Written by Bernard Gbayee Goah
President Operation We Care for Liberia
Operation We Care for Liberia agrees with President Sirleaf’s recent statement in which she acknowledged the persistence of scars of division amongst Liberians in spite of the National Unification Policy proclaimed by late President Tubman over 4 decades ago. The President said there exists “WILL” to erase these divisions.
We disagree with the timing of the President’s acknowledgement
While we agree with the President on the existence of “WILL”, we disagree that “WILL” alone is not enough. The President must initiate “WAYS or SOLUTIONS” if such divisions are to be erased. We warn that such “WAYS” cannot be introduced and implemented by those who divided the Liberian people for decades especially those who financed and or initiated the war that killed over 250,000 Liberians. We question the President’s sincerity with concern to her support of erasing division based on the timing of her vocalized support. This should have been a theme throughout her presidency, but instead has only been mentioned 5 years after she was elected and only months before the 2011 presidential elections. We call for sincerity and action not politically driven agendas.
Congo Liberians/Indigenous Liberians sentiment
Liberia has yet to be reconciled eight years following the formal cessation of hostilities in August 2003. Five out of the eight years, Congo Liberians/indigenous sentiment which subsided over the years has now resurfaced while President Sirleaf runs the affairs of the country. Allegations of indigenous land being taken away by Congo Liberians have dominated the national news in recent time.
We believe a strong and united Liberia would mean respect for the rights of every Liberian and the rule of law, equality before the law and equal opportunities for all to excel regardless of individual status in society.
Peace and Reconciliation
To us, a strong and united Liberia would mean peace and reconciliation but not in the absence of justice because while open hostilities have ended, the conflicts that gave way to them still exist today. The first step towards addressing the root causes of incessant conflicts in Liberia and laying the foundation for genuine reconciliation is maintaining a stable Liberia founded on justice and equality for all. It is unacceptable for crimes sponsored, committed, or masterminded by a handful of individuals to be conferred upon an entire nationality. In this case, Liberians!
The need for post-war justice
Creating post-war justice is a step toward to lasting peace, stability and prosperity for Liberia. Liberia needs a war crimes tribunal or some credible court system that is capable of dealing with atrocities perpetrated against defenseless men, women and children during the country's brutal war. Once justice is established, then reconciliation which is not an overnight process can begin. Without justice, peace and reconciliation shall remain elusive and investment in Liberia will not produce the intended results.
The need for peace and post-war justice were things President Sirleaf should have done to begin to erase the divisions. Bringing it out at the last moment in order to boost votes has the potential to increase divisions.
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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