The Editor,
I tried my best to stay out of mainstream socio-economic and political discourse in Liberia for some time, but my innate passion for the forward march of my country Liberia, wouldn’t let me stay dormant. As Africa’s oldest Republic, Liberia hasn’t made significant strides in the aspects of governance, respect for its rule of law, and reconciliation. This is a sad reality that we all must confront, and one has to be a foolhardy to propound that these societal ills are the sole doings of the current political regime.
Our politics and economy never became this toxic overnight. We’ve elected and continue to elect unprincipled and unscrupulous men and women to lead us. All what we’ve got from them are misery, abject poverty, hatred for one another and wretchedness. It’s now time that we awaken the consciousness of our people to let them know they have choices, they have the ability to alter the current narrative; they have the final say as to how they want their resources managed and to whom they are entrusted to. The masses have to understand that they are the final arbiters of their fate.
Let me go straight to the point. As we approach the Montserrado senatorial bi-election and midterm elections, I want to remind my fellow compatriots that these are some of the moments we take advantage of to elect men and women who are indeed honorable. We must examine each and every one of them vying for any of the upcoming elected positions. One must look beyond the many promises that will be made by some of these candidates, but instead look at their backgrounds and the impactful works and initiatives they’ve done for us. If a candidate is not honorable, he/she will not become honorable even when elected to the senate or any other position.
Of all the candidates aspiring for the senate seats in various counties, my attention is drawn to shaykh Mohammed Ayoub Dukuly. He is vying for the Montserrado County’s senate seat in the coming senatorial bi-election and midterm elections. I did interact with him and we had some fruitful discussions. He is a genuine and pragmatic individual; he embodies the succinct personification of a true patriot, a humanitarian and a statesman. Based on these qualities, his comportment and eagerness to transform his people, it will suffice that we refer to him as one of the honorable men amongst us.
Honorable Mohammed Ayoub Dukuly is not a stranger to the body politics of our nation. He was born and raised unto the union of Mr. Ayoub and Mrs. Makula Dukuly in Logan Town. Honorable Dukuly attended the St. Edward Catholic School in Logan Town where he got his primary education. He later enrolled at the Cathedral Catholic High School where he graduated in 1999 with Division “A”- the highest honor in WAEC. Honorable Mohammed Ayoub Dukuly received a full scholarship to study at Morehouse College in Atlanta Georgia, one of the most prestigious HBCU- Historically Black Colleges and Universities in the U.S. There, he obtained his BBA. While at Morehouse College, Honorable Dukuly gained notoriety amongst his peers and faculties for his stellar and superior academic performance. He later matriculated at the Mason School of Business at the College of Williams and Mary; he graduated with MAcc- Master of Accounting. His academic accolades are numerous; he was a J.J. Robert scholar in Liberia, National Dean’s List, Phi Beta Kappa Academic Honor Society; an Adams scholar, Oprah Winfrey scholar, all in the USA and many more. Honorable Dukuly is a seasoned accountant and a recipient of the Distinguished Collegian Award from the National Association of Black Accountant in the USA- NABA. If I decide to enumerate his academic achievements, there will not be enough space to discuss other issues.
If one examines the leadership ability and experience of Honorable Mohammed Ayoub Dukuly, we will come to term with the fact that he is a natural born leader. Honorable Dukuly served as the president of Felmausa Felmausa- Federation of Liberian Mandingo Association in the USA, which is the largest Liberian Mandingo Association in America. Honorable Dukuly diligently served this noble institution with honor and commitment. His administration was one of the most prosperous eras in FELMAUSA’s existence.
This senate candidate was also the president of the International Student Association at his alma mater, Morehouse College (2000-2004). Honorable Dukuly is the CEO and founder of the Islamic Society of Liberia for the Advancement of Mankind- ISLAM Inc. He tours various schools and communities in and around Liberia to educate the masses about their civic duties, responsibilities and rights. He’s building bridges between Muslims and people of other faiths in Liberia. His educative and informative lessons and sermons at various mosques and intellectual centers in Liberia are quite enlightening. He is a unifier and a strong advocate of social justice and peace in Liberia. What an exemplary citizen!
Honorable Mohammed Ayoub Dukuly’s professional experience spans over a decade. As a seasoned accountant, he recently served a Director, Large Tax Audit with the Department of Revenue at the Ministry of Finance, R/L. Prior to that, he served as Senior Financial Analyst at the Centre for Development and Population Activities- CEDPA, in Washington DC, USA. He was also an Auditor with PWC- Price Waterhouse Cooper in the USA, a global network of firms providing assurance, tax, and consulting services for businesses. He worked with Morgan Stanley Investment Bank as a Real Estate Investment Banker. His wealth of experience is something to envy.
Honorable Mohammed Ayoub Dukuly is a humanitarian, a role model, an activist; a mentor, a motivational speaker and a scholar. He’s involved with community development and empowerment activities around the country. He helps renovate homes of the needy in Liberia, provides micro-finance for small businesses and feeding programs for the less fortunates. He donated to Ebola affected communities in Montserrado County. These initiatives of Honorable Dukuly are born out of his love for his people. A hallmark of a selfless leader, and a people person. He has undertaken these projects as a private citizen, imagine what he will do as your senator.
Honorable Mohammed Ayoub Dukuly is a senate candidate who has integrity, higher moral compass, and a very humble servant. He is reliable and trustworthy. He epitomizes the kind of people that we need in our political arena if we are to succeed as a nation. He seeks to bring the credibility that seems lacking in our current political dispensation. We must rally behind this illustrious son of ours if we want to bring some sanity to the senate.
We’ve been inundated and overwhelmed with so many ills in these political realities of ours, and the senate as one of the major institutions tasked with fixing these ills, will need a robust crusader for positive change like Honorable Mohammed Ayoub Dukuly. He is tested and and ready to serve the people of Montserrado County as their next senator come the Montserrado senatorial bi-election and midterm elections.
I will conclude by bringing in Kin Hubbard’s famous quote that says- “ we would all like to vote for the best man but he is never a candidate”. Fellow compatriots, I think we do have the best man now, and he is a candidate. He is Honorable Mohammed Ayoub Dukuly. Vote Mohammed Ayoub Dukuly as your senator for Montserrado County, Republic of Liberia. God bless us all, thank you.
Siddiq Konneh