Thomas Yaya Nimely - War Was Revenge For Kinsmen's Death
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201006290348.html
Seven years after the devastating war that forced former NPFL leader and President Charles Taylor into exile in 2003, his former enemies are coming out providing reasons what propelled them into pugnacity. Thomas Yaya Nimely, who led the defunct Movement of Democracy in Liberia (MODEL), one of the notorious armed factions that went against Taylor and his government and blamed for wanton human rights violations said the war was all about revenge for the thousands of his kinsmen gunned down, among them former President Samuel Kanyon Doe.
Nimely, a member of the Krahn ethnic group told dozens of students of the same ethnic group at one of local universities in town that they took arm against the former president not necessarily to free the Liberian people as they claimed, rather to revenge the death of thousands of sons and daughter of Grand Gedeh.
Most shockingly, the former MODEL strongman who served as Foreign Minister in the Gyude Bryant-led transitional government told the gathering that among other things, he was instrumental in ordering the killing of innocent Liberians to revenge the loss of lives of his kinsmen murdered and enslaved by former Taylor.
His latest revelation must not have been so shocking to the unsuspecting students who listened to their redeemer made those rather indicting statements, instead they might have been awash in the sea of double-crossing on the part of Nimely who failed to tell the Liberian nation the essence of what he did when he appeared before the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) last year, observers said.
Mr. Nimely told the nation nothing when he was provided the opportunity to say what he knew about the war, what he as a leader did to stop the wanton killings allegedly carried out by his fighters. Above all, he denied that his forces did not commit atrocities and that he did not order the killing of civilians.
He told group of students from his county that the war brought against the Taylor-led government was purely revenge against Taylor for leading a revolution that led to dethronement and subsequent death of former President Doe, who the people of Grand Gedeh, after 19 years of his demise, still regard as their myrtle.
Though many innocent lives were lost in the process of trying to bring about change of regime, he said the occasion was only alterative the krahn people could have used to return to the Executive Mansion.
Speaking on the main Campus of the AME University last Saturday, the former Foreign Affairs Minister furthered that the krahn people were enslaved and marginalized for a protracted period by exiled President Taylor.
He told the students that attaining justice is very expensive as it caused the lives of the very people who, at times, are desperate for it, and added: '"Our revolution should not seen other way, but a total comeback and good sign of nationalistic spirit of my people in defense of Grand Gedeh County."
Historicizing how he and other sons and daughters originated the idea to form a rebellious force against the then government of Mr. Taylor, he said the idea was berthed in September of 1998 when during a conference in the United States he decided to raise money to remove Taylor.
Following that historic pronouncement, he said he later came to Sierra Leone, Guinea and lastly Ivory Coast to begin the recruitment process, adding "interestingly many Liberians, especially people of Grand Gedeh County welcomed the idea."
According to the former MODEL leader, for what he and others have done to initiate a struggle against a dictator like Charles Taylor who caused the death of thousands of Liberians, especially citizens of Grand Gedeh, history stands to remember "us for the role we played in changing things for the better."
At the same, after igniting and inspiring the students with his wartime history, Mr. Nimely went to the core of the reason of the occasion by declaring that he would be a candidate for the post of Senator in the pending 2011 general and presidential elections.
He called on the people of Grand Gedeh to now elect people who according to him have good records and people who have put their lives on the line in defense of the county.
In the wisdom of Mr. Nimely, such people, as strategic they are to the county and citizens, should and need to be awarded with elected post so that they can continue protecting the interest of the Krahn people.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
News Headline
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.
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.
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
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
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