The way I see Liberia

FIVE for FIVE

2010-12-01T00:00:00.000-08:00

A new phenomenon never seen nor practiced before in Monrovia hit the Monrovian drinking communities hard and strong and soon spread across the greater Monrovia metropolitan area like wide fire. It is widely believed that this simple advertising scheme originated from a pub downtown Monrovia located on Gurley Street. I have visited that establishment and my experience was one of shock and awe. Shock and awe because a company of two could be seen with ten bottles of Guinness Stout between them on their table at one time. I am afraid to say, that ladies were engaged in the act equally with their male companions and or counterparts. The phenomenon is called “five for five.” Five for five has spread exponentially throughout Monrovia and its environs. What is "five for five?" Simply put, five US Dollar ($5.00), and that is the controlling factor, will give the buyer, five bottles of Guinness Stout. The gimmick was not only used for Stout, it expanded to small bottles of club beer and Heineken. The formula generated for the scheme was the total number of bottles followed by the dollar amount; hence, (# of bottles for $5). One could find four for five, five for five, six for five and sometimes seven for five, depending of the kind of drink and the nature of the establishment.

From my observation, the total number of bottles of drinks depended on three controlling factors, the nominal cost in Liberian Dollars of a single bottle of the drink in question, the exchange rate at any time of the US Dollar to the Liberian Dollar and the nature of the establishment. Every drinking outfit formulated its own strategy along with the fine prints. Five for five will be in bold letters but there will be the very fine prints at the bottom of the postal. Some fine prints would indicate, plus 25 Liberia Dollars while others might indicate plus 50 Liberian Dollars. The additional Liberian Dollars could range from $25 to $100. Some of these establishments are not really suited for the five 4 five challenges, but the advertising phenomena draws and lures costumers in their places of business; therefore, these drinking joints get in the act with such very fine prints for additional Liberian Dollars, what a joke!

I am not certain whether one could equate this scheme with the analogy of a quick nickel is much better than a slow dime. One thing I am certain is that the law of diminishing returns will swallow up this wave in the not too distant future. It is remarkable to note that there is even a music, which originates from the Cape Verde Island that is now been associated with the five for five challenge. Like everything else, Liberians have dubbed the music with a politically incorrect phrase, “the cripple music.” The rhythm or beat of the music is of such that the dance to the music must be of a high spirited one. It is of no laughing matter, but dancing to the beat of the music, one could easily shear away a few pounds of fat and do a number to his body mass index in one night’s session.

When this scheme began, the exchange rate of the US Dollar to the Liberian Dollar fluctuated between 71 and 72 Liberian Dollars to $1.00 US. At the time of this post, which is way overdue, the rate had dropped between 68 and 69 Liberian Dollars to 1 United States Dollar. As we all know in life, nothing lasts forever and one may just guess when this wave will come to an end. The holiday season is upon us and I do believe this “five for five” business will survive the Christmas Holiday Season, but how long after that, it is only time that will tell and my guess is as good as yours. One thing I do know, I will engage in the act one more time before it hits its demise.

Reporting from THE GROUND, this is Baby Rich.

In Defense of Chairman Charles Gyude Bryant

2007-12-01T14:08:00.001-08:00

I am in sympathy with Charles Gyude Bryant’s present state of affair. Chairman Charles Gyude Bryant was the head of a quasi pseudo government that came to birth as a result of a compromising pact between the 2003 Government of The Republic of Liberia (RL), the Liberian United for Reconciliation and Democracy (LURD), the Movement for Democracy in Liberia (MODEL) and the various Liberian Political Parties, to carry out the mandate of the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA) that was signed in Accra, Ghana on 18th August, 2003. That accord gave legitimacy to warlords and murderers to be part of an organized government with lack of strict fiscal discipline and loose ordinances to maintain peace and set the stage for an election for a legitimate government.

Gyude, as the chairman was affectionately called, was alleged to have indulged in corrupt acts as the Chairman of the National Transitional Government of Liberia (NTGL) and so were more than 50% of the work force that made up the Transitional Government. It is true that the buck stopped with him as Chairman, but almost every time a sound decision was proposed, from what I can recall, there would be far cry from every corner of the factional camps that made up the NTGL, that such proposal was not part of the CPA.

The amount of money that the former Chairman of the defunct National Transitional Government of Liberia was alleged to have embezzled, +/- US$ 1.5 million, and has now being charged by the present Liberian administration for economic sabotage, is chicken change compared to some of the monies other government officials have knowingly, suspiciously or accused of embezzling from the Liberian people for the past twenty years. Some of the officials of government that are members of various political parties, serving in President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s government, have blood on their hands and ill gotten wealth in their pockets; however, this present Liberian administration has not taken any punitive step to address the hideous crimes towards the Liberian people by those criminals.

Gyude has a fighting chance to beat this rap as to the amount of money he was accused of misappropriating. His one and only defense from my point of view is to stress that the money was used unsparingly and inappropriately for security reason. The blanket reason of security that made Liberia peaceful during his chairmanship that guaranteed peaceful sleep for many Liberians could be a strong and legitimate reason for the misappropriation of the +/- US$ 1.5 million.

Gyude's crime was his naivety of the enormous lack of power to govern as a legitimate manager with fiscal and economic discipline within the framework of the Accra Accord and his gross lack of accountability of the Liberian people's money since it was a free for all government in some corners of his administration. Gyude should be credited for achieving the Accra Accord’s mandate while working in an uneasy environment with criminals who should have being incarcerated or executed for the many hideous crimes they committed against the country and the armless, loving and forgiving people of Liberia.

An individual must be held accountable and take full responsibility for any questionable act he engages in during his service to the nation; moreover, if that individual is the leader, he must take the fall for his troops under his watch; however, Gyude must be a special case since in reality the troops were never his.

There comes a time when we as a nation should draw the line and start to hold any person of trust, responsible and accountable for his attitude of misappropriation. When do we start? We can start now but not with the chairman of the defunct Transitional Government if the amount of money in question is the amount he is accused of stealing. Well, since he has being charged with a crime, let us leave the case with the courts.

It is my honest opinion that anyone suspected and accused of alleged corruption; that accused, must be charged and sent over to the courts so that jurisprudence may decide the guilt or innocence of the accused. If the accused is found guilty, he must face the full weight of the law. Let us begin from the root of corruption from my view. The following questions should suggest the pros and cons for the temptation for corruption. Are the employees being paid appropriately in accordance to their skills, along with the cost and the standard of living? Are the employees being paid regularly at an appropriate date of each month? Are the working conditions conducive and all the tools available for work? Are the guidelines concerning corruption perfect and equal across the board? If any one of the aforementioned points is not met, then the fight on corruption is a losing battle and will fail in every step of the way.

From where I sit, I am in no way encouraging corruption; in fact, I am of the opinion that if one is allegedly accused and found guilty of corruption in the appropriate judicial setting, he must face the full force of the law. On the other hand, the situation that might encourage corruption should not prevail in the work place. The way things are at present on the ground, corruption is the order of the day and will be for a long time and that is the reason and the only reason I am in defense of Chairman Charles Gyude Bryant. The fight on corruption is not perfect. Make it perfect and Liberia will prosper in all her endeavors.

The HELP that is not HELPFUL

2007-11-01T08:01:00.000-07:00

There are major developments been undertaken by the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf administration in Liberia in all phases of nation building and human advancement but they are not visible to the common man on the street. And if the common man on the street cannot see them, feel them, taste them and touch them, then the vicious wheel of poverty will keep spinning around and around.

The core reason why the four senses have not realized the developments in Liberia is the debt burden of a little over 4.5 billion dollars that overshadowed the growth of the country for many years. Loans were taken and loans must be paid. If they are not paid, interest and penalties are levied and arrears are accumulated and before you know it, you become a high-risk borrower and Liberia enjoys the dubious pleasure of ranking top in that category.

Let’s do the math:

Exports ~ +/- $115 million
Imports ~ +/- $275 million
Total external debt US +/- $4.6 billion
Life expectancy ~ +/- 40 years
Population: ~ +/- 3.2 million

Liberia’s debt burden will be handled down continuously to the third generation of any present generation. What a sad state of affair for the children yet unborn. Liberia needs help and the help that is not helpful is the help of talk without substance. Liberia deserves the help and must demand the help now if she is to succeed in achieving the eight Millennium Development Goals. Our story is not hidden. It was played out globally for all to see and everyone knows about our plight. It is time that our friends come to our help and take us out of our slump.

The International Monetary Fund and the World Bank are squeezing Liberia to cough out the almost two billion US$ she owes in back payments, accumulated interest and penalties, which seem to be an above face stance, since the funding bodies played blind eyes to the repayment efforts or lack of, and kept providing illegitimate loans masterminded by previous rogue leaders, while at the same time playing lip services to well meaning nations that were calling for debt relief or cancellation of Liberia’s debt.

Due to the cry of the present government, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the African Development Bank are now painfully talking shop and working on modalities to relieve Liberia of its bilateral and multilateral debts.

After the successful election, which ushered in the first female African leader, the UN and the funding bodies have not fully lifted all of the sanctions that were levied on Liberia, which has suffocated the country from accruing needed exported funds to meet her commitments to her creditors.

This is the time for our friends to show their support and come to Liberia’s aid and agree on a financial plan to alleviate the country's foreign debt and not stray away due to donor fatigue. We know you have been there for us and we plea that you come to our help now. If there ever was the time, now is the time.

It is no secret that an agreement on writing off Liberia’s debts has been delayed by power struggle amongst member countries on how the deal should be financed. One sticking point in this whole saga is that the IMF has been unable to approve any loan program for Liberia until the outstanding 1.5 billion in arrears be repaid.

We are all aware that the major creditors have all pledged to forgive Liberia’s debts, but the ball was stuck in the IMF’s court, where their Board had been debating, over a year now, how to share the costs to cancel this enormous debt of a little over $4.6 billion. There is a likelihood that donors could divert development funding for Liberia to pay off the 1.5 billion dollar arrears to the IMF, World Bank and the African Development Fund. That is a scary thought.

It is widely believed that Liberia’s total debt may be cancelled if she enters the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative, a debt relief program administered by the World Bank and the IMF. For that to happen, Liberia must first settle her outstanding arrears to the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and the African Development Fund.

Three close friends of Liberia, the UK, Germany and the US, have offered to waived the total debt owed them under the context of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative; however, for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative to kick in, Liberia must agree to undergo significant economic and social reforms, and also write a Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper endorsed by all segments of Liberian society.

There is a revolving door within financial institutions that could convey perturbing apprehension when considering a case for debt relief; that is, monies earmarked to pay off multilateral debts on behalf of Liberia could be funneled out of existing donor funding pledged towards Liberia’s development.

