accused President Boakai of targeting him by agreeing to establish a war crime court; in reaction, the former INPFL rebel general has made insinuations that the country would return to war if attempts were ever made to arrest him.
On the other side, Yekeh Korlubah who received votes from other districts because of his support to President Boakai and his consistent advocacy corruption, has condemned and disrespected his uncle who he was clapping for yesterday. Yekeh has immaturely written the Effort Baptist Church to dismiss his elder from the Effort Baptist church. ; Yekeh who had waved palm branches for President Boakai on Palm Sunday, took to social media to prove the President is corrupt. While pastor Prince Johnson is making treats to national security, Yekeh is reading boiling with negativism and desecrating the Kingdom who he himself had approved.
Benediction
My Brabbie, nobody can scare President Boakai. No matter how the rogues, robbers, and blood- stained gang cry, the President is determined to bring the WECC. If they like, blood can come from their ears and private places, if they like they can say they slept among ants and escaped from lions to give the victory, the President will proceed as planned in his 100-days.
Now as Jesus sits at the right hand of his Father, is just as President Boakai is posed to act. The day President Boakai’s the detractors put foot in heaven, will be the day they will know how water got inside coconut.
May God bless the remaining 62 days of President Boakai’s First 100 days. .
About the Author
The Rivercess man, CEO and founder of the Diversified Educators Empowerment Project (DEEP), Mwalimu-koh M. Blonkanjay Jackson holds a Master of Education from Harvard University, 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 a former part-time lecturer at the UL Graduate School of Education. He 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