Thursday, December 23, 2010

Inside Liberia: Sanitation Now!!!

Written by A O Dualu

I can’t believe that the authority is just beginning to notice that the stench/garbage/piles of feces around Monrovia are “overpowering”, (Re: Daily Observer Article: Stench Overpowers Mary Broh, 11/25/2010).
This is nothing new, people. The inhabitants of Monrovia have long been overpowered by garbage and the lack of toilets for the last several years; in most cases, nothing has been done to address the issue.

I have done everything one citizen can do to remedy some of this problem to no avail. From speaking to or writing the Vice President of the Republic of Liberia, Hon. Joseph Boikai, Presidential Adviser Edward McCline, Min. Amara Konneh, Min. Olubanke-King Akerele, Min Lawrence Bropleh, Director Richard Tolbert, The Director at Liberian Water and Sewer Corporation, Liberian Health Ministry, City Mayors Madams Mary Broh (Madam Broh made an honest effort to introduce my toilets to the city) and Ophelia Hoff-Saytumah,The Grand Bassa County Caucus, Rivercess County Caucus, Bomi County Caucus, Sinoe County Caucus to going on the radio 2-3 times a week to get my message across. There is not a single person who was in Liberia from 2008, or had a radio could say they never heard about or saw these facilities. Moreover, I will even go as far as saying that the President of the Republic of Liberia, Madam Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, is aware of my facilities because she personally used them during the women’s colloquium at the SKD Sports complex and the launching of her NGO in Cape Mount County!

Furthermore, I went as far as trying to get our legislators to introduce a bill that requires builders to include toilets (sounds pretty common sense, but it’s not in Liberia. Over 60% of homes in Monrovia do not have a working toilet, outside or inside! The numbers are even higher for businesses, including restaurants) in their blue prints. They told me I knew plenty book. Read Dualu Group, Inc.: A Possible Solution to Liberia’s Sanitation Problems- http://www.liberianforum.com/Articles/Dualu-Group-Inc-A-Possible-Solution-to-Liberias-Sanitation-Woes.html

Over the last two years I have worked diligently, made 8 trips to Liberia, invested over US$150,000 of my own money, yet nobody seems to care about this pressing issue. What would it take? A headline that reads, “Poor Sanitation kills Thousands in Liberia”?

I hope this is not the case. My facilities remain on the ground in Liberia. I am ready to work with anybody who is eagerly ready to make an honest effort in addressing our sanitation problems. Remember, poor sanitation kills more Liberian children than HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combine! Increased investment in this area could substantially improve our under-five mortality rate which currently stands at 235 for every 1000 birth, the fifth highest in the world, according to the latest UNICEF report. The time is now. Our kids’ lives depend on it!!

A O Dualu
Tel: 774-526-7611/06847828

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

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