From where I sit, as I apply risk management theory to Liberia’s fiscal nightmare, two terms come to light in my mind, enlightened caution and enlightened gamble. Let us as a people make all efforts to help ourselves and not rely on the extended powers to come to our aid to correct our own mistakes, when we are truly responsible for our own present state of affairs. We have the land and we have the people. Let us farm our land and feed ourselves. Most of the foods we eat are imported and that take up a huge chunk of the country’s import burden. The government must stay away from luxury expenditures. Everyone should lend a hand and be part of the solution and not rely on the government for everything. What assurance do we have to indicate that the cancellation of the debt will really make any change for Liberia and for Liberians? What assurance do we have to suggest that Liberia will not find herself in similar debt situation in the next fifteen? In risk management, we call this constructive insubordination, formulating and answering the right questions. We need a new mindset, a new way of thinking and a new way of working. Let us all hope for the best and may God bless the Republic.

Flirting at the edge on the other side of PRESERVATION

2007-10-01T02:07:00.001-07:00

The vehement language sprouting out of some of our country men’s writings, demonstrate that if there was a division or a pseudo division that existed or exists today in our society, it seems to be perpetrated more than ever before; even, after all of the changing of the guards, it did not prove to mend the division, a far cry from what we had expected.

The dark past we experienced as a people has not proved to be a lesson learnt and apparently we would love to see any authority of the day fall flat on its face to the ground as we sit on the side line and criticize without providing any sound alternative to whatever grievances, concerns, knowledge and solution to the crisis, problems or state of affairs.

There are a few intriguing questions that should be asked and be answered honestly by all. Are we one people of a common destiny or a common cause? Are we a divided people without a cause or a destiny? Should this hate that we endure for one another continue to eat up the country and shred us as a people without a vision and devour each other because of the sins of past? What have we learnt as a nation from history, from our own history, past and present and history of other nations with similar dark pasts? Are we a doomed society? What are we leaving behind for our children and our children's children?

From where I sit and when I read some of the hatred filled and war toned writings and reflect on the past half century I have survived on this planet we call home, I can say without any fear or favor that some of my countrymen are flirting at the edge on the other side of preservation. Are we not satisfied with the destruction of our happy land? Let us preserve what we have. Liberia is the only country we have. We who traveled to other parts during the mass migration of the war years, we experienced first hand what a glorious land of liberty we left behind. Some of the places we landed did not welcome us as we were accustomed to welcoming strangers within our shores and we were treated inhumanely. We must learn to live with one another and stay away from all of the vices of inhumanity; hence, disagreeing with one another but respecting each other.

Let us put aside our bitter differences and not put Daniel Bashiel Warner (1813 - 1880) to shame. We need to listen to the words he wrote that we have sung over and over as a people. Maybe it is time we really read and understand the words and make them personal. All hail, Liberia, hail! All hail, Liberia, hail! This glorious land of liberty shall long be ours. Though new her name, green be her fame, and mighty be her powers. In joy and gladness with our hearts united, we'll shout the freedom of a race benighted. In union strong success is sure we cannot fail! With God above our rights to prove we will o'er all prevail, with heart and hand our country's cause defending we'll meet the foe with valour unpretending. Long live Liberia, happy land! A home of glorious liberty, by God's command! A home of glorious liberty, by God's command!

Run-off Election in Sierra Leone

2007-09-01T13:40:00.000-07:00

From what I have observed and according to the information reaching my desk, the run-off election in Sierra Leone could have been avoided, if the various parties that participated in the first round election on August 8, 2007, had conducted massive voters education to their supporters prior to Election Day. One main reason for run-off elections is the disqualification of thousands and thousands of ballots that were wrongly filled out by the many voters who were blindly ignorant of the entire process. Electoral processes in third world countries are anything but flawless, but when the voters shoot themselves individually in the foot, it makes the electoral process looks like the Boston Tea Party.

In my opinion, many voters in some developing countries stay away from run-off elections because their 100 percent enthusiasm and excitement during the first round election drop down to less than five percent because run-offs are foreign and are not fully understood; moreover, voters believe run-offs will not change the original result.

The voting process is not the many hours voters stand on lines at scarce voting polls to cast their votes; rather, it is the many months of preparation and voters education organized by the Sierra Leone National Electoral Commission and the various political parties leading to the casting of the correctly filled out ballots on election day.

The contestant who will lose the election should accept the result and take it in stride and prepare his team for a better showing the next time around and should not hold grudge for his own poor showing against his opponent to have won the race.

The contestant who will win the election should honor his campaign promises to the people and should consider his opponent as a partner in the nation building process. The winner must develop a new mindset as to the outcome of the result; that is, he won the election but he did not defeat his opponent. An election is not a battle in which the terms victor and defeat are the norms; in an election, the terms winner and loser should be the preferred nomenclatures. If the participants consider the usage of winner and loser, animosity and grudge will not prevail between opponents and civility will certainly be the hallmark of the exercise.

After a fairly smooth first round election, it is heart breaking to witness the outbreak of violence between opposition party supporters whilst awaiting the run-off presidential election. There were errors during the first round election and I hope the Sierra Leone National Electoral Commission learnt their lessons to correct the many errors that frustrated and disfranchised tens of thousands of voters on Election Day.

From where I sit, I urge my brethren of Sierra Leone to turn out in full to the limited polling stations provided by the Sierra Leone National Electoral Commission on Saturday, September 8, 2007 and perform your civic duty by casting your votes, and not to subscribe to violence, mayhem and even death; furthermore, not to rob your Muslim brothers and sisters of Ramadan which is right around the corner, because when all is said and done, in the grand scheme of things, nothing will really change in that country – Sa Leone.

I admonish you to take heart and reflect on these parables, HOWεVA TIN TRANGGA TETE, I DE DכN; IF YU WANT כL, YU DE LכS כL and NכTO εVRI DE NA KRISMES. It is my wish that when you enter the secret sanctuaries to cast your votes on Election Day on Saturday, one sacred thought that should cloud your minds should be the first stanza of the National Anthem.

“High we exalt thee, realm of the free;
Great is the love we have for thee;
Firmly united ever we stand,
Singing thy praise, O native land.
We raise up our hearts and our voices on high,
The hills and the valleys re-echo our cry;
Blessing and peace be ever thine own,
Land that we love, our Sierra Leone.”

The epiphany of a coup d'état

2007-08-01T07:10:00.000-07:00

Who are the alleged key players of this plot? Who all had knowledge or any inclination of the alleged plot? Who blew the whistle of the alleged coup plot? What do we know of those implicated, arrested and charged for this alleged crime? What do we really know about the whistle blower? It is no secret, that we as a people have experienced similar plights in the past, and all I can do is raise my hands in the air and say, here we go again! We have heard rumors of alleged coup plots, we have seen some of our country men arrested and hauled in prisons for being players of alleged attempted coups, we have also heard and seen whistle blowers being paraded in front of cameras revealing secrets of coup plots and I can say with frustrated conviction that we are tired of being shadowed by the threat of coup plots on either side of the spectrum. Let us as a people leave this case with the court system and let jurisprudence takes it course and hopefully the truth shall be revealed.

In any crime, for which an attempted coup d'état is no exception, three main objectives must be met. The three objectives that must satisfy a crime and satisfy the jury are the motive, the means and the opportunity. Let us ask ourselves, what were the motives of the alleged key players; the motives of all who had knowledge of the alleged plot; and most especially, the motive of the whistle blower of this alleged coup plot? I do not know the motive of anyone in this alleged crime, but it will be suicidal for a group of people to give a nudge or thumbs-up of support to would-be coup plotters to carry out their devious crime. Was there or is there any opportunity to actually carry out a coup d'état in Liberia right now? The answer is a resounding NO and let my naivety be my paradigm for my logic. With the overwhelming presence of the UN and with the mindset of the majority of Liberians on the ground; moreover, with the raw clear and past dangers of the various wars of the past years, the opportunity is a dead ZERO. What were their means? I reckon the “farming tools” for the “peanuts and cassava sticks.” Means, well, it was the means that the whistle blower decoded and interpreted; consequently, declared to the world of the alleged plot to overthrow the peaceful government of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the forgiving citizens of Liberia.

What do we know of the alleged coup plotters or anyone that have allegedly being linked to the plot and have been arrested to face trial? What do we know of the whistle blower and what is his real motive? In cases like these, there are so many questions with little or no answer at all to satisfy our desired thirst for the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The real truth never comes out, never, no never.

From where I sit, I urge the nation not to be blinded by sentiment but to step back and let the court determine whether the accused had abundant means, motive and opportunity to commit the crime of treason against the state; moreover, that there are compelling evidence to prove their guilt or innocence. Although a couple of the names involved in this saga have questionable and colorful characters and have also played active roles in the past conflicts, and therefore are no strangers to the general public, the evidence of guilt must be proved in this case beyond all reasonable doubt; so that, if the accused are found guilty, the maximum punishment must be rendered to these criminally insane bandits. This case will be a landmark case, which will set the precedence for jurisprudence in a truly new Liberia, and the verdict will set the pace for good governance and the distinction and the separation of the three branches of the government will be respected and honored. If this case, the epiphany of a coup d'état, is solely based on the whistle blower’s decoded messages, then God bless us all.

Instruments of Knowledge

2007-07-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

When the instruments of knowledge join the rank and file of the tutored and engaged in acts that are common to and associated with that of the tutored, then it is my honest opinion that there has not been any lesson learnt from our recent past; consequently, history will slap us in the face as a people and I pray that God bless us all.

When I read the reason why the University of Liberia Faculty engaged in a strike action, which in a way parallels the bogus reason given by the coup leaders for the reason why they toppled the Tolbert government and took over the seat of power, it leaves me with one conclusion, that in all likelihood, the thought of another major uprising in Liberia is not farfetched.

I deduced my conclusion of this notion because of the news release that was issued by the University of Liberia Faculty Association (ULFA) on June 15, 2007 in Monrovia calling for a strike until the Government of Liberia met their demands and also due to this quote that was attributed to the ULFA President, Mr. Clifford J. Young. "We have exhausted every effort to solve these problems but to no avail and so, we believe that this is the only means we can use as a tactical move to draw the government's attention to our plight." Mr. Young said their action was predicated upon the President of the Republic of Liberia who is also the visitor to the University’s failure to honor her obligation.

Mr. Young noted that too long the government had neglected the university, as resources have not been infused into it. He concluded by saying that, "If no money, there will be no negotiation with the government because as you can see, the faculty appeared dejected and frustrated and are hungry while faculty staff members are dying monthly due to poor services at the University."

Are we, as a people, can honestly tell each other and ourselves that violence or acts of violence are the only way out when there is an impasse or dissatisfaction or disagreement amongst any grouping in Liberia? I hope, if we all believe that the long sought peace that we presently enjoy, which is still in its infancy I may add and is very much fragile, then why are these volatile actions sprouting all over the place? We hear fracas between security forces, UN forces, civil servants including government officials, religious groups and conflicts between employees and employers, school administrations and students, school administrations and faculty and the list goes on and on.

From where I sit, I had envisioned every citizen would do everything in his power to avoid signs that smell conflict; however, if such conflict was unavoidable, then one must follow the legal or civil course of action by using the court system for redress. On a broader scale, groups must avoid disturbing the peace and engaging in any volatile action that may lead to the destruction of properties and the lost of lives. We should all remember that there are laws that govern us all, individually, collectively and nationally and we all must respect and obey the laws; anything short of that, we will be held accountable and suffer the consequences.

