Filed in by Olando Testimony Zeongar
As I sit before my aged computer, but a one still with an appreciably legible and workable keypad to scribble this piece of literature, one of the first things that flash across my mind is the euphoria that greeted Liberia’s political process about a year ago – It was in 2017, and the Motherland, in adherence to its organic law, the Constitution, was poised to go for elections–in anticipation of a smooth democratic transition that had to wait for over three scores and ten before it became a reality. Of course, Liberians from all strata of the society played their part, and it’s no gainsaying that politically, the nation was indeed charged for the entire period leading up to the October 10, 2017, controversial elections, and even the days that followed, witnessing the presidential runoff election that brought former footballer turned politician George Oppong Weah to power, as Liberia’s 24th president.
All said and done, here and abroad, of all the little over four million Liberians, who might have played key roles during the electioneering process, four men, in my mind, did remarkably well, as far as exercising exceptional gallantry and commitment, while at the same time selflessly and meaningfully contributing to the cause they genuinely believed in are concerned – The men, who I consider ‘My heroes’, are Messrs. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Moncio Robert Wilmot Kpadeh, Attorney Neto Zarzar Lighe, Sr. and Wilmot Paye.
No doubt, these men, during the 2017 political race for our country’s presidency, were patriotically matchless in their relentless determination aimed at giving the Motherland the quality leadership that it so deserve.
For these, and other reasons, Messrs. Boakai, Kpadeh, Lighe, and Paye, on December 30, 2017, I wrote you a letter, and therein, I informed the whole world that due to your outstanding show of patriotism and loyalty during the 2017 controversial presidential contest, you are ‘my heroes’.
Gentlemen, in spite of all the odds, during the 2017 electoral process, your efforts were fixated on the fight to wrestle Liberia from the clutch of evil aimed at enthroning a leader, who would not just want the nation’s highest seat for the glamour and benefits that go along with it, but a one who is appropriately qualified and prepared to serve his people, who for decades, have been robbed of a leader with integrity and humility ingrained in his DNA.
‘My heroes’, if my memory has not failed me, as I consciously believe it has not done, then I can recall that in that same communication to you, that I carbon copied the world via social media, I commended you for your hard work and dedication to our country, but also pleaded with you that in spite of all the wickedness you had to endure just to see the Motherland rise again, that you are not deterred by the forces of evil, but that you would keep up your patriotic fight until our nation gets the quality of leader it deserves in its Executive Mansion.
But ‘my heroes’, since then, it’s almost six months when a new administration ascended the helm of our country’s leadership, and even with the mantra of “change” it so noisily trumpeted and rode on to ascend to state power, it is yet to present Liberians with a single agenda as to how our country will leave this abysmal state of abject poverty, continuous national leadership flops, pursuing of self-interest in officialdom above national interest, greed, corruption and sheer thievery in government cycle – And in all of these, ‘my heroes’, what saddens me the most is that you seem to be doing or saying nothing or perhaps, you are not doing so clearly or too loud enough for me and the millions of other Liberians that look up to you to see or hear.
Did I say the new administration has not presented us with an agenda? Oops! But then the other day I saw the president and some of his officials at a low-cost restaurant having lunch, and they said it was a part of their agenda for the country – They call it “Pro-poor,” but the last time I checked though, the actual meaning of pro-poor, as far as national governance is concerned, is so diametrically far away from just showing up at an eatery, whether it’s pooch or low-key. So what do you say about this, ‘my heroes’? Are they right or wrong?
Where are ‘my heroes’? ‘My heroes’, since the new administration promised us that Liberians would not be spectators in their own economy, they ‘faked’ us into believing that they had reduced the price of our staple that we cannot even grow in proportion to feeding the nation – They even announced at one point that some US$2 and US$4 respectively was reduced from the price of the commodity, but to date, we are paying very close to LRD2,000 for a 25kg bag of rice – And more appallingly, the country’s recent draft budget, made a mockery of agriculture, when what was allotted therein for the sector is just a little more than what was given to the president’s wife in the same budget; for what they say is for the purpose of the first Lady’s humanitarian outreach, when across the length and breadth of this country, there are tons of orphanages catering for the needs of Liberian children, either independently, through donors’ support or the Government of Liberia subsidy. The resources placed at the disposal of the president’s wife, in my mind, were instead to have been made available to the orphanages that may eventually be the same beneficiaries of the proposed chunk of US Dollars allocated for the First Lady’s “humanitarian outreach.”
Where are ‘my heroes’? The US rate has so astronomically skyrocketed, that just a single United States Dollar is valued for a whopping 141 Liberian Dollars – Prices of petroleum products have jumped so high, and of course, so has transport fare increased so exorbitantly – As a result of these, compounded by the unexplainably high unemployment rate, ordinary Liberians are living in hell on earth, while our president, since he took over is busy constructing or reconstructing fabulous structures in three different locations – Even the closest official of government to the president, his minister of state, just within three months of being on the job, is reportedly finalizing plans to buy an elegant home valued at US$200k, when so many Liberians cannot afford even a substantial, satisfying, and balanced meal a day, with poverty visibly written on their faces – Where are ‘my heroes’?
