Written by Bernard Gbayee Goah
Phone: 971 533-4650
We have prayed, as well as advocated for change for so long. We have worked and continue to work towards a changed Liberia, a better Liberia, better laws, better president, better legislators, and better infrastructures;
We want a law-abiding government that rewards its citizens based on merits; We want to eradicate corruption, impunity, and nepotism;
We want change and we want it now!
However, it is imperative that we also understand there will be a price to pay for any change, be it a good change, or a bad change.
In order for Liberia to climb out of the pit of poverty, illiteracy, lawlessness and corruption up onto the pinnacle of confidence, prosperity, and respect for the rule of law, bitter pills will have to be swallowed. We must be prepared to accept the fact that some people will have to be held accountable.
Holding people accountable for what took place in Liberia over the years will involve much pain indeed; simply because change by nature is painful especially if it involves holding our relatives, and friends accountable.
We want change but we generally do not want to bear the ruckus that come with it. Fear steps in when we hear of the unfamiliar. But we should take courage and do that which is right.
We must take courage in making Liberia a better place for its unborn generation to come. We want good change and a better one too, and we will get it only if we accept the pains that come with it.
My Fellow Liberians, over 250,000 innocent people were killed in Liberia by lawless individuals. Some of these individuals who orchestrated these horrible acts and the carnage may be members of "our own tribes", as well as other tribes other than ours. Some of them may be "our brothers, sisters, friends, uncles, and even our fathers and mothers".
Some of those who committed crimes against humanity in Liberia are holding top positions in the current Liberian government and they may even be those "we" look up to for economic benefits.
We should not expect change to happen when we are unwilling to embrace the ruckus that comes with it.
We should not expect a better Liberia if we are afraid of the unfamiliar. We must swallow the bitter pills that come with justice and accountability if we truly want Liberia to be a better country.
A peaceful Liberia demands accountability, justice, and reconciliation.
Those bearing the greatest responsibility for atrocities in Liberia must be held accountable. They must not be allowed to walk free! This is necessary in order to begin genuine reconciliation.
Liberia needs a war crimes court that is capable of investigating crimes committed during the course of its civil war. This will serve as a deterrent to those who believe in the use of firearms to obtain state power.
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
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
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