Thursday, November 18, 2010

PYJ: ‘Administrative Leave’ Decision Contravenes Sirleaf’s Harvard Education

EDUCATED PRESIDENT: "Our President is educated, not somebody who doesn’t know much. She is a Master’s Degree holder from Harvard University, one of the most prestigious universities. She ought to know that ministers don’t go on administrative leave”.
Prince Y. Johnson, Political Leader, National Union for Democratic Progress

Source: FrontPage Africa
Monrovia - Senator Prince Y. Johnson (Nimba County), waiting to be one of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf’s political rivals during the country’s presidential election slated in less than a year’s time, has condemned the President’s recent decision that sent her entire cabinet on ‘administrative leave’ which he insinuates is in sharp contravention of her academic credentials.

President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf

“Our President is educated, not somebody who doesn’t know much. She is a Master’s Degree holder from Harvard University, one of the most prestigious universities. She ought to know that ministers don’t go on administrative leave”, the former warlord declared as his admirers and supporters applauded him.

Johnson who briefed his supporters when he paid his first visit to his former Caldwell base Thursday in 18 years said Sirleaf was on the wrong side of dismissing her cabinet two weeks ago.

“I strongly believe that sending that sending the ministers on leave was completely wrong”, Johnson said, raising the contention that the ministers are not civil servants.

On the eve of her departure for her annual medical check-up in the United States, a presidential directive issued during an emergency cabinet meeting November 3, 2010 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs resulted into the President’s action that called for her entire cabinet to take a compulsory and surprising leave, an action that remains to be debated.

The Nimba County Senior Senator said best practice demands that she should have either fired or kept them than to send “them on blanket leave”.

Though the President, since her return over the weekend, began restructuring her cabinet Wednesday by reappointing some of them to their previous posts, her decision also came under strong criticism of one of her ‘on leave ministers’.

Describing it as painful situation that befell him and his colleagues, ‘On leave’ Labor Minister Taiwan Gongloe in a lengthy criticism of the President’s decision which has become the latest debated issue in the country said the sending of all the cabinet ministers on compulsory administrative leaf at the time that there is a general perception that there is a high level of corruption in government created more room for the public to view all affected ministers as corrupt officials. “This for me is painful” he added.

Turning to her many international commendations, Johnson said, “They parade themselves around the world as the best leader with international acclamation but when you are not popular at home, even if you are abroad, it is useless.

The President’s decision has left a divided public which has one portion saying it is part of her presidential discretionary power while another portion describes it as too much humiliating for them.

While designated deputies have been authorized to act in the affected ministers’ stead, Sirleaf during the November 3rd meeting urged those who will remain on the team in the next phase of her Administration to be strong.

Sirleaf had told the Ministers that the reason for demanding their mass administrative leave was based on her administration’s crucial stage as it enters a critical stretch that would afford her the opportunity to start with a fresh slate going forward.

News Headline

Inside Liberia with Bernard Gbayee Goah

Everyone is a genius

Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. – A Einstein

Drawing the line in Liberia

Crimes sponsored, committed, or masterminded by handful of individuals cannot be blamed upon an entire nationality. In this case, Liberians! The need for post-war justice is a step toward lasting peace, stability and prosperity for Liberia. Liberia needs a war crimes tribunal or some credible legal forum that is capable of dealing with atrocities perpetrated against defenseless men, women and children during the country's brutal war. Without justice, peace shall remain elusive and investment in Liberia will not produce the intended results. - Bernard Gbayee Goah



Men with unhealthy characters should not champion any noble cause

They pretend to advocate the cause of the people when their deeds in the dark mirror nothing else but EVIL!!
When evil and corrupt men try to champion a cause that is so noble … such cause, how noble it may be, becomes meaningless in the eyes of the people - Bernard Gbayee Goah.

If Liberia must move forward ...

If Liberia must move forward in order to claim its place as a civilized nation amongst world community of nations, come 2017 elections, Liberians must critically review the events of the past with honesty and objectivity. They must make a new commitment to seek lasting solutions. The track records of those who are presenting themselves as candidates for the position of "President of the Republic of Liberia" must be well examined. Liberians must be fair to themselves because results from the 2011 elections will determine the future of Liberia’s unborn generations to come - Bernard Gbayee Goah

Liberia's greatest problem!

While it is true that an individual may be held responsible for corruption and mismanagement of funds in government, the lack of proper system to work with may as well impede the process of ethical, managerial, and financial accountability - Bernard Gbayee Goah

What do I think should be done?

The situation in Liberia is Compound Complex and cannot be fixed unless the entire system of government is reinvented.
Liberia needs a workable but uncompromising system that will make the country an asylum free from abuse, and other forms of corruption.
Any attempt to institute the system mentioned above in the absence of rule of law is meaningless, and more detrimental to Liberia as a whole - Bernard Gbayee Goah

Liberia's Natural Resources
Besides land water and few other resources, most of Liberia’s dependable natural resources are not infinite, they are finite and therefore can be depleted.
Liberia’s gold, diamond, and other natural resources will not always be an available source of revenue generation for its people and its government. The need to invent a system in government that focuses on an alternative income generation method cannot be over emphasized at this point - Bernard Gbayee Goah

Liberia needs a proper system
If Liberians refuse to erect a proper system in place that promotes the minimization of corruption and mismanagement of public funds by government institutions, and individuals, there will come a time when the value of the entire country will be seen as a large valueless land suited on the west coast of Africa with some polluted bodies of waters and nothing else. To have no system in place in any country is to have no respect for rule of law. To have no respect for rule of law is to believe in lawlessness. And where there is lawlessness, there is always corruption - Bernard Gbayee Goah

Solving problems in the absence of war talks

As political instability continues to increase in Africa, it has become abundantly clear that military intervention as a primary remedy to peace is not a durable solution. Such intervention only increases insecurity and massive economic hardship. An existing example which could be a valuable lesson for Liberia is Great Britain, and the US war on terror for the purpose of global security. The use of arms whether in peace keeping, occupation, or invasion as a primary means of solving problem has yield only little results. Military intervention by any country as the only solution to problem solving will result into massive military spending, economic hardship, more fear, and animosity as well as increase insecurity. The alternative is learning how to solve problems in the absence of war talks. The objective of such alternative must be to provide real sustainable human security which cannot be achieved through military arm intervention, or aggression. In order to achieve results that will make the peaceful coexistence of all mankind possible, there must be a common ground for the stories of all sides to be heard. I believe there are always three sides to every story: Their side of the story, Our side of the story, and The truth – Bernard Gbayee Goah

DISCLAIMER

Statements and opinions expressed in articles, reviews and other materials herein are those of the authors. While every care has been taken in the compilation of information on this website/blog, and every attempt made to present up-to-date and accurate information, I cannot guarantee that inaccuracies will not occur. Inside Liberia with Bernard Gbayee Goah will not be held responsible for any claim, loss, damage or inconvenience caused as a result of any information within these pages or any information accessed through this website/blog. The content of any organizations websites which you link to from this website/blog are entirely out of the control of Inside Liberia With Bernard Gbayee Goah, and you proceed at your own risk. These links are provided purely for your convenience. They do not imply Inside Liberia With Bernard Gbayee Goah's endorsement of or association with any products, services, content, information or materials offered by or accessible to you at said organizations site.