As a product of Lux in Tenebris (Light in the darkness), it brings tears to my eyes to read of the country's highest institution of learning, the University of Liberia being struck with another academic impediment following an immediate indefinite suspension of classes until the faculty/student strike is brought under control. The university is an open society and does protect academic freedom, human rights, justice and democracy and when acts of shame are perpetrated from such unique society, then the people are doomed.

Armed Robbery ~ A Living Nightmare

2007-06-01T12:52:00.000-07:00

The other day I called an old friend back home in Monrovia for a chat, when she answered the call, she broke down in tears and cried on the phone for about seven minutes straight until I was able to calm her down to find out what the problem was. It took a long time before she gained her equanimity to explain to me, in her still shocked state and trembling voice, that three armed men broke into her home that she shares with her two children, Bachir, twenty-one and Martus, fourteen, a week before my call, and the outcome of the episode has made their lives a living nightmare.

The robbers ordered the mother and children to bring out all of their personal valuables including cell phones and jewels and hand the items over to them. The thieves grabbed the valuables and jewels from the frightened family members and proceeded to search the house for more booties and other household items. The frightened trio still in their sleeping gears, which amounted to scarcely nothing, was also ordered by the burglars to sit on the floor against the wall of their living room for strict scrutiny while they ransacked the house searching for other goodies.

Just before the thieves took off, one of them walked over to the mother and made an attempt to massage her face. Just as the robber’s hand was about to make contact with her face, her son Bachir leaped from his sitting position and butted the robber on his head. That brave and courageous, yet fool hearted action and the consequence of head against head, left a big gash on Bachir’s forehead that resulted him receiving one dozen and one stitches on his forehead that will now portray an obvious scar for life.

His action I believe was simply a heroic gesture to safe his mother’s honor and one of deep frustration. There is a sense of deep frustration from a victim of a robbery when an insignificant rogue indiscriminately violates your personal space and orders you around because he is armed and robs you of your dignity and your personal possessions. Long gone those days when young men and significant others stood by and watched their women folks being violated by those gun toting hooligans during the past ugly years of the country. There is now a change of the minds of the young men to protect their female folks’ honor. Change in mindset because during the various wars in Liberia, young men stood by and watched their mothers and sisters being raped, disfigured and murdered. Don’t get me wrong, robberies of this nature take place in Liberia daily and maybe some female folks are protected and some are not being protected by their sons, their siblings or their significant others. This story brought tears to my eyes not only because of the unfortunate family’s catastrophe but also for the country Liberia and the disgust for the career move that many young men have engaged in and the distress such actions cause the public in general.

From where I sit, I can only shake my head in frustration because situations such as arm robbery and other ugly vices of the many idle young men will scare away the most needed investors into the country. Without private investors, the lives of the Liberian people and yea, the country as a whole, will not improve nor progress and the cry of the masses shall continue.

A Country D I V I D E D

2007-05-01T00:00:00.001-07:00

Another April month came by and rolled away into oblivion and one recognized date and event that Liberians reflected on with anecdotal thoughts with a wide spectrum of disdained and deep-seated hatred was that of the April 12, 1980 coup d'état. In all spheres of life, diversity and differences prevail and Liberians are not lacking in that department and have expressed their pros and cons on the issue of the incidence of the April 12, 1980 coup d'état. After some 27 years of the coup, the nation and its people have not come together to discuss and scrutinize the cause, the effect and the reason for the coup, neither have the people of this our one beloved nation come to a head and agreed on any issue with any close proximity percentage gap.

Why are there so much hatred and diversity amongst Liberians in all their thoughts, their words and their deeds, why? There is nothing wrong with diversity but the disparity of the scale of our differences is so grave that it could be compared to night and day. There are so many schools of thought of the coup, but the two that seemed to have flourished are; that the coup was the single greatest occurrence in the history of Liberia, and that the coup was the worst act of human frailty in the history of the country Liberia and its people. Those who supported the coup subscribed to the glorification and deification of the coup leaders and welcomed the celebration of the immediate aftermath of the coup, because they believed the coup brought an end to the rule of an elite group of people who were also corrupt. Supporters of the coup are still engaged in name-calling of individuals; even the dead are not spared, where the victims are vilified and denigrated to the lowest ebb of humanity.

From where I sit, I do not see our beloved county Liberia picking up the pieces from its present state to any state of greatness. The diversity of indifference is so vast for any consensus to be reached for the total development of Liberia. We hate each other with passion and we believe within ourselves that a common ground may never be reached for the advancement of Liberia. We are our own enemies and do not hesitate to take up arms amongst ourselves. I am afraid to say, but the picture is still bleak after all what we have gone through as a people and as a country. For me, the glass is still half empty and the state at which the people of Liberia will arrive at, that I will honestly and emphatically express the glass to be half full is still far from reality. If we as a people do not change our ways and eat in one calabash, we will be doomed as a people and as a nation and the act of not changing will be an abomination to civilization and Liberia will remain a country divided.

To Comment or Not to Comment

2007-04-01T00:11:00.000-07:00

There are certain positions of trust, and if one holds such a position, that person is expected to comment on the issue of the day when asked by the press to comment. It is sometimes difficult to divorce ones personal thoughts from his professional thoughts, which are sometimes different and distinct when commenting on an off the wall question. It will also be a disservice to enunciate the dreadful two words phrase “no comment” when asked to comment on such issue. At this time of the game, every Liberian especially those on the ground have comments on pressing issues of the day in post war Liberia.

The government of the day should have an official position on any controversial issue, and members of the government should use the government’s position as a guide when they are asked to comment on such issue. If an official uses such strategy by referring to the government’s position in responding to questions posed for comments, there will not be the shameful use of the “no comment” phrase.

From where I sit and what I have observed, is failure to comment officially by the government on a timely manner on pressing issues of the day, leaving other government officials open to give varying and contradictory comments which leave them vulnerable to criticism. It is every man's right to comment or not to comment. One should not be pushed against the wall to comment on an issue he does not feel comfortable to take on for whatever reason. The proper response to a "care to comment" question should be; no, I do not care to comment. The ministry of information is the official mouthpiece of the government and to my observation has dropped the ball on many occasions giving rise to criticism, cover-ups and conspiracies. I care to comment and this is my comment.

Pussyfooting with sexuality

2007-03-01T00:00:00.001-08:00

This is my opinion on why there is a prevalence of sex crimes in Liberia that seem not to have an immediate end were the victims are considered as sex toys. The rift between culture, tradition, urbanization, traditional law, and common law, which play a part in the way of life of the people on one hand, and the action or inaction of the government on the other hand clearly gave me the tools to base my opinion for this unfortunate barbaric act of rape.

Liberia’s dual legal system of statutory law which is based on the western common law for the urban areas and the traditional law or customary tribal law which is based on unwritten tribal practices, traditions and customs for the indigenous folks in the rural areas gave license to evil men to roam around like dogs in heat.

The subject in question is that of marriage. In the case of the common law marriage, the couple, one man and one woman, acquire a marriage license and the court sanctions the union. In the traditional law or customary tribal law marriage, one man pays dowries for more than one wife. The prospective dowered wife's age could range from an unborn female child to one of any age that has not yet been dowered by another man.

The dowry usually consists of any combination of money, animals, and household goods. I am afraid to say, though not scientifically proven, that the concept of the traditional law marriage has now been misrepresented and misinterpreted by some men who forcefully prey on young female victims for their sexual desires and gratification. Such sexual behavior that was widely practiced and shamefully tolerated in the hinterlands where the dowry system is a way of life is now been considered as the norm in post war Liberia.

Another reason for this wave of rapes could be attributed to the period of the past wars in all there ugliness, during which time innocent females were used as sexual slaves and free for all by those gun toting buffoons of all ages, who considered themselves as demigods during their reign of terror. Those murderers performed all kinds of sexual acts on our grand mothers, mothers, sisters and babies with impunity and that psyche is now been carried out in our post war Liberia.

The last time I checked and I do stand corrected, the Liberian government has not condemned, nor made any effort to eradicate, nor has she officially taken any stance against female genital mutilation or cutting; which is widely condemned by international public health experts, as damaging to both the physical and the psychological health of our female folks. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the excision or tissue removal of any part of the female genitalia for cultural, religious or other non-medical reasons. Most human rights organizations around the world consider female genital cutting rituals a violation of human rights.

I hate to join in on an issue that was clearly a private one; on the other hand, I cannot stand aside and not comment on the action that was taken by the Liberian government as a result of one man's private affair. When a member of the fifth estate stood up to society and challenge its hypocritical constipated moral value and acted recklessly and published an indecent photograph, the government’s action was no different from that of previous rogue governments of Liberia and other despicable African governments, by ordering police officers to shut down and lock up the offices of The Independent newspaper by using chain and locks. If one was accused by the government for allegedly violating Section 18.1 of the Liberian Penal Code, there was an appropriate legal action to be taken, and the action that was taken by this government was illegal and improper. I admonish the government to seek legal advice in the future before taking action on any controversial issue so as not to be considered as a government not different from past corrupt Liberian governments.

From where I sit, it occurs to me that with the number of rape cases that have been taken to the authorities and with the limited conclusion of those cases, along with the FGM situation, I am left with only one conclusion that the Liberian government is pussyfooting with sexuality. I am still waiting for that coup de grace that will distinguish this government from the rest of the previous governments Liberia has endured.

The Country is Running

2007-02-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

The following are phrases and common vernaculars that are used by Liberians on the ground. The country is running. Ma Ellen is moving and if you cannot keep up, you will be left behind. Transparent, focus, good governance, recycle politician, bring to book, sensitize, empower, scratch card, challenge, etc.

Life in Liberia is not for the faint hearted. Everyday brings it own trials and challenges. If a common folk went through the night without been threatened by thieves or other mishaps, his main preoccupation when he wakes up will be to find his daily meal, which is easier said than done.

Work is not easy to come by and for those who do have jobs, getting to work has its own challenge. If you have school-aged children, getting them to school is more of an adventure than a chore.

I do not believe I will be too far off the mark on my estimation, if I infer that 85 percent of all Liberians on the ground from the age of eight owns a cell phone. Most of the young folks prefer high priced phone than low cost ones, $200.00 and above. To power the phone, one needs to purchase a calling card, which provides airtime access for making calls. The cheapest card cost $5.00 US. By the way, the card is simply called scratch card by all.

The US currency is not the official legal tender but is used on equal par with the “LD” Liberian Dollar in any business transaction. Actually, there are some institutions that require only US$. Liberia seems to be the only country on the face of the earth that does not suffer from the scourge of black marketing since the exchange rate is published daily and one just has to do the math and transact his business in which ever currency he wishes.

The city of Monrovia is smoky and noisy from the many mini one-man private generators to the giant generators annexed to building complexes of government houses and the many international agencies. Smoke is also seen all over the city of Monrovia and its surroundings from the piles of garbage that are burnt openly whether toxic or non-toxic items are part of the burning mountain of debris.