Oh! Where are my heroes? Tyron Browne, a young Liberian journalist was murdered in cold blood just the other day, and I’m told some individuals suspected of having a hand in his killing have reportedly been released on bill, while the prime suspect was taken to court with his hands swinging freely just as if he was taking a stroll on a holiday – It is to my knowledge that the family of journalist Browne and the families of several other persons who have somewhat senselessly lost their lives within this short period under the watch of the new leadership are crying for justice, which seems to be far from being served them – Even just the other day, the fallen journalist’s family, at a press conference clearly and loudly said they are disappointed in the manner in which the case surrounding the death of their son is being handled by the police and the new government – Where are ‘my heroes’?
Where are ‘my heroes’? ‘My heroes’, do you know that our government under the new administration is incomplete? Yes, it’s incomplete. Noticeably, two senators are left out, because we elected them as president and vice president respectively. Since then, the new leadership has failed to abide by the Constitution by holding by-elections for their replacements. But ‘my heroes’, have you heard, the new administration has said there is no money for such elections and that it is not a part of their top priorities? As the supreme law of the land is being bastardized and governance takes a nosedive beneath the waters of tyro national leadership amid turning blind eyes to matters of constitutional relevance, where are you ‘my heroes’?
Where are you ‘my heroes’? I’m told our president is yet to step foot in the United States, the world’s greatest democracy, the masters of global statecraft and champions, as far as wielding significant influence in the area of African countries and their leaderships succeeding in the practice of democracy on the Continent is concerned. History has taught me that there is no African leadership, or at least, there is absolutely no Liberian leadership that has not made the US its friend that has ever passed beyond seeing the break of day – former president Charles Taylor and his followers can bear me witness on that – and even the onetime powerful Charles Taylor would later admit in an interview after he was ousted from power, that his greatest regret is not to have had the US as his friend. Where are you ‘my heroes’?
Where are ‘my heroes’? I learnt the other day, that against experts’ advice, the new administration has gone about to put Liberia in a debt of US$536 million through a loan process that exclaimed economists term questionable – Details of the loan acquisition between the new Government and a privately-run Singapore-based investment company I’m told, is still vague, although Liberians are being made to understand that the money from the loan deal would be used to construct a coastal highway from Buchanan to Harper – Where are ‘my heroes’?
Oh! ‘My heroes’, the Redemption Hospital, one of Liberia’s longest-serving and largest free public referral health facilities is under serious threat from sea erosion and is at the brink of operational collapse due to the scarcity of funds to keep it functional. Yet, it is now clear that an initial US$2.2 million will be used to construct a military hospital. But ‘my heroes’, the million-dollar question is, why prefer a military facility and not existing facilities? Our country’s military population is approximately below two thousand five hundred, what I would call a relatively small population, as compared to the number of people Redemption Hospital provides service for – Where are ‘my heroes’?
‘My heroes’, do you know that in the first budget prepared by the new administration, wage payment alone is put at over US$3000 million? Ooo yes, ‘my heroes’, they met it at US$297 million and increased it by a difference of US$6 million. But ‘my heroes’, here is the problem with such unrealistic increment of government’s wage bill in the face of a very harsh economic reality; we as a nation and people, under this new leadership, if such budget is passed, are bound to witness imminent government paralysis, with few government parastatals being fully supported and functional while a good number of others will face severe under-funding and suffer operational restraints if not constraints. Especially the ones whose institutional budgets were either sliced or reduced and in order cases, some that were never at all given any consideration for allocation in the budget – ‘My heroes’, I’m baffled, how come, I thought our president announced salary cuts in his administration the other day? So how come that the consequences of such pronouncement are not visible on budget lines? How come the wage bills of other government institutions have been cut, while many others have been increased? For example, at the Ministry of Finance and Development Planning, personnel payment or compensation if you may, is set to increase inordinately – Where are ‘my heroes’?
‘My heroes,’ have you heard, some officials of government are insulting and even in some instances, are threatening to beat up citizens, who dare talk about the lapses and excesses of the new administration. And that instead of being in their offices doing the Liberian people’s work, they are busy on social media or are holding press conferences angrily rebutting every critique from the public, while they are miserably falling short of providing solutions to the plethora of problems that beset us as a country – Where are you ‘my heroes.?
Where are you ‘my heroes’? Liberia is tensed; poverty is scorching; hopelessness and joblessness are looming; hardship is taking an ever-increasing toll on the masses; frustration is rampaging and the solution is what all Liberians now yearn for – Where are you ‘my heroes’?
