By Mwalimu-Koh Moses Blonkanjay Jackson
Author, Educational Engineer, Scholar
Thinking Thoughts
In my thinking thoughts I arrived at the realization that President Weah would soon be delivering his 2020 Annual Message to the nation to chronicle the achievements and vagaries that bridled his administration over 365 days. More important, I considered the recent trend in our unprecedented somersaulting political sphere whereby advocacies and thesis are suddenly changing shapes, forms and fashions.
When the CDC was opposition, political theses proffered by its proponents were sanctimonious, aggressive, vehement, and sometimes incendiary. When opposition CDC became position CDC, its thesis changed to beautiful portraits of nation building ideals; however, in recent time, the thesis has become ugly again, indicating an insect metamorphosis or unit circle trigonometry.
Insect Metamorphosis
For sake of the layman, insect metamorphosis occurs when an ugly grotesque caterpillar transforms into a cocoon and then a beautiful butterfly. During our youth, we believed myths about caterpillars especially that they embodied infectious poisonous fluids. Contact with the fluids could cause infection, “craw-craw will catch you” which is a skin itching problem; we believed a caterpillar could spit into ones face if you got too close to its comfort. As a result, when encountered, we either killed or avoided our perceived enemy, the gracious harmless crawling creature whose future was a beautiful butterfly waiting for time, to show its exquisiteness.
In metamorphosis, the ugly caterpillar spins a thread around itself and goes to sleep as a cocoon for a time. When it wakes up from sleep, it is no longer an ugly caterpillar but a beautiful butterfly, that flutters into the sky. It appears apparent the thesis of the ugly caterpillar is “ugliness to beauty”
Trigonometric Metamorphosis
Concisely, to metamorphose trigonometrically can be compared to moving from a less significant situation, progressing significantly, and then returning to the same situation erroneously perceived you have progressed. In more mathematical terms, ‘Trigonometry’ measures the movement of an angle about a unit circle from zero degree to 360 degrees. However, when the angle leaves the point of zero and travels through to 90, 180, etc., it returns to 360, exactly where zero is and makes it look like zero is 360.
Government Officials’ Thesis Metamorphosis
Recently, the political thesis of Government officials in the Senate, House and Cabinet has gone through an unprecedented rapid change in tone, leaving citizens and partisans wonder if things are falling apart. Senators and representatives who were once fervent supporters and advocates have risen to the occasion and changed their theses, as if they are approving the barrage of criticisms from opposition camps of the CPP and Rainbow Alliance.
Legislators’ Thesis Metamorphosis
A case in point is the assertions by Nimba County Senator Prince Johnson at least a fortnight ago. He shifted blame on the Senate for the prevailing unpleasant economic and politico-social issues in Liberia. In his thesis, he averred Senate Committees responsible to engage the executive branch over implementation have been compromised and have failed to act according to their mandates.
The metamorphosis in Senator Johnson’s thesis is the change from support to Senate and ruling party edicts and decisions, to criticisms and vilifications. The average Liberian would argue it is no surprise because Hon. Johnson has always been unpredictable and always metamorphosing his political thesis nearly every Sunday.
Another case in point is the recent position of Montserrado County Representative Acarous Gray who joined the senator in shifting blames. Utilizing several widely accessed media, Hon. Gray registered his disappointment without equivocation and blamed the CDC led government for failing to live up to its promises to partisans and citizens. He alleged there are certain people who have the President’s ears (Messrs. Tweah & McGill) and not advising well. He therefore called on the President to integrate governance of the state by bringing onboard people who are not CDC members to enhance efficacy.
Hon. Gray’s thesis metamorphosis was so glaring that it took center stage in various circles, for a while. You will note Hon. Gray is not an ordinary cross-carpet member of the CDC, neither a “liquor talk” supporter as he has been in the trenches for his party since its inception as an opposition. For example, Gray was one of President Sirleaf’s utmost nemesis to the extent that he went to jail briefly as martyr of the CDC.
Cabinet Minsters’ Thesis Metamorphosis
Thesis from the Executive Branch has also metamorphosed overtime. It would be foolhardy to perceive that appointed officials and cabinet ministers are not expressing dissatisfaction over the run of things in the government; some are expressing anti-government thesis covertly. The only cabinet Minister who has audaciously changed his political thesis is Hon. Eugene Faghon.