It is very costly to live in Liberia. Thanks to money gram and western union that are used by families in the Diaspora to transfer hard currency to family members, which in term help to sustain the economies of most of the African Countries, and Liberia is no exception.

The below site or web address should take you to some of the photos I took on my trip to Liberia and other parts of the world from December ninth '06 to January twenty-second '07. You may use the slideshow option for easy viewing. http://picasaweb.google.com/teakpoo/Vacation

The Season

2007-01-01T03:28:00.000-08:00

The thought of spending "the Season" as it is affectionately and widely called by the folks on the ground, Christmas and New Year that is, at home in Liberia amongst love ones and friends was overwhelmed and filled with nostalgia and excitement, that my body was in overdrive during the weeks leading to the due date of arrival, December 10, 2006. The last time I was home was November of 1999 and the first time I left my country to seek refuge in Sierra Leone due to the senseless war was on September 28, 1990, about twenty days after the late president Samuel Doe was captured and killed.

After about 24 hours of flying time and about seven thousand miles from Sacramento, California; Houston, Texas; Newark, New Jersey; Brussels, Belgium and arriving in Monrovia, Liberia, the next thing on my mind was a cold bath. My day-to-day experience from sunrise to sunset was mixed with emotions and concerns. The visible and pronounced contrast between the haves and the have-nots is so vast and scary that I was very uncomfortable walking and or driving on the streets of Monrovia.

Getting home and seeing the reality on the ground was stunning and mouth gapping. The general outlook of the country tells its own story but it was the look in the eyes of the common folks that hit me hard in the deepest core of my being. Because of my philanthropic nature, I became penniless just at the edge of my second week of my proposed five weeks stay. My personal expenditure was full of perplexity because when one hundred Uncle Sam’s dollar was changed to the “LD” as it is called, Liberian Dollar, it literally vanished in an instant and no stranger or visitor who is a free spirit giver can phantom how quickly a hundred dollar disappears before his very eyes.

The executive branch of government is working and doing everything in its power, using the cards that were dealt from a complex deck to it to run the government; however, it is difficult to see the change because the change will never be realized overnight due to the massive 14-year destruction of the country and its people.

This is the time for all the would-be politicians to show themselves to the people and lend their helping hands. There are so many areas of life improving measures that the would-be politicians could engage their time, energy and effort to change the lives of the common people to help the government serve the common folks and build the country.

When I traveled from Monrovia to other parts of the country to see the destruction at first hand and to talk with the common folks who are still traumatized and skeptical of the future for themselves and for their children, what I gathered from my layman’s naivety, is that the life expectancy of the common people right across the board seems to be right around the corner. Due to the highs and lows of the past various conflicts or world wars, as the folks on the ground may call them, the general public is still skeptical and edgy and I am of the opinion that the people believe that the spark to ignite another “world war” is hanging in the air right above the heads of all. Because of the skepticism and the fear, no one really wants to take the next bold step to make any change to their present status quo and therefore live life licentiously.

Part Time Worker ~ Full Time Student

2006-12-01T06:09:00.000-08:00

I remember when I was a student and an employee of the Republic of Liberia in the seventies. I was a full time student at the Holy Cross Mission High School in Bolahun, Lofa County during the school term, and worked for the Liberian government during the vacation period as a vacation student at the Bureau of the Budget. When I graduated from high school and matriculated to the University of Liberia, I continued my work at the Bureau of the Budget as a cadet, (a trainee in a business or profession).

The cadet system was used within the governmental framework, to train students who would be promoted to higher positions or receive appointments as they progress through their training after graduation from the institutions of higher learning. A cadet was considered a part time government employee and a full time student and was paid a stipend that was considered as a financial aide.

High-ranking government officials who want to take up the challenge of higher education should do it on their own time with the continual education program and not on the government time during the normal government working hours. If one attends classes during the government working hours of eight to four, he should be considered a cadet and be paid as a cadet. Government officials who were elected by the people or appointed by the chief executive to serve the people as full time government employees and are also full time students and receiving full time pay for work that they are not employing themselves to on a full time basis should make restitution. I suggest that these high-ranking government personnel return a portion of their salaries and other immunities to the Liberian government since they are in truth full time students and not full time government employees.

I do not frown on higher education nor do I envy anyone who seeks such an education; on the contrary, I encourage higher education, vocational training, apprenticeship programs, craftsmanship program and the like, since any kind of career building skill and personal achievement of all Liberians will build the country from its present state to one that is second to none in the world. This is my dream and vision.

From where I sit, I will suggest that the culprits that are engaged in being students and employees of the State make restitution to the government for the hours that were utilized for their scholastic ventures. I admonish all the would-be politicians who are only seen and heard of during the election process, who are handicapped educationally, to use this down time of the political process to arm themselves educationally along with the knowledge of humanity, good governance, God fearing conscious and the good old fashion common sense.

Take it for What it Worth

2006-11-05T07:14:00.000-08:00

This November 2006 marks one year since the advent of my blog, “The way I see Liberia” (http://babyrich.blogspot.com/). I started this blog because of my concern for the dissatisfied voices and condescending views sprouting from other Liberians, pros and cons, of the status quo during and after the electoral process that ushered in “Ma Ellen” President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as the first female head of state in Africa.

Though my blog’s central theme was a cautious pictorial perspective or “the big picture” of my thoughts from where I sit, far away from the ground about Liberia, I manage to include issues of world affairs that also trigger my worrying and troubling mind as a naïve citizen of the world. I, in no way consider myself as an expert in any of the issues I thread on; however, that fact does not limit my scope of in-depth understanding of any issue under this sun, after all, my thoughts are just my honest opinions.

Certain Liberians have used the Internet to express views of all sorts. Views of perpetual division, hatred, hear says without any substantial facts and the list goes on, great reading material I might add. My views I hope are not intended to trouble anyone, but to raise questions of the uneasiness of human frailty that I hope concerns others. My blog will continue to express my views as I see it from where I sit and it is my hope that the readers of these monthly thoughts will read it and take it for what it worth. That is all.

Are we talking with one voice?

2006-10-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

One voice ~ One thought

It will be prudent if the commander in chief’s lieutenants and the commander in chief spoke with one voice. One voice in the sense that the pronouncements from the chief executive as well as the pronouncements from the lieutenants have the same meaning at the end of the day. The president should not say one thing that has a particular meaning to it and a certain lieutenant or two trusted lieutenants speaking on the same topic with the exact subject matter saying something that have one hundred and eighty degrees spin on it.

The actions of the present authorities will encourage or discourage investors into the investment arena that are greatly needed on the ground, since those sanctions that were levied on the country because of the rogue leaders Liberia had the dubious pleasure of enduring, are not been fully lifted by the international community.

From where I sit, it seems to be laughable to encourage investors into the country, when the investors that are on the ground right now, including some who want to expand their bounty, but are not finding it easy to do so; whereas, others who braved the civil conflict and tarried on the ground are now been pushed against the wall that some have threatened to abandon ship, throw in the towel, leave and never to return.

When students attempt to take the mantle of authority and pose some real unreasonable demands; moreover, when civil servants engage in civil disobedience and demonstrate unlawful behaviors; furthermore, when members of both houses put their dirty laundries out on the street for public viewing, when certain communities fight against expansion of business ventures, when marketers challenge city ordinances and do their own thing, all these scenarios give rise to unrest, fear and uncertainty of the fragile state of affairs. Think on these things.

What Market Economy does Liberia practice?

2006-09-01T05:36:00.000-07:00

I raise this question because of the rice and cement situation mainly, and for the numerous goods and services, Liberians consume but do not produce substantially for local consumption.

The one commodity that shaped the country to what it is today is still been used as a pawn by politicians that have raised questions in all quarters of the populace.

It is my conviction that the government should grant all persons who want to engage in any form of business the license to do so. Why grant only a limited amount of business entities the sole right to import rice and deny others from doing it. Take a look around you. Let us use the mobile phone situation as an example. One company was granted the sole proprietorship to engage in mobile phone services. The cost for the service was exorbitant and the service was substandard. After the service was open to others, the cost was dropped down and the services have improved; moreover, the consumers now have choices of services. That is free market in a layman sense.

Cement: Consumers waited for months to get a fraction of their desired consignment, long lines at cement stations, artificial shortage that sky rocketed the prices and the list goes on. Now I understand the right to import cement has been granted to the business public. No more long lines, no more artificial shortages, no more months of delay and I believe the price is now right for the consumers.

One key word to the consumer in all of this rigmarole is choice. When consumers have the ability to make choices, everyone wins. Choice may equate to price, and the two other words that follow choice will be supply and demand. The below information will enlighten you on the free market economy concept and the philosophy of Adam Smith.

A free market economy is an economy in which the allocation for resources is determined only by their supply and the demand for them. This is mainly a theoretical concept as every country, even capitalist ones, places some restrictions on the ownership and exchange of commodities.

A free market is a market where price is determined by the unregulated interchange of supply and demand. This is in contrast to a controlled market where supply, demand, and price are set directly by government. According to a more philosophical definition, a free market is a market where trades are morally voluntary and therefore free from the interference of force and fraud. The notion of a free market is closely associated with laissez-faire economic philosophy, which advocates approximating this condition in the real world by mostly confining government intervention in economic matters to regulating against force and fraud among market participants. Hence, with government force limited to a defensive role, government itself does not initiate force in the marketplace and the free market is preserved. It also creates a self-sustained government.

A market economy (aka free market economy and free enterprise economy) is an economic system in which the production and distribution of goods and services takes place through the mechanism of free markets guided by a free price system rather than by the state in a planned economy.

A market economy has no central coordinator guiding its operation, yet theoretically self-organization emerges amidst the complex interplay of supply and demand and price regarding a multitude of goods and services. Supporters of a market economy generally hold that individuals pursuing their self-interest through trade has the incidental effect of bringing about a spontaneous order that is effective in supplying the greatest abundance of goods for society and in the most efficient manner.

A market economy is based on supply and demand with little or no government control. A completely free market is an idealized form of a market economy where buyers and sells are allowed to transact freely (i.e. buy/sell/trade) based on a mutual agreement on price without state intervention in the form of taxes, subsidies or regulation.

Characteristics of a Free Market Economy

In a pure free market economy, the three economic questions would be answered by the individual buyers and sellers acting independently in the market place. In order for this system to function, the following principles must be present:

Private Ownership and the Freedom to Buy and Sell. The goods and services must be able to be owned by individuals who are free to buy them or sell them at the best price they can get.

Free Competition. Sellers of goods and services must have the freedom to sell whatever they want for any price. There must be competition between firms in order to keep prices low.

Prices are set by the Forces of Supply and Demand. The prices of goods are set by how much of a given good is available and how much the consumers want to buy it.

Consumer Sovereignty. Consumers must make the decisions about what a society will produce. They make these decisions by buying products. Every time a consumer buys something, he/she is voting with money.

Profit Motive. Businesses will try to make as much money as possible. They will only be able to do this by providing the goods and services that the people in the society want and need. Adam Smith, the famous free market economist, called this "the invisible hand" which guides individual businesses to serve the best interests of society by providing the goods and services demanded by the people.

