ON THURSDAY, JULY 26, 2018, the very brilliant Finance and Development Planning Minister Samuel D. Tweah delivered Liberia’s 171st Independence Day Oration. Mr. Tweah’s delivery was arguably one of the best deliveries that the nation has had in the last decade, especially in this defining moment of our nation’s history of a new political administration, which is being led by President George Manneh Weah. This first oration in this six-year term of President Weah, was packaged with a lot of serious political ingredients by this very brilliant orator in person of the Finance and Development Planning Minister.
IN SPITE OF HIS BRILLIANCE in delivering his 171st Independence Day Oration, he unfortunately, however, missed out on one very essential ingredient— RECONCILIATION. He failed to mention it anywhere in his almost one-hour long speech, which he delivered at the official program of the Independence Day held at the Centennial Memorial Pavilion on Ashmun Street. Was it deliberate or oversight?
WE DON’T THINK IT WAS an oversight. It was deliberate! The discussions on reconciliation can’t be overemphasized. It’s and has always been a trending issue that should always be embedded in every national discourse like the one delivered on July 26.
WHY SHOULD IT ALWAYS be a point to always talk about whenever Liberians of all walks of life are gathered in one place for some national function?
SIMPLE: BECAUSE WE HAVE never been reconciled. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s regime of 12 unbroken years didn’t do much to bring Liberians together in truth reconciliation. Madam Sirleaf was indeed the right person who should have made reconciliation possible given her role in most of what tore this nation apart for the last four decades. Everything she did was whitewashed and nothing was genuine.
WHY IS THIS EVEN MORE important, Mr. Tweah especially after the 2017 Presidential and Representatives Elections, which brought the Coalition for Democratic Change-led government to power?
MR. ORATOR, YOU READ, saw, heard and probably used some of those words that divided Liberians during the heat of the campaign period in the first round of the elections.
MR. MINISTER, YOU KNOW that the issue of the country-congau divide, which has dogged this nation for many decades now, became a trending topic throughout those three months of campaigning.
THIS TOPIC, WHICH doesn’t seem to be fading away anytime soon, few days before the Independence Day celebration became a hot discussion again on the social media page of a famous Liberian.
IN ONE LADY’S RESPONSE to an earlier comment that had been posted apparently calling for the wiping out of “congau people,” she tried to define the term in what she thinks it is now in Liberia. She was very cynical in her definition of what the word could mean in today’s Liberia.
“BY THE WAY, ABOUT 99 percent of Congau people alive today are mixed with non-Congau blood. Intermarriages and interrelations took care of that long time since. Being Americo-Liberian is firstly, descent by blood. Not only is Congau a bloodline, heritage and natural lineage, it involves other definitions. Congau is an upbringing. Congau is training and nurturing of a mentality. Congau is a mindset. Congau is culture, class, decency, disciplined cultured behavior and temperament, nuances, diction and phrases, a system. Congau is a kind of style and class, classiness not seen much everywhere in today’s Liberia. Congau is flair; a you got it or you ain’t got it personality. When Congau enters a room you know it, you hear it, and I dare say you can even smell and feel it. Congau is many things, a myriad of attributes. Congau is a way of life. Congau is a unique expression and carrying of oneself; posture, statement, ambience. Congau is relative to environment. Congau is comprehensive. Congau is a beautiful awesome way of life! Congau is a presence. Congau is present and we are here to stay. In Liberia, if we so choose, or anyplace else we so desire. Black America honors their slave ancestry. Liberian Congau are doing so and will continue likewise. Congau will remain present in Liberia. Congau will not die out or be wiped off the face of the Republic of Liberia. It is impossible to erase all elements of an establishment.”
FURTHER READING of the remaining of Ms. Hortense Grimes’ ‘sermon’ Mr. Tweah, one can clearly see that the divide is ever visible and that it will take a very sincere government, truly committed to bringing its divided citizens together to do more in this drive.
MR. ORATOR, YOU PRAISED the President for doing a lot. The President, on whose shoulders now this nation must truly be reconciled, has arguably a good resumé toward national reconciliation. His predecessor failed miserably in national reconciliation. Former President Sirleaf admitted to her failure in truly reconciling Liberians in her last Annual Address to the Nation. We think with your previous backgrounds as UN Peace Ambassador and Peace Ambassador for Liberia, you can bring everyone under the palava hut to talk, do and live reconciliation. This is especially needed after the 2017 Presidential and Representatives Elections, including the runoff, which were eight months ago. At some points, Mr. President and Minister Tweah, the elections became so acrimonious between and among different political parties supporters. Don’t be surprised; some people still carry that bitterness in their hearts. The divide is visible on facebook and it can be heard in the voices of the everyday radio talk-shows callers. But we think, Mr. President you can lead the way for true national reconciliation.
THERE IS TOO MUCH CONFLICT in the air; its transformation depends on peace and reconciliation. Reconciliation is quite important for lasting peace in Liberia, which witnessed one of the worst civil wars in mankind’s history.
MR. PRESIDENT, THIS process must begin with a round table discussion in providing a space for those disenchanted over past issues. Even though the whole country is disenchanted over many issues, there are few families and people, who are probably hurt the most. The national reconciliation drive can begin with those categories of people.
IT IS GOING TO BE A VERY long road toward achieving this total national reconciliation as there are still challenges including the passage of appropriate legislations to address the root causes of Liberia’s civil war. Liberians need to work together to address these challenges.
MR. PRESIDENT, MINISTER Tweah and all other stakeholders, be warned that you won’t sit behind your desks and expect to achieve true NATIONAL RECONCILIATION.
THERE ARE STRAIGHTFORWARD ways we can go about with reconciliation as a government without spending lots of money.