Previously the eccentric Eugene Faghon stood up against the opposition block and defended nearly all actions of the Government to the extent that he was suspended for pushing too hard. Recently, Faghon has taken to the airwaves on numerous occasions and spewed disappointment that the government is not living up to expectations.
Voters Thesis Metamorphosis
Before now, a powerful mantra of the Mighty CDC was “Vote One, Vote All” This political thesis was so effective that it moved the CDC from a mere opposition party to a formidable force and spur it to sweep majority seats in both the Senate and House. During those years, CDC supporters were staunch, aggressive debaters and advocates over the ideals of their party. Their votes were always reserved for people whose hands President Weah held up during elections.
As a result, all candidates on CDC tickets selected to place the President’s picture above theirs to advocate the “vote one vote all” thesis. Since you have voted for President Weah, it now becomes your duty to vote for whomever he reposes confidence in. Unfortunately, results from the December 2020 elections show whether voters have changed the thesis or not.
Ruling Party Political Leaders Thesis Metamorphosis
H.E. Jewel Howard Taylor, the Vice Standard Bearer of the ruling CDC recently added gasoline to the already burning fire kindled by Hon. Gray, Chairman Morlue’s “liquor talk” and Boima J. B. Boima’s foolishness and blatant lies.
You will note that during the Presidential elections, Sen. Taylor encouraged constituents to shun opposition and join the CDC with statements like, “This is our time…” and “…if you are not on our side, then…” Those moments clearly demonstrated her passion to see CDC succeed.
Albeit, her thesis has changed. In spite of those beautiful butterfly talks, her speech metamorphosed into an ugly butterfly when she said, “…do not vote on party lines, but rather vote for the person who you like…” and, “If they bring money, y’all take it. Da na their money. Da stolen money. Who you will be working for his money and just be giving it around like that?”
CDC the ugly caterpillar or beautiful butterfly
Fellow Liberians, considering the theses seething from CDC stalwarts overtime, I posit that the CDC is showing signs of being the former ugly caterpillar as was characterized by the Unity Party. It later metamorphosed into a beautiful butterfly but is now metamorphosing back to an ugly, grotesque, poisonous fluid embodied caterpillar.
During the tenure of President Sirleaf, the CDC was branded as a rowdy group without purpose. At one instance, President Sirleaf alluded to CDCians as “noisy minority”; in another, Sen. Darius Dillon branded some partisans “tiny-tiny CDCians” The Mighty CDC was known to be bent on thriving in confusion via protests, and making felonious assertions to create chaos in the country. At one point, Speaker Bophal Chambers called for the resignation of the sitting President Sirleaf. Based on those and other events, the CDC could be likened to the ugly caterpillar in their opposition days. After “all said and done”, gone are those days for the CDC is now the one positioned as the beautiful butterfly.
CDC the Caterpillar turned Butterfly
After several years of advocacy and sustained engagements with voters, CDC emerged as the ruling party. At that instance, the citizens looked forward to those who they voted for to encourage them ensured the government is united and working collaboratively. Unfortunately, political talks coming from the CDC led government suggest CDC insiders and partisans are disgruntled, bitter and demotivating by the day and showing signs of disgust, disunity and bitterness.
Recently, people who talked for the CDC have begun to talk against it. The people who defended the previously beautiful CDC butterfly in all departments are kicking the government below the belt. This leaves one to wonder if such actions are results of the massive loss of seats during the December 2020 elections. Is it because few people have the President’s ears, while others crave in futility to gain access to his ears? Aren’t the incentives are not being dished out equitably?
Benediction
As the thesis of CDC led government officials and sympathizers change from good to bad, it is high time that they returned to the drawing board to recalibrate because the interest of the whole country is at stake. It is also high time all Liberians rallied around the Government of Liberia and present petitions to Almighty God to ensure our socio-political and economic aspirations are reality.
As President Weah mounts the podium to deliver his annual message, we should be prayerful with hope that his political thesis will metamorphose for the good of all Liberians at every stratum of the society. We should be hopeful that the emergent rift within the CDC led government will not further deepen and Prezo will take a moment to give his ears to other citizens. Now, may the Lord bless you and keep you, and make His face to shine upon our motherland Liberia.
I am 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 Graduate School of Education, 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 parttime 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.