Filed in by Olando Testimony Zeongar – 0776819983/0880-361116/life2short4some@yahoo.com
Monrovia – On the observance of National Unification Day this year, several Liberians have expressed disgust over what they term entrenched division and deep-seated hatred for one another, with some indicating that this has rendered the celebration of Unification Day insignificant.
Each year, May 14 is observed as national holiday, which is in consonance with a 1960 Act of the Legislature declaring the day National Unification Day, in the spirit of promoting conditions of peace and unity throughout the length and breadth of the country.
In a special interview, PUNCH online service gauges the views of several Liberians who separately spoke of heightened hate permeating various sectors of the society, with Junior Darquee, a Liberian Disk Jockey saying Liberians are against each other, indicating that hatred is even rife in government and is allegedly being perpetrated by officials of government.
Darquee believes Liberians need to be reconciled, recommending that officials of government take the lead in reconciling the divided country.
He noted that if lawmakers and other officials are united at one front aimed at fostering peace and unity, they will serve as good examples for the rest of the citizens to reconcile and unite.
The Vice Chairman of the Drivers Union at ELWA Junction in Paynesville City, Boakai Weagbah, for his part, was blunt when he said Liberians are not united but divided upon several lines.
He pointed out that the country is particularly divided upon what he called political line, stating, “we see a lot of divisiveness coming from the political setting, and the country is taking a downtrend.”
Boakai averred that following the 2017 elections, Liberia has been engulfed by bitterness.
“We are not united – right after elections, we are experiencing bitterness; you see that when people even call on talk shows, you can feel bitterness in the minds of the people. We are not unified,” Boakai insisted.
He said since the day has been legislated and enacted into law, Liberians are only constrained by law to observe it, but was quick to point out that the relevance of National Unification Day is not really being felt due to hatred and division among and between Liberians.
He recommended that national leaders take the lead in bringing about genuine unity in the country.
“Our leaders have to put their feet on the ground for them to be able to unify us, because where we are now as Liberians, if we are not careful we may slip,” he said.
He accused officials of government of taking onto the airwave on national radio to make utterances that are loaded with bitterness, stating, “people who are supposed to be preaching peace at the highest level are the ones preaching divisiveness.
Recently, President George Weah indefinitely suspended his deputy information minister Eugene Fahngon over what the American embassy near Monrovia termed disturbing tribal tones of the suspended government official, Senator Prince Y. Johnson, who is a former warlord and Representative Yekeh Kolubah, also a former rebel general.
According to an Executive Mansion statement at the time, President Weah said his government remains committed to a “one country, one people” policy with zero tolerance on political divisiveness or tribalism, warning government officials and Liberians to refrain from dividing Liberians along what he calls ethnic lines.
But Boakai infers that the president’s action against Fahngon is not enough, recommending that the Weah-led government organizes a national peace confab, which he says will chart the course of uniting all Liberians, many of whom he said are bitter due to the hardship being experienced under the Weah administration.
For her part, a businesswoman at the ELWA General Market, Bettie K. Moore, said Liberians are divided because they lack patriotism, stating “Liberians are divided because we don’t love Liberia.”
Laying blame squarely at the feet of national leaders for the lack of patriotism, she said many leaders who ask for the votes of the citizens ascend to state power and renege on their obligations to the people, while they seek what is of personal interest to them.
She called on national leaders to show love for country, by seeking the interest of the country and the people who put them in power.
She said there is no need to celebrate National Unification Day, stating, “we are not united, so what’s the need of us celebrating this holiday.”
“When you are united before you celebrate [Unification Day], but you are not united – so other people will be crying, then you going on celebrating, what are you celebrating? She asked.
Another businesswoman identified as mother Taywah Ketter, like other Liberians is of the belief that Liberians are not united and the country is divided.
She observes that Liberians are not speaking with one voice, saying, “we are not united. If we are united, then we will have one voice to see how best we can build our country.”
She wants the leadership of the country to proffer a way forward out of the disunity quagmire the country is currently faced with.
“We are not understanding ourselves at all; when you go look, the money (US dollars) rate goes high up, when you go look the goods prices go high up,” said Mother Taywah, who added that a 25kg bag of rice is now being bought by business people for LRD2,500 and a cup of rice is now sold between LRD50 to LRD70, situations she said are negatively impacting peace and unity in the country.
Another Liberian, Aaron D. Sackie blamed the bitterness and division amongst Liberians on government’s inability to put in place mechanisms that will curtain the present state of hardship Liberians are experiencing.
“If the government puts in place things for the citizens to be united, live in good atmosphere be satisfied and live good lives, then when Unification Day comes they will be happy and will embrace the celebration,” he said.
He said it is the responsibility of government to ensure unification takes root across the country, indicating that so far, the Weah administration is failing in unifying the country.
He said government needs to exert more effort aimed at unifying the country holistically, because the onus is on the governors to lead the way for the citizens to follow.
