In efforts directed at promoting themselves, many persons have become liars rather than Truth tellers. These persons are engaged in lying rather than Truthtelling. These persons are so money-driven to the point that they would be willing to sell their mothers for some money. This Commentary is written to help liars to know that lying is bad but Truth telling is good. Therefore, this Commentary is useful for motivating people in working to solve societal problems through Truthtelling.
By Togba-Nah Tipoteh, Contributing Writer
Let us recall a recent Liberian experience about truth telling versus lying. When there was the invasion of Liberia by Liberians in La Cote d’Ivoire, the government of Liberia (GOL) sent some Liberians to find out if there were any such invasion. The investigators returned with lies to the GOL saying that there was no invasion. But the Truth is that there was an invasion that led to a Civil War, taking the lives of over 300,000 people.
The Civil War began in Liberia on December 24, 1989 and ended in October of 2003 with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement CPA) that became a part of Liberian Law. If the investigators had not lied, there would have been the prevention of the Civil War. But the investigators lied and the Civil War took place. The National Patriotic Front of Liberia (NPFL), led by Charles Taylor, brought the invasion. Later, divisive tactics based on ethnicity led to the formation of the Independent National Patriotic Front of Liberia (INPFL), led by Prince Yormie Johnson (PYJ). The Civil War ended with the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in Accra, Ghana. Then there was the provisional government headed by Mr. Gyude Bryant and, subsequently, other provisional governments. The CPA became part of the Liberian Law.
The CPA provided for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) with no court sentencing upon admission of guilt and seeking forgiveness, as based on the the TRC model of South Africa under the leadership of Arch Bishop Desmond Tutu. There are some Liberians who do not want the setting up of the War and Economic Crimes Court, as provided for in the TRC. In effect, these Liberians do not want Justice to prevail. They prefer to have the existing rule of outlaw to prevail, with all of its attendant injustices. It is impossible to have Peace without Justice. So, in effect, the persons who do not want the War and Economic Crimes Court to be set up do not want Justice. Yet some of these law breakers have become law makers under the prevailing rule of outlaw.
The prevailing rule of outlaw has provided opportunities for the people who love Liberia to use their knowledge to raise awareness through the Rule of Law in ways that motivate the people to take non-violent actions to transform the prevailing unfair electoral system to the enduring fair electoral system. It is only through this transformation that persons with good records can get elected to bring in he system of justice, the indispensable ingredient for Peace and Progress in Liberia and in any other country.