And we call them "Civilized Nations"

2006-08-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

Cousins that bully one another from time to time with deep rooted hatred and animosity for each other, initiated and sparked a fight, in which only the innocent humanity suffer the blunt butt with the scourge and the spoils of war.

As the ugly scenes dragged on and escalated on both sides of the fence, the world stood still and watched the carnage spilled. The motive of the cousins shall never see the light of day, no never. How did such an incomprehensible carnage dragged on while the cautiousness of the civilized world watched and did not do anything, and we call them civilized nations? The cousins will last forever, that is one living fact. Their motives will linger on until our generation passes through time.

From where I sit, I believe that in order to ease the tension between the cousins in that volatile area, and to experience some civil peace and stability, all prisoners on both sides must be released unconditionally. If prisoner exchange is not initiated unconditionally between the cousins, the true dialogue for lasting peace and civility shall never see the light of day.

50 and Counting

2006-07-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

This month is my birth month and to be exact, the 28th of July is my birthday. I have reached the half of a century mark and I am now on borrowed time. Because of my birth month, I will not bore you with the ills and shame of our African leaders; however, I wish to entertain you with a collection of my poetry. This collection of poems were compiled in a little booklet I wrote and called the Mispah which first edition was copyrighted for publication in 1993. These poems were written between the years 1967 to 1976. After 1976, I composed a number of private poems for personal friends that were never published. Our generation was robbed from genuine authority of trust from April 12, 1980 till August 11, 2003 in Liberia. We have now lost our true usefulness and it is time for us to prepare the ones behind us to take up the mantle of enlightenment, trust, service and good work; moreover, to further do the right thing.

The philosophy of poet I. Richmond W. K. Harding

The string of mankind is a phrase I coined in 1976 after I was expelled from the Holy Cross Mission High School in Bolahun, Lofa County two months before my High School Graduation. I strongly believed that there is an invisible string that connects each individual on the face of this earth with one another. It is my conviction that this string attaches us, all of humanity, steadfastly together through God's divine plan. I consider this idea as my philosophy of life. I call this string, the string of mankind. We are all one big earthly family of the universe, been housed in this world and equally been protected by the Supreme Being. Man, been man, sinful in nature, tries very hard to break away from this string to no avail; all because, the price was paid for (The string of mankind) long long time ago. We are all our brothers' keepers.

The String of Mankind

The serenity of joy holds the genuine togetherness of one another with the connected - String of Mankind. Thus, the peaceful surrounding of smiles, creates the peace of mind. The darken path of the moon, a brother of the tears of the ocean, leads the blind to his place of rest, in the shadowy world of his. The thunderous silence of the ocean's tide, speaks to the cold sun of her lost sister, the night, for stealing its beam, the light. Man, master of the universe, hears the barefooted stars, sing with soundless rough voices, of the connected - String of Mankind.

The Sun

Up on the mountain, there lies the sun, who knows what corner of the earth came it? Shining its brightness on the heads of many, who dares to say it’s no good? For it's the source of our lives.
Up on the mountain, there lies the sun, look east look west, it’s always there. Up on the mountain, it’s there again, no one can tell its destiny, for it's the source of our lives.

Thy Sinner’s Myth

Come swiftly show the lord thy gifts, hail to the king the lord of all; be on your guide pray humbly soul, thou lord knows all, thou lord knows all. Kneel before him all wretched kneel, praise the good lord for all he’s done, shout and be strong for he will hear, all thy good saints, all thy good saints. Oh I have fought this dreadful foe, now I have left It all to him; he is the judge and he will judge, all of us all, all of us all. Lay low my soul, lay down and rest, sleep in thy home thy eternal coach; lead me to him, sweet angel lead, thy sinner's myth, thy sinner's myth.

Wedlock is Not an Easy Game

Gazing along the ocean sand, from the height of the mountain land, seeing a maid - long time no see, who can she be - if not for me? Wedlock is not an easy game; so many men might say the same, for it's the time when two are one, when both shall never be alone. Walking through the church's isle, people look at you with great surprise, for when it's time to make their move, they’ll march with the same old groove. Kneeling before the altar is not the game, for better for worse is neither the same, for richer for poorer does not spell the name for it's the genuine love for both that is the theme.

Imagination (of a sick person)

A concentrated mind sits on the back steps of the ocean, in a peaceful conflict with his surviving foes, to find a solution, to his long thought problem. Audaciously storing humanity, he awaits the approval of mortal's gestures; for when the ebb of life shall call his name, he goes, with the rectitude of fear; for the serenity of his challenge is acceptable!

LOVE

I am an enemy of myself, a poor little giver that give, the greatest gift of all. I am the shelter of myself, but the one who shelters my shelter, Is my God. I was born before my age, and no one knows my mother's name. I wear the same size of shoes, that the stars wear, but the sizes of our feet, are not the same. Wherever I go, I am known by all; even before I enter the place. No one knows my name; yet, I am called, by hundreds of names. "The string of mankind" is polished and kept tightly together by me. Rich and poor, seek me for future companion. Though I am considered cruel by some, I have opened the package of joy, in the hearts on many. For the world in which we live, goes around for my sake. Though I am considered blind, I see even clearer, than the eyes of the sun. I am my neighbor’s keeper, and he who gives me to his neighbor, receives THE GRACE. I am the key to all the doors, but cannot open my own. I am the sister of the moon, and the only child of thou father's son. I know all that know me, and all that know me not. On Christmas, I am the friend of all, but on Thanksgiving Day, I am the turkey’s enemy. Who am I? Who am I? I am love! I am love!!

Listen

Shh.... listen!

Do you hear what I hear? Do you hear nature pass by? Do you hear the stormy wind, whistling through the air? Do you hear the rough tides of the sea, dangling its waters on the sands of time? Do you hear the cry of a newborn baby? Pleading and scrambling, for his dear mother's warm and tender touch? Do you hear the melodious songs, of the early morning birds, through the air, Singing "...the day is dawn?" Do you hear the unending voices of the people, crying for peace, but there is no peace? Do you hear the bitter cry of hungry children, pleading, that they need food? Do you hear the sound of drums, welcoming you to their care and protection? Do you hear the bells of the churches, ringing and warning everyone, to worship, his Supreme Being - God? Do you hear the noise of the people's tramping feet, marching with banners in hands, shouting and singing, "We shall overcome?" Do you hear the sound of horns, warning that there is danger ahead? Do you hear the massive movement of soldiers, marching to the battlefront? Do you hear the sound of cannons, been fired, and killing, God’s creation - mankind? Do you hear yourself breathing, all because of fear? Shh… listen, listen, listen

A Fallen Jo’s Plea

Save a little touch, for me, my Jo. Though love is shaky, and love is stale, reach out your lips, but throw a kiss, and I'll receive with mine. Oh sweet, yet sour, this kiss, I’ve kissed, this love, I’ve longed, can nay atone. Fight on, my boy, I told myself,yes fight, till love, glows blissful again. A leach - your love encroach me, a thrall - the shattering pang, of your love,has clothed me, that I - yes, that I, howl all day, and shed, blithesome tears, of a fallen Jo. That I - yea - that I, ask for naught, but to sup, the nectar, of Aphrodite’s fangs.

The Rain

Spilling my drops of tears on the surface of the earth, washing away our fertile soil, in commune with human behavior, I give myself. A friend and brother of the clouds, an open roof of the living mountains, a guarding enemy of Sahara’s heat, the father, of the earthly water’s children, I give myself. Consider me as a plague and foe, give me not to the devils to consume; because of me survival knocks on your door; not to portray a living skeleton, I give myself. When I fall, I fall, just to prick through the roofs of your dungeons, to dampen the roots of your chapped lips, to show the kind thought of the sun, I give myself. Oh man, oh man, despise me not, for I am the tears of your gods; though I pour day and night on the heads of many, I am a neighbor of your father, I give myself.

Men of Constant Sorrow

Men of constant sorrow, men of constant joy, with loud applauding praises, sing with joyful hearts. Men of constant sorrow, men of constant joy, sing with joyful voices, to the God of Grace. Men of constant sorrow, men of constant joy, sing with horns and trumpets, make a joyful noise. Men of constant sorrow, men of constant joy, sing this day, oh! Sing this day, to God - The Three in One.

My Native Land

A voice, a lonely voice, cries out into the skies, in search of an answer, to his long asked question. My native land, what do I owe you? I want to know, my native land, what I owe you? The unspeakable, and loving mother Africa, speaks through its waters, trees, mountains, valleys, and oracles, saying: You owe me naught my child, for it's I who owe you! The unsatisfied, yet undefeated voice, cries out bitterly than ever before, saying: My native land, there must be something of kilimanjaro's height, that I owe you. The dark, yet bright mother Africa, speaks again through its calm seas and setting sun, saying: My child, you only owe me love, yes, loyalty, yes, the guidance and protection of my beautiful face, dressed with the richest soil, the peaceful rivers, the loving falls, the crystal mountains, and most of all, the protection of your beautiful skin, from the jackals, who have made my feet, a slaughter house. All this, and many more scenes, yet to be seen and heard of, and those unending stories, that were handed down, to you and your brothers, by your fore-fathers, to be told to your children and their children, yes, that's what you owe me. My native land, in spite of your kindness, and your children's kindness, have you had any loss? The unspeakable black face of Africa speaks for the third time, through the blusterous cry, of its rough seas and winds saying: Losses? Losses? Losses? I have had them all. My child, I have had great losses that history herself can neither tell nor deny. Right now, there are losses being incurred at my feet. From my knees down to my toes, are on the verge of amputation, by the surgeons of apartheid, which of course, shall never, no never be! Beware my child, for there is bound to be losses, and even more losses, in the tomorrow yet to come, that generation yet unborn shall taste of. Again, the half - satisfied, yet pain bearing child of Africa, asked the question once more: My native land, what do I owe you? The child, expecting an answer, through the sinking skies, the tattooed thunder, the laughing lightning, the fasting forests, and the mournful rivers, could not hear the voice, of mother Africa’s blessings. His longed asked questions had been answered. Birds in the deep blue skies, echoed the lonely voice's question, till it was heard no more ... my native land, what do I owe you? My native land, what do I owe you?

What a joke!

2006-06-01T02:36:00.000-07:00

With all the preparations, big talk and the enormous sums of money, (total budget of $75 million), surrounding the formation of the special court in Freetown, it has now come to a point where it seems that the special court is just a very big joke.

With all the millions spent to construct the court building, to set up the prosecutorial team and the various works or inner workings in the setting up of the court, there are cries from several individuals on both sides of the isles to abandon the building and transfer the proceedings to a foreign land. I also heard cries from the court officials that more millions of dollars are needed to continue the proceedings.

I have a question for all those who were involved in the genesis of setting up this court, where there serious planning put into the establishment and the life span of this special court in Freetown, Sierra Leone? If so, then proceed with the plan and let the people who seek justice and the accused you have in detention get their day in court.

