The long-awaited turning over ceremony of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP) chairmanship from Liberty Party political leader and Grand Bassa County Senator Nyonblee Karnga Lawrence, to Unity Party Standard Bearer and former Vice President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, saw the new CPP chairman tearing the Weah government apart over bad governance and mismanagement of the country’s resources, while the leadership allegedly reposed in idleness as the country goes down the drain.
“It is often said: ‘Don’t give boys men’s job to do’. Leave an entertainer to entertain for ‘while Rome burns the Boy King entertains his guests with a musical harp’. While Liberia burns, the Boy King encourages the building of statutes and monuments in his name while he is alive. Demands that his followers worship him. Exudes an unrealistic lifestyle while poverty consumes our people in the “dirtiest city in Africa”. Malnutrition rages while he plays music and dances to musical cheers. Liberia burns and people die but he entertains his guests at lavish undertakings while illiteracy and drugs maim our children. He builds lavish and luxury homes in one year while his entire party takes the lifetime of his regime to finish a vocational training center on its party premises. A change betrayed!” Ambassador Boakai raved when he delivered his acceptance speech at the Unity Party Headquarters on Friday, October 15, 2021.
Giving the backdrop of his observation, former VP Boakai noted that Liberia is confronted by some of the most vexing issues of the post war years, as poor governance, and failed leadership; marginalization of the majority of Liberians, inequity, and institutional failure have caused low public trust in the government and its institutions. Much of the progress made in the recent past, he noted, including the execution of a reformed agenda, has eroded.
“The economy is not healthy and not performing for the people as it should be. Productivity is at an all-time low and cost of living high; with price of food and other basic commodities going up, causing most Liberians to fall into poverty. Majority of our people, especially the youth, are unemployed, exposed to drugs, make no income, and live in poor and unacceptable conditions. Poor fiscal decisions including consistent off-budget spending on non-productive and vanity projects are causing strain and decline in significant areas such as education and health. As much as the country is endowed with natural resources, its citizens including many in communities hosting concessions are hardly benefiting, causing unwarranted tensions, and hanging on the precipice of communal conflicts and insecurity,” Ambassador Boakai stressed.
The security situation, Ambassador Boakai stated, is dire and rapidly deteriorating, and that many of the country’s citizens and residents live in constant fear, particularly, as a result of the unresolved spate of violence and killings in the past two years.
“This has unravelled the state of the current security apparatus, revealing the bare threads of a security sector largely aimed at protecting only public officials and leaving millions of citizens and residents to their own devices. All these problems are undergirded by public corruption, the scale of which is yet to be confronted by the government in ways that hold public officials to account.
“We must liberate our people from the bondage of failed leadership: A winning soccer icon whose Presidency sees our pitch banned by FIFA and our team as an underdog. The one success that brought you to prominence has become a national failure under your leadership. Missing persons, missing parts, armed robbery, and general insecurity is now the Liberian Character. This must change and we must concentrate on a vision that will take Liberians from this bondage to new heights of progress,” Ambassador Boikai noted.
Promise of a New Day
Given the appalling situation that the new CPP chairman outlined, Ambassador Boakai promised that the CPP will be different from those who vowed to bring about change.
“We, in the CPP, understand the plight of the people of Liberia whether they are in Monrovia, Saclepea, Tuzon, Sasstown and every village and hamlet in this country. We, the CPP, understand the pains of our mothers who work in sweltering heat on the farm or in the market, and yet barely make it while some public officials steal the national coffers. We understand the frustration of students who toil in school and cannot find a job upon graduation.
“The CPP understands the disappointment of the father who works hard all day but can barely get enough to buy a bag of rice to feed his family. The CPP also understands the fading hope of Yana boys, “auction girls” and the many street traders struggling to make ends meet.
“The people of Liberia deserve a new and better deal; one that is people-centred and aimed to improve the livelihoods of millions of Liberians including our children, our youth and our women. Our people deserve nothing less! This is why the Unity Party was founded, and this is why also the constituent parties (comprising the Alternative National Congress, All Liberian Party, the Liberty Party and the Unity Party) have come together to effect a positive change.
“In broad strokes, the alternatives we offer as Collaborating Parties are deeply rooted in the ideals of economic equity, social justice and freedom so that everyone is able to explore his or her potential for better livelihoods. We vow to promote and protect the ideals of political inclusiveness, and constitutional changes that address the limiting strains on our democracy including personalization of the presidency, the dictatorial nature of the governing system, the erosion of the separation of powers within our three branches of government as enshrined in our Constitution, and over decentralization. We will also ensure that public office is not an end in itself, but a means to serve the people of Liberia. As former American President, Franklin Roosevelt, asserted, we must abandon, and I quote “… the false belief that public office and high political position are to be valued only by standards of pride of place and personal profit…” Ambassador Boakai stressed, noting that a new day for the CPP has dawned!
“We must put our differences behind us and forge ahead by bringing our strengths – and frankly our weaknesses, too – together in the true spirit of the framework to fulfill the aspiration and hope of the Liberian people. We must hold together and build alliances with the different layers of our society in transforming our country for the good of the people and the sub-region. We present ourselves as the alternative to a dispensation that is in free fall.
In this direction, I also offer myself as an interlocutor in addressing unresolved issues and other problems, and, here now, admonish my colleagues Alex, Benoni and Nyonblee to see the bigger picture – the People of Liberia; and exhaust our internal processes of conflict resolution in absolute respect for each other. The CPP will hold itself to the strict adherence to its rules.
“Without any defense and justification, I accept full responsibility for all the tethering issues of today. My eloquent silence in the face of these internal wrangling and exchanges strengthens my courage to know that mere defending our individual positions without a deep sense of collectivity only makes us weaker. Where others see breakdowns, we see an opportunity to build and become stronger, where others see despair, we offer hope and in the face of what appears to be division, we will work with our colleagues to unite.
“I urge my colleagues and all of our supporters to let it be. We will over the next few days organize, engage, discuss all issues internally and develop a blueprint going forward for our victory in 2023. The irreversible momentum of the Liberian People garnered on December 8, 2020 mandated us to stay together, develop a vision that will offer new hope, fresh ideas and freedom from unchecked corruption, induced divisions, unrepentant looting and pillage of our national coffers. We know too well that the excitement and enthusiasm of our people has stimulated a renewed sense of enthusiasm in all of us, and sometimes the temptation becomes so evident that the healthy exchange of ideas, disagreements can lead to apathy, discouragement and despair, but we come today to reassure all Liberians that this is over. The ruling establishment trembles at the roar of the Liberian People for an alternative.
“To our supporters across the country and the Diaspora, we ask you to exercise restraint in your engagement with each other. Name calling, invectives, demonization, insults and falsehoods must stop and be replaced by constructive conversations in a competitive spirit to agree or disagree. We must speak truth to each other and hold ourselves responsible for our actions in open, accountable and transparent ways.
“To the millions of supporters in Liberia and the Diaspora, we salute and thank you for the amazing support and solidarity in 2019, when we consolidated our Alliance as the CPP. We urge you to continue to believe and be hopeful, knowing that with the CPP, your aspiration will not go in vain. We, therefore, ask you to fold your sleeves, lace up your boots and begin the hard work across the country now, because together we can transform Liberia and the future for our children and children’s children. FORWARD, EVER! BACKWARD NEVER!! CPP All the way!!!!” Ambassador Boakai averred.
| ReplyReply allForward |
