Written by Abraham Hoff Chief Community Organizer of LEAD Liberia
AN OPEN LETTER TO CIIr. CHARLES BRUMSKINE
DEAR CIIr. BRUMSKINE
The statement made by you and/or Liberty Party’s staff via (frontpageafrica.com) on October 13, 2010, is absurd and should be retracted immediately because it’s not an example of good Leadership, especially one who represents a political party in Liberia. You said, “The President’s office asked Cllr. Brumksine to renovate schools, build roads and provide safe drinking water for Liberians or point to one major construction project he has completed for the Liberian people. It is obvious that if the Sirleaf administration was not so corrupt, and the tax dollars were used for the benefit of the people of Liberia, the government would not have to be asking a private citizen to undertake public projects for which the people have already paid for through their tax dollars Of course, any good government would know that it is not the responsibility of oppositions or non-ruling parties to construct roads, bridges and renovate public school buildings. The Liberian people and businesses are not paying taxes to Liberty Party or Cllr. Charles Brumskine. Cllr. Brumskine doesn’t control the budgets of Ministries of Public works and Education. Stop the stealing in government, reduce government expenditure—for example, stop buying US$75,000.00 SUV’s for government ministers and the government would have money to provide for the average Liberian.”
Cllr. Charles Brumskine, please be informed that private citizens should help their government undertake public projects. In addition, it’s not wrong for the government to call upon its citizens to help the most vulnerable in the communities. What makes a safer, stronger and prouder nation is when all its good men and women come together to work for a common cause. Building homes for the homeless; empowering the powerless; providing quality education and healthcare for our children, including the youth and our seniors. Today, my questions to you (Cllr. Charles Brumksine) are:
Do you love Liberia?
If the answer above is no, than your statement above is right therefore it should not be retracted but if the answer is yes, than the above statement should be retracted because it does not represent the love you have for your country and the masses—neither does it represent the ideology of Liberty Party in Liberia. This is not good leadership, especially not from a person who wants to LEAD LIBERIA.
Do you want to help your people?
If the answer above is no, than your statement above is right therefore it should not be retracted but if the answer is yes, than the above statement should be retracted immediately because it does not represent the love you have for your country and the masses—neither does it represent the ideology of Liberty Party in Liberia. This is not good leadership, especially not from a person who wants to LEAD LIBERIA.
Just because the Liberian people are not paying taxes to Liberty Party or Cllr. Charles Brumskine, does not mean that the Liberty Party and/or Cllr. Charles Brumskine cannot help the country and/or the people they claimed to be fighting for. It is absurd that you claimed to love Liberia and the masses but you are not willing to make sacrifices for the people because you say the government is responsible for that. It is understandable that the government is responsible for building schools and health facilities, including providing the basic necessities of life. However, if the government is not responsible enough to do these things—Cllr. Brumskine, Are you trying to tell the Liberian people that if their government does not provide food, water, education, etc. you (Cllr. Brumskine) will not help to alleviate the poverty ordinary people are faced with day-to-day? If this is the leadership you are bringing to the table, I am sorry to say that Liberia needs a leadership that is different from yours. Liberia needs a leadership that says even when the government refuses to do the (RIGHT THING). A LEADERSHIP THAT SAYS (I WILL DO THE RIGHT THING) which is to help my people and uplift the land, just as many Liberians are during today.
The young and old are joining hands together in Liberia and around the world with the mission of educating, empowering; building schools, providing clean drinking water; free healthcare, technology and women empowerment programs but Liberian’s Presidential Candidate Cllr. Charles Brumskine says, “The people are not pay taxes to him and his party” therefore he cannot help to renovate schools, build roads and provide safe drinking water for Liberians across Liberia. OH! But you claimed to love Liberia and the masses. Cllr. Brumskine, for the record I want you to know that this is not a good example for the many young people across the world who are laboring day and night to contribute to their beloved country. Cllr. Brumskine, for the record I want you to know that this is not a good example for a ordinary Liberian like me who puts 10% of his monthly income aside just to provide free technology program for the young people in Liberia. Cllr. Brumskine, for the record I want you to know that this is not a good example for a ordinary Liberian like me who started LEAD Liberia, a non-partisan political organization with the aim of engaging, educating and empowering the Liberian people. Cllr. Brumskine, for the record I want you to know that this is not a good example for a ordinary Liberian like me who started United Liberian Way, with the aim of providing technology classes to high school and university students. Cllr. Charles Brumskine, Liberia needs a leadership that is different from yours.
Thank you and May God bless the Republic of Liberia.
LEAD Organizing For Liberia
Abraham Hoff, Chief Community Organizer
leadliberia@yahoo.com
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