Another frightful phenomenon of this fiasco is the relationship between the Sierra Leone government, mainly the law officers department and the special court. I do not know for sure whether there are visible signs posted all around the vicinity of the special court which bar the taking of photographs; however, I learnt with disgust that a law-abiding tourist and his Sierra Leonean associates were arrested by the Sierra Leone Government for taking photos within the vicinity of the courthouse.

The case was originally heard at the Freetown Magistrate court No.1A and the magistrate ruled in favour of the defense, noting that since the law under which the accused persons were not operative in the law books of the country, Sierra Leone, he had no alternative but to acquaint and discharge all the accused persons. Many people including senior lawyers thought that was the end of the matter, but to the surprise of the court, the accused persons were rearrested and charged to court under the same charges and this time, the accused persons were dragged to the Freetown magistrate court No.1 and prosecuted by the law officers department.

Is that how justice is carried out in Freetown? The country now arrests law-abiding guests for acts that are not even on the law books as an infringement of the law? I believe the Sierra Leone government does not have any clue as to her roll in disseminating justice with respect to the special court. In one instance, the government of Sierra Leone will outrightly express the view that the special court has her own laws and law enforcing officers; however, under the same breath, the Sierra Leone government disgracefully violates the rights of law-abiding individuals in the name of the special court.

There are individuals who are in positions of trust in the highest echelon within their respective governments in most of the West African States, and in a few other African States and other foreign nations, with direct involvement in the conflict for which the special court was setup. From where I sit and as a result of my naive ignorance, it has appeared that the court was created for only one sole individual. This sole individual was at first, after several years of studying the case of his allegedly involvement, charged with 17 counts of charges that have now been dropped to 11 counts and I am certain that the number will dwindle and be reduced to just a few before the actual start of the case. What a joke!

What are the facts?

On June 12, 2000, the Sierra Leonean President Alhaji Ahmad Tejan Kabbah wrote a letter to the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan asking the international community to try those responsible for crimes committed during the country's violent conflict. President Kabbah said that he believed the crimes were so grave as to be "of concern to all persons in the world." After considering the letter, the UN Security Council adopted Resolution 1315 on August 14, 2000 requesting the UN Secretary General to start negotiations to create a Special Court. On January 16, 2002, an agreement establishing the Court was signed between the Government of Sierra Leone and the United Nations, to try those indicted for war crimes committed during the ten-year civil war. The first staff to work at the Special Court arrived in Freetown in July of 2002.

The Special Court had a three-year mandate that expired in early 2005. The Special Court and the national courts of Sierra Leone have concurrent jurisdiction, but the Special Court’s decisions take precedence over national courts.

Since its founding in 2002, the annual budget has been a relatively low at $20 million per year, compared to $100 million each for the tribunals in Rwandan and the former Yugoslavia. According to Secretary-General Kofi Annan, there will be a budget gap of around $20 million for the Court’s third year.

The Court is to try those who bear greatest responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Sierra Leone after the 30th. of November 1996. The accused were Charles Taylor, Foday Sankoh*, Johnny Paul Koroma*, Sam Bockarie*, Sam Hinga Norman, Moinina Fofana, Allieu Kondewa, Issa Hassan Sesay, Morris Kallon, Augustine Gbao, Alex Tamba Brima, Brima Bazzy Kamara and Santigie Borbor Kanu. * Implies died under strange circumstances.

The accused are charged with war crimes, crimes against humanity, and other violations of international humanitarian law. Specifically, the crimes included murder, rape, extermination, acts of terror, enslavement, looting and burning, sexual slavery, conscription of children into an armed force, forced marriage and attacks on United Nations peacekeepers and humanitarian assistance workers, among others.

Although individually charged, they have been grouped into three separate trials. The Revolutionary United Front (RUF) trial consisting of Kallon, Gbao and Sesay began on July 5, 2004. The Civil Defence Forces (CDF) trial consisting of Norman, Fofana and Kondewa commenced on June 3, 2004. The Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC) trial consisting of Brima, Kamara and Kanu began in March of 2005. Charles Taylor was surrendered to the Special Court on March 29, 2006. All ten individuals have pleaded not guilty and are provided with defense representation paid for by the Registry of the Special Court. I believe Taylor might be tried in a separate trial since he was not part of any of the predetermined groups. The defense teams are comprised of both Sierra Leonean and international lawyers. If the accused were found guilty, they may be sentenced to prison terms and or have their property and possessions taken from them. The Judges cannot impose the death penalty. God bless us all.

The curse of Ken Saro-Wiwa

2006-05-01T06:07:00.000-07:00

On November 10, 1995, the renowned Nigerian playwright and leader of the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP), Kenule Saro-Wiwa and eight of his Ogoni compatriots, known as the Ogoni 9, were convicted and summarily hanged by the Nigerian Government. As leader of MOSOP, Ken attacked the oil companies and the Nigerian government, accusing them of waging an ecological war against their homeland, thereby threatening the survival of the Ogoni people.

In 1990, Ken dedicated himself to the amelioration of the problems of the oil producing regions of the Niger Delta. He launched a non-violent movement for social and ecological justice for his Ogoni homeland known as the Movement for the Survival of the Ogoni People (MOSOP).

Ken was so effective, that by 1993 the oil companies had to pull out of Ogoni. In 1994, Ken became a candidate for election to a Constitutional Conference proposed by the military dictator, the late General Sani Abacha and was assured of election, not just as the voice of Ogoni, but as a voice for all of Nigeria's minorities.

Before the election, Ken was arrested for the murder of four Ogoni chiefs. A mock trial was held which took place over many months and was condemned internationally as fraudulent. After the verdict was handed down, calls from all over the world to spare the lives of the Ogoni 9 were made; however, the Government of Nigeria refused the plea for mercy and hanged the members of the Ogoni 9 on November 10, 1995.

Many groups have emerged from the rich Niger Delta since the hanging of the Ogoni 9. One such group is the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, MEND. MEND has intensified its conflict with the Nigerian government and its largest commercial partner, the oil giant Shell. Government forces have bombarded villages and oilrigs in its attacks on Mend’s ethnic Ijaw rebels.

Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, known simply as Asari, is the Ijaw Youths Council, IYC, leader for another group called the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force. Asari was born as Dokubo Melford Goodhead Jr., but was later converted to Islam and adopted the name Mujahid Dokubo-Asari.

In 2005, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari threats of open warfare against foreign oil companies caused turbulence on the world markets. He was invited to the capital, Abuja, for a meeting with President Olusegun Obasanjo. He operated quite openly and after talking about independence once too often; he was arrested and is presently in custody, awaiting charges of treason.

Mend has demanded the release of Mr. Asari; however, Mend has insisted that their organization is separate from Mr. Asari’s organization. While Mend and the other militant groups claim to be standing up for Delta residents, some locals say they are just oil thieves. The region is home to a huge industry of stealing oil, breaking into the pipelines that criss-cross the remote and inaccessible regions of Nigeria and selling it on the black market. Some of the oil thieves that break into these high pressure pipelines also have between their upper and lower lips lighted rolled objects that they smoke, that sometimes cause sparks and explosions that incinerate everything and everyone in the immediate vicinity.

The group enjoys considerable local support and it is difficult to pinpoint exactly who is a member. But unlike at least one other group, Mend has not specifically called for the Niger Delta to secede from Nigeria. Mend has however threatened to initiate full-scale military operation in Nigeria's main oil-producing region and is behind the kidnappings of oil workers in plain view without any resistance; moreover, the kidnapped workers are freed at will without any arrest of the kidnappers of this shadowy group, about which little is known.

Mend's leaders like to be faceless and they usually send statements to the media via e-mail concerning pending attacks and acknowledgment for questionable attacks. Their threats and attacks on oil installations in the region have caused a 15% cut in Nigeria's oil output and a surge in world oil prices. From where I sit and as I study these episodes, all of these events are a direct curse of Ken Saro-Wiwa on the Nigerian Government. These happenings will continue until a seceding pack is realized. Nigeria, you hanged the wrong man and his curse is upon you with no end in sight.

The jury is out ~ the honeymoon is over

Matthew 12:25, Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, "Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. The term kingdom, city or household in this sense means entity, the people and or the country. Liberia is this household. From where I sit, I have realized that there is a huge lack of cohesiveness and indifference between the branches of government. Do not get me wrong; there should be difference of opinion, difference of the mind and difference of reasoning, but the one supreme goal that should be the order of the day, is to serve the people. What I have observed is that the very people who are to serve are conducting themselves as masters of the manor. For those who are endowed with the pleasure of authority are nothing but servants. You are to serve.

There were cries of abuse of power and the disregard for the rule of law in the past, but I am afraid, the past has come full circle to hunt us and to hunt us with a bang. Why should there be a rift of such magnitude between our leaders? Ignorance, power, greed, hatred, vengeance, what? I hate to speculate and I will not speculate. I just hope that the business of the people be brought forth and disagreements and opinions are sensible and respected and the total regard for the rule of law takes center stage.

If the Madame as a person fails, or any entity of the government, such as, the different branches of the government, the Madame’s cabinet or any component of the government fails, it will be recorded as the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf lead government failed. If that happened, everyone that worked in any capacity and received the Republic of Liberia government check, failed the Liberian people.

One hundred days have come and gone and there will be more hundred days to come; if the people don’t forget there petite jealousy, hatred and indifference for Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as a person, the government of Liberia under President Sirleaf shall surely fail and history will bear forth the culprit.

April ~ A Dreadful Month For Liberia

2006-04-01T02:16:00.000-08:00

The month of April should be a prayerful month for Liberia and for all her citizens wherever they may be. The below incidents were just a few of the human tragedies and carnage that I remember from where I sit, without much thinking, that occurred during the month of April in various years ago. Plane crashes that took the lives of permanent citizens, especially the one on April 28, 1975; the April 14, 1979 Rice Riot; the April 12, 1980 Coup d'état and execution of President William Richard Tolbert; the April 22, 1980 execution of the thirteen government officials; the April 14,1981 execution of five members of the original coup members including the number two man for allegedly staging a putsch; the April 1, 1985 Flanzamaton 50-caliber fiasco who was later executed; the Saturday, April 6,1996 Roosevelt Johnson night mare; and several other dates within the month of April during the war with unprecedented carnage and human suffering that began on Sunday, December 24, 1989 and ended on Monday, August 11, 2003 when Charles Taylor left for exile. It is cautiously interesting that the Taylor saga from his alleged disappearance to his helicopter flight to Freetown occurred at the eleventh hour before the month of April 2006.

Ghana's Draconian Law Against Female Students
With the many strides nations have made and are making to break the disparity of education between the sexes, Ghana still practices the policy to deny pregnant students the right to sit for their basic education and senior secondary school certificate examinations. Recently many female students' rights were violated when they were forced to undergo pregnancy test without their consents. A number of these students, who had just weeks to sit for their school certificate examinations, were kicked out of school because they were found to be pregnant.

This is not one world. It appears that the heads of schools discriminate, harass and traumatize these young ladies, which is a clear violation of their human rights. I urge the leaders of the Ghana Education Service, yea the Republic of Ghana to abolish the policy that denies pregnant students the right to sit for their basic education and senior secondary school certificate examinations; moreover, those who violated the rights of the students be persecuted for their gross violation of several counts of human injustices.

