Monrovia – Liberia’s motivational speaker Rev. J. Luther Tarpeh has declared his intention to get involved in the nation’s body politics. He made that known when he declared his membership for the opposition Unity Party where he stated that he will no longer “sit on the fence.”
Making the declaration of membership Tuesday, December 17, at the headquarters of the Unity Party in Congo Town, he told leaders and supporters of the UP that he was joining to buttress efforts of the UP to reason together and to work with other party members to find lasting solutions that bring dignity to the lives of Liberians.
Tarpeh known for his motivational speaking ability said his going to the UP is not to dislodge anyone but to join like-minded Liberians to work together to ensure Liberia shines in Africa. He also told the leaders that he’s also bringing into the Unity Party his compassionate heart for the underprivileged. He believes his move to join the UP should remind everyone that Liberians are tired with job-seeking politicians whose aim is to get jobs and not to serve the interest of the people.
“As an educator, I bring my transformative ability to dispel the utter darkness of ignorance, which is greatest enemy of national development. Mr. Standard Bearer and Chairman, our people must be taught to love their country above all else. Our people must be taught to be self-reliant and they must come to the realization that political choice matters.
Tarpeh also believes that if UP partisans work together they can deliver and lift Liberia out of the “quagmire of shame and despair”. He is of the opinion that the past UP-led administration built the foundation for the new Liberia after the civil war where people were paid on time and steady progress was being made.
“Unity Party has a record of accomplishment of transforming a totally failed state into a functional and progressive country. Today we are faced with colossal economic tantrum and yet there is no end in view and worse of all we are not hearing from the President the way forward.
“We must rise above cheap politics of empty talks that lead to no serious action. Our people have waited too long and our people have suffered too long. It is time to look for competent and serious-minded people who love this country, men and women of integrity to rise up and begin to take bold steps to show better way of doing politics.”
Receiving Rev. Tarpeh, UP Standard Bearer, former Vice President Joseph Boakai, welcomed the motivational speaker, and described the move as an honest one especially at a time when the party is not in leadership. He frowned on people who join political parties because of political accommodation.
VP Boakai expressed disappointment in people who use political parties to win election at the level of the legislature and abandon those parties and join ruling parties for political accommodation and favor. “If you want to be cat be a cat; if you want to be dog be a dog,” Boakai said.