Who Were Responsible?
I believe the now Special Court Prosecutor Desmond de Silva, QC, chief prosecutor and his predecessor David Crane of the war crimes court in Sierra Leone were very much responsible for the fiasco that surrounded the Ellen Johnson Sirleaf's non committal to arrest and take charge of, the Olusegun Obasango non committal to apprehend since no local crime was committed and Mr. Taylor's own will to survive, who took advantage of the mess and allegedly took to his heels with respect to the first law of nature, self preservation, and allegedly absconded in a desperate act of cowardice, an act I never envisioned could have clouded the confused mind of CHARLES GHANKAY MACARTHUR DAPKPANA TAYLOR.

The slave masters, who stood by from afar, airlifted their wards and watched Liberia bleed, still want to impose their colonialism orders down our throats. They now want to take charge and command us as if we are still attached to their leashes. Too little, too late!

The syndrome of the "CO"

2006-03-01T18:18:00.000-08:00

Commanding officer, (Abbr. CO) A military officer in charge of a unit, post, camp, base, or station. The syndrome of the CO as experienced by the non-combating Liberians will forever be imbedded into the psyche of those of us who were on the ground and experienced the war at first hand. The COs paraded and masqueraded throughout the country dressed as clowns, in whatever female garments they got their hands on, did not give justice to the true meaning of commanding officers. I will be very candid and speak of this issue on a personal note; after all, I was on the ground and I experienced the wrath of the COs. The term CO was used very loosely by the young fighters, which dazzled and baffled me whenever commands were issued to me or to other law abiding citizens that were in my immediate surroundings. The CO considered himself a demigod who could spear life or take life at will. His commands were issued, obeyed and carried out on frightened and peaceful citizens by his insignificant troops. One of his commands was as hideous as ordering total strangers, fathers and daughters, mothers and sons, sisters and brothers at gunpoint to copulate with one another in public view. The CO also ordered our mothers and sisters to strip so that he and his filthy followers could probe the insides of their unwilling victims’ private parts with all kinds of objects including the barrel of their guns. Their inhumane and idiomatic commands dehumanized every one of us who lived through it. Now some of those COs are rubbing shoulders with their victims on the streets of Monrovia with impunity. Raping our grandmother, our mothers, our sisters and even the very young babies was the order of the day during the senseless war that engulfed Liberia for all those many years. For this reason, the raping of Liberia’s female stock will continue until seriousness is given to the rape crisis. I am of the opinion that rapist should be castrated.

The Call for Nation Building
About three quarters of the Africans with "Type A" personalities in the Diaspora, are sick and tired of been away from home, contributing to the development of other countries and not to the development of their own countries. Moreover, these highly qualified workaholics possess a strong desire to return home whether called or otherwise. Some of us left Liberia not because of personal choices but because of the circumstances and experiences we endured from the hands of the COs during the war. If the opportunity were given to 75% of the folks that stayed on the ground for the duration of all the wars, including such special attacks as Octopus, the Charles Julu fracas (September 1994), the Roosevelt Johnson fiasco (April 6, 1996), etc., they would have fled from the country like the rest of us. What do the honorable congressmen and congresswomen expected their countrymen to do while in the Diaspora? Run away from the many immigration opportunities and be stateless? We aspired for the skies and if we took on the cloth of citizenship of our host country, so be it. I see it ironical for one to be called to contribute to the nation building, and then is slapped in the face by being denied the opportunity to serve his country and countrymen, only because he strove for the gold while away from home in a foreign land. If the chief Executive finds it befitting for an individual who was born, schooled and have worked in positions of trust during prewar Liberia, who fled the country because of the indiscriminate killings of innocent citizens, and established himself in his new found peaceful land, it is striking to note, that the honorable men and women of congress could exclude a born Liberian the pleasure of serving his country. I wonder how many members of the honorable body read or subscribe to periodicals, magazines or dailies of any kind? Do all the honorable men and women of congress really know what goes on outside the territorial border of Liberia? In this technological global network of the 21st century, it is disheartening to observe that some folks are still struggling within the "box". We as a people should now think and live outside the box because the world is now one big open field.

To Sue or not to Sue
It is high time and very much incumbent of all Liberians to begin to seek and hunt for the facts, the truth and nothing but the truth. Malicious lies and innuendoes are spread by way of gossips, rumors and "they say". The lies are then spread like wide fire and within a short time, one cannot decern the difference between the fact and the fiction. Did we really know the time line of events of the case between the two one-time acquaintances? Do you know exactly when, where and how the open letter first hit the airwaves? Do you really know the date and time when the brief was prepared by the lawyers and forwarded to the concerned court on the ground? Do you know when the defendant touched down on the ground? Do you know when the court served the defendant with the writ of summons while he was on the ground? Think of these things. Know the facts. Search for the truth. Do your personal research and stop relying on "they say". I remember when the now complainant remained silent after the open letter hit the airwaves; many folks out there had considered her silence to mean consent with the defendant’s open letter. Little did we know that the time line had kicked off. Now that the public was aware of the serving of the writ, a cry of bad blood has splattered all over the globe. Learn the facts and know thyself. Now that we know that the case is off the docket for now; however, let us be mindful that the case will be taken back to court in six years, and it will be interesting to note what the critics of today will say in six years time. From where I sit, I believe the key to this mystery was this phrase, on the ground. To sue or not to sue, that was the question, and I say, sue.

2006-02-01T05:29:00.000-08:00

Ma Ellen, Listen to the Woes of Your People

The cries of your people can be heard through the local musicians. The musicians compose and sing the songs that depict the feelings and aspirations of the people. It will do you so much good if you listen to their music and act accordingly to your people cries. I know of many leaders who throw their musicians in prisons only for been the voice of the voiceless and go as far as banning their music from the airwaves.

One of Africa’s most politically outspoken international superstars, the late Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, for a quarter century, was a thorn in the side of Nigeria's successive military rulers. His songs attacked social problems, political corruption and police brutality, and the like. As a result, he was frequently arrested, beaten so badly that for several years he was unable to play his saxophone or keyboards and jailed for extended periods. I hope, pray and trust that such treatment not be lashed out to our upcoming musicians, the likes of Butini and Sundaygar.

Folks, take the bitter with the sweet

Not all pronouncements of our president will be welcomed by the nation, but if and when the president has met with her core group and her lieutenants, the nation should give her the benefit of the doubt and welcome the pronouncement with open arms. It has been observed that the cries and concerns of the people have taken center stage since after the result of the election, when it came to naming names and dollar amount for major projects; will there be an outburst from the people when the cost for the revitalization of the water and the light is announced, along with which contractor or contractors will be responsible for the work? I just hope we can keep the term MASSES sealed in the bottle and do not let it out and spread it around because of disagreement with the executive branch and with the will and pleasure of the chief executive. By the way folks and expert of good governance and constitutionality, do all the appointees of the chief executive need to appear before congress for confirmation? I thought “the will and pleasure” of the chief executive meant something. Hmm, I stand corrected.

Africa is a Basket Case

Please prove me wrong. I really want to be wrong. Let us take a critical look at one of the leaders in Africa who was once seen as the beacon of hope for Africa by the West. He had emerged as a model of modern African leadership and had led the continent in confronting the scourge of HIV/AIDS, launching massive public educational campaigns that cut the death rate in Uganda by 25 percent. The personal physician and friend of this president decided to throw his own hat into the presidential race, a crime for the faint in heart. What was the physician's crime? His only crime was to desire the high seat of his patient through the ballot box. Trumped up charges were leveled against the good doctor, Dr. Warren Kizza Besigye Kifefe, that caused him to flee his beloved country. He realized that staying away could not solve the problem in his country; therefore, he returned home and was arrested, charged with treason and rape, and thrown into prison. This dictatorial guerrilla leader turned president, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, who reminds his people of the ruthless dictator Idi Amin Dada Oumee, has been at the helm of power for twenty years and has since masterminded the changing of the constitution in order for him to stay in power for life. He is the biggest caricature on the African continent. Yoweri Kaguta Museveni became President of the Republic of Uganda on January 29, 1986 after leading a five-year bush war. He went to the bush with 26 other gun totting young men and organized the National Resistance Movement and National Resistance Army (NRM/NRA) to oppose the country's first general elections in 20 years in December 1980, which brought to power Milton Obote of the Uganda People's Congress Party. During the election campaign, in which Museveni himself ran as a candidate, Museveni had warned that if the elections were rigged, he would fight Obote's regime and on February 6, 1981, he launched the guerrilla war.

The Only Hope for Africa

The way I see the state of affairs in Africa from where I sit and for saying my two cents worth; the only hope for Africa, is the homo sapiens of the female stock in the likes of Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Africa needs more female chief executives. Every country possesses qualified female candidates that definitely can duly serve far better than their male counterparts. If more than fifty percent of the African nations were governed by the female stock, Africa would be a better off continent than it is today.

Good Governance versus the status quo

2006-01-01T05:27:00.000-08:00

President Elect, there are detractors, members of the oppositions and folks that just clearly hate your guts for various reasons, all the same, they wish to see you fail and fall flat on your face. I can assure you that there will always be a fifth column amongst your choice of lieutenants. Every word utters from you will be scrutinized, analyzed and torn apart to find hidden signals. Your utterances should be clear and transparent; so that, the common man on the street will understand it directly from your mouth and not from your lieutenants’ mouths, mainly from your information minister trying to put a spin on it. (A black spade is just a black spade. It is not a red club). Take notice of a few of your immediate neighbors as I attempt to expose their modi operandi in this global town hut; moreover, I caution you and your entire administration not to fall short to their follies.

Sierra Leone: Right after the most bloody and senseless war of the century, which inflicted gruesome casualties on Sierra Leoneans; the war that was rained down by disgruntled Sierra Leoneans headed by Foday Sankoh and his Revolutionary United Front (RUF), the president Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, on October 5, 2004 imprisoned an award winner journalist Paul Kamara, founder-editor of the daily For Di People, for "seditious libel." Journalist Paul Kamara had republished an article, which detailed a 1967 Commission of Inquiry into fraud allegations concerning the Sierra Leone Produce Marking Board, with which President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah was then associated. Most recently, the security apparatus in Bo arrested and charged an opposition leader Mr. Charles Margai and his PMDC supporters during a peaceful march on the streets of Bo. It is shocking and disturbing to note, that the very sickening conditions that existed in 1991 that led the brutal and cruel former army corporal Foday Sankoh and his Revolutionary United Front (RUF) to take to the bush, exist today under the watchful eyes of President Ahmad Tejan Kabbah and the Sierra Leonean government. The buck stops with you Mr. President and I know of many hungry mouths that go to bed in your beloved country on empty stomachs.

Cote d’Ivoire: The government has used the media under its control, particularly the state broadcaster Radiodiffusion Television Ivoirienne (RTI), as a powerful tool in the country's ongoing crisis. News blackouts are a practice of the government and the people have resulted to rumormongering as their source for news. The President Laurent Gbagbo has a militia group called The Young Patriots who allegedly destroyed buildings owned by the opposition newspapers Le Patriote and 24 Heures, and opposition party buildings have also been burnt and looted; moreover, local private citizens and foreign nationals have also been targeted. The Ivory Coast saw the separate killings of local reporter Kloueu Gonzreu and a French radio correspondent Jean Helene in 2003. With all of the lessons that Cote d’Ivoire could learn from Sierra Leone and Liberia, Ivory Coast is on a war path and is still a divided country at the beginning of 2006, even with a new prime minister in the person of Mr. Charles Konan Banny, former Governor of the Central Bank of West African States. The newly administration of Liberia must be discouraged to form any kind of a military styled youth group and most definitely must support free press. History reminds us that soon and very soon, such group ends up been a private army for the president.

Gambia: A veteran Gambian journalist Deyda Hydara was subjected to harassment and surveillance by the Gambian intelligence services when unidentified assailants in the capital, Banjul, on December 16, 2004, shot him three times in the head. He could have very well been assassinated by the members of the Gambian intelligence services or by the now-disbanded self-proclaimed supporters of the president. The shooting occurred two days after the Gambian National Assembly passed two draconian pieces of media legislation to suppress press freedom in that already tensed country, where the Gambia's independent press is regarded as enemy of the state. Journalists continue to face intimidation while their residences and the premises of the Independent newspaper are been burnt down if their articles are considered as biased reports against the president.

The former army sergeant coup leader Yahya Jammeh turned President has publicly threatened the lives of journalists and also called them fools. I have no doubt that the president ordered the assignation of Deyda Hydara and also sanctioned the present treatment against the media. The buck stops with you, Your Excellency President Alhaji Dr. Yahya Abdul-Azziz Jemus Junkung Jammeh.

Your Work Is Cut Out For You

Madame President,

I urge you to take a page from the jib-jab site. The jib-jab is a satirical web site of anything and everything. Have fun in being the president. Your greatest asset is your motherhood. Do not be like the buffoons who parade the corridors of their respective state houses and rule the very people they are to serve as subjects on their manors. Where do you begin? I am afraid I do not have any clue for you but let me just throw some of my concerns out there.

Big Government ~ Does Liberia really need all those many government ministries, public corporations, bureaus and agencies along with all the accompany ministers, directors, deputies, assistants and the list goes on.

Salary Arrears ~ Just as your predecessors were dogged for payment of salary arrears that were earned but not paid, you will not be so lucky for the problem not to be brought to your door step. Will you prioritize or will every profession be considered equal come time for disbursement?

Young Unemployed Youths ~ A mass number of young people remain jobless and largely uneducated. There is a dying need for ex-combatants to receive adequate training and be reintegrated into society. I believe one industry that could absorb our young could be agriculture. Let’s go to China and bring the experts and establish massive agricultural communities in all of the counties to produce agricultural produce for local and international consumption. We will definitely feed ourselves and not import our major staple food and almost everything we consume.

Infrastructure ~ I need not say more. I will share with you one of the definitions of the term. The basic facilities, services, and installations needed for the functioning of a community or society, such as transportation and communications systems, water and power lines, and public institutions including schools, post offices, and prisons.

Repatriation ~ Or better still, what is the plight of the IDPs, the internally displaced persons? According to the January 1, 2005 census of the UNHCR, there are 498,600 Liberians in Liberia that are IDPs. Liberia is sandwiched by Azerbaijan, 578,500 and Sri Lanka, 352,400. It is very difficult to ascertain the number of refugees who really want to be repatriated. Regardless of what the UNHCR does for our brothers and sisters in other localities order than Liberia, the nation should have some status and whereabouts of her citizens.

Security (National and Personal) ~ This is the one area that I have considered as a deep black hole for the past administrations, since the former army master sergeant coup leader Samuel K. Doe turned president’s administration, to the present Accra, Ghana peace deal Chairman of the Liberia’s transitional government, Chairman Gyude Bryant’s tenure. It was apparent that security, all aspect of security, took a big chunk of the Liberian budget.

One question I like to throw out there to all peace loving Liberians. Does Liberia need a standing army? The army, as Liberians know it to be, is a sign and sight of repression. Most of us have had intimidating and cruel experiences with army personnel. The overzealous paramilitary forces, by paramilitary forces I mean all other security agencies, carry out their duties or duties of the president with impunity and with the total disregard for all human rights. Some members of theses forces take the law unto themselves and arrest law-abiding citizens without warrants, and trumped-up false accusations on good and peaceful folks, and the like. Moreover, citizens who have been endowed with positions of trust order other citizens to be dragged out of cars and beaten and be thrown into prisons. We know what have happened in the past.

Rumors of coups and accusation of coup plotters are the hallmark of an unstable state. The national police force needs to be paid properly so that bribing will stop and we will all respect and obey the law. The proposed intercessory pray service for the election of the president elect that was scheduled to be held at the SKD Stadium was cancelled because of security reason. A local businessman, William Smith, purchased ten bags of rice for his workers. While he was on his way to his farm, he and four other members of his party were arrested and charged with engaging in dissident activities because he was found with the consignment of rice which was confiscated. Situations similar to the above cases happen a lot of times all in the name of security.

Law Makers First Order of Business ~ We accused the founding fathers, the past presidents, the past dictators, tyrants, thieves and the like for not exhibiting good governance; however, we still have their out dated legislation, their dictatorial decrees and their draconian laws on the books. Laws that siphon free speech, personal liberties, free press, etc. are still clouding the total freedom of Liberians. Those laws need to get out of the Liberian system and no new ones formulated to suit any tyrannical style of government.

Good governance and not the status quo ~ I believe you get my drift after reading some of the concerns of mine. The die is cast and Liberians just crossed the Rubicon. The wool that blinded the eyes of Liberians has been pulled away and Liberians now can see the difference and definitely they know the difference. We are free and we are all equal before the law. Neither the original undisclosed budget nor the latest disclosed budget for the inauguration in my view is adequate. No amount should be considered too big with all the economists on the team. My concern is, if money can be made available now, how come funds were not made available to pay salary arrears, to repair the roads, to supply electricity and water? Monrovia needs a face lift for the ceremony. Foreign guests who are coming have seen Monrovia as a war zone with all the ugliness of a war ravaged country and we need to show our guests such as Mrs. George Bush and Secretary Dr. Condoleezza Rice of USA, that we are a cultured and civilized people; therefore, no amount of money is too much to accomplish that feat. The spinners did not do any justice in the defense of the proposed amount by indicating the need to have children party throughout the country. Well, scrap the children party; if held, it will be chaotic at best. Keep it simple Madame President and govern with your grand motherly instinct.

I am no fan of Charles Taylor

2005-12-01T13:32:00.000-08:00

A deal is a deal: Liberians (50% plus one) cried to the rest of the civilized world and begged that President Charles McArthur Ghankay Taylor be encouraged to take his grand exit and give Liberia her wanting peace. The great leaders of Africa who could leave their individual countries without fear of been overthrown whilst away, in consultation with the United Nations and with the advise and consent of the concerned leaders of the free world, made a deal with Charles Taylor with a seal of approval that he leaves Liberia and accept the asylum granted by Nigeria as a free man, a complete blanket amnesty, that he will not be touched by any man if he abides by the agreement of his asylum.

If President Olusegun Obasanjo or any subsequent government of Nigeria turns Taylor over to the court in Sierra Leone or to any sitting government of Liberia, the leaders of the free world will not have any respect for any African leader, because African leaders will now be considered as unworthy partners to keep a bargain and will never be trusted. In the presence of these leaders, South African President Thabo Mbeki, Ghanaian President John Kufuor, Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano and Togolese Prime Minister Koffi Sama with a host of members of the international community, President Taylor delivered his final speech on August 11, 2003 and left Liberia to take up his asylum. A deal is a deal.

Do not strangle Liberia in a chokehold: The indictment was announced and a warrant for Taylor’s arrest was issued on June 4, 2003 while Taylor was in Ghana for peace talks. The court's chief prosecutor, David Crane carefully timed the announcement of Taylor’s indictment and organizers of the peace talks, criticized Mr. Crane’s timing. Diplomats suggest that the need for peace talks on Liberia has been judged more important than the need for Charles Taylor to stand trial. Why do you think Taylor was not arrested in Ghana? The president of Ghana, Mr. John Kufuor knew that had Taylor been arrested while he was there as a guest of Ghana, Ghana could have invited chaos right at her door step.

There were 101 opportunities to have Taylor arrested, before and after he was granted asylum, prior to the election of a new government in Liberia. For all those who are calling on the new government for the extradition or the like of Charles Taylor, do not have Liberia at heart and do not want lasting peace for Liberia. I do not believe that turning Taylor over to an elected government in Liberia, if requested, was part of the deal brokered between Taylor and the rest of the negotiators. The Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo might have made that statement to appease those who called for Taylor's head.

There are cries from all corners of the globe, including some from parties that were part and parcel of the deal, with the hope to give Liberia a little chance for peace, that are now calling for Taylor's head. It is my believe that those in the international community crying for Taylor's head do not really want to see lasting peace in Liberia nor do they envision the far reaching implications their threats to withhold aids if Taylor was not brought to book at this time.

Let a referendum be organized by the newly elected government so Liberians can decide whether Charles Taylor should be extradited from Nigeria to Liberia to answer lingering questions. I will bet that Liberians (50% plus one) do not care one way or the other what ever happens to Charles Taylor and do not share the sentiments of the International community. We are a peculiar people who will extend a helping hand to our executors. International community, please do not strangle Liberia in a chokehold.

I am no fan of Charles Taylor: The UN-backed Special Court for Sierra Leone indicted The Liberian President Charles Ghankey Taylor on 17 charges of crimes against humanity for his role in Sierra Leone’s conflict. The indictment charges Taylor with “bearing the greatest responsibility for war crimes, crimes against humanity and serious violations of international humanitarian law within the territory of Sierra Leone since 30 November 1996.”

What about Liberia? Were there crimes committed that we Liberians can charge Charles Taylor with? Were there crimes committed that the international community can charge Charles Taylor with? How about all of the other war lords Liberia had encountered while Liberians lived and died under their territorial control? Will Liberia bring them all including Charles Taylor to book? Every warlord is responsible for carnage and destruction. What are we going to do as a nation? Will we all agree to the old cliché, that I believe we Liberians practice inwardly, let bygone be bygone? I call on all good Liberians to stand up and be counted and call for an assembly of all Liberians to discuss our past, present and path to the future; not for us alone, but for our children and for all those yet unborn. I am no fan of Charles Taylor.

Election: The dirty work is over and the real work begins

2005-11-25T03:20:00.000-08:00

There are still many folks on the ground and many still in the diaspora crying foul after the just ended November 8, 2005 run-off election held in Liberia that ushered in the first elected female president in Africa. The winner was not an incumbent nor did she have any hand in the formation of the election commission. Why are those who are crying foul are blaming the winner who has won an election that has been characterized as free, fair and transparent, the two Effs and one T that we all cried for. I urge all Liberians to rally around the winner since the dirty work is over and the real work begins.

This is the first of many food for thought that I will share from where I sit and will call it as I see it.