Monrovia – Liberia’s Vice President Jeremiah Kpan Koung, speaking at the 64th National Unification Day official program, stated that despite keeping Liberia alive for many years since its independence, past leaders failed to unite the people of Liberia.
The Vice President made this statement while delivering the Unification Day message on behalf of President Joseph Boakai at the Centennial Pavilion, where the official National Unification Day program was held.
“The generations before us did their utmost best to keep our country alive but certainly fell short of the responsibility to keep our people united,” Vice President Koung said.
According to him, the current government now bears the responsibility of uniting the people after facing numerous challenges, ranging from the struggle for national independence to the integration of indigenous Liberians into society, the establishment of multi-party democracy, and the civil war that tore the fabric of the nation.
“It is now our task to champion the cause for a united people and maintain our growing peaceful coexistence,” the Liberian Vice President added.
He continued, “Throughout these years, and despite the multitude of challenges, you, the Liberian people, have continued to demonstrate your resilience in the quest for National Unity. Today, we have come not only to celebrate the 64th Anniversary of National Unification and Integration but also to salute our people for keeping our Nation peaceful irrespective of our political, ethnic, and religious differences.”
VP Koung also emphasized that the bonds tying Liberians together as a people are much stronger than the elements seeking to divide them.
He noted that although Liberia’s history includes a long-standing divide between “Americo-Liberians” and “Indigenous Liberians,” which contributed to a fourteen-year civil war, the Unity Party government has a responsibility to change these negative narratives.
“Today, Liberia enjoys a representative democracy in which the voices of all Liberians are heard through the ballot process. It is with a sense of pride that I can report today that Liberians live in a society where exclusions and deprivation of basic individual rights based on ethnicity are a thing of the past. There are no ‘Americo-Liberians’ or ‘Indigenous Liberians’; we are one people with one common patrimony striving to achieve a shared destiny—a better Liberia for our children to inherit,” he said.
Vice President Koung also applauded all stakeholders who continue to make immense sacrifices to keep Liberia peaceful and stable, adding that Liberia is gradually emerging as a post-conflict success story.
“We continue to make significant progress in unifying our people at all levels of society. Yes, we have more work to do, but as we take stock of what we have achieved thus far, we must remain aware of the past mistakes which plunged us into our darkest times,” he said.
This year’s National Unification and Integration Day theme is “Healing the Past, Uniting the Present, and Embracing the Future through Arts and Culture.” According to VP Koung, the theme presents a clear pathway to enable Liberians to achieve National Unity.
He continued, “Across the 15 counties of Liberia, there are similarities in the culture and arts of our people which uphold a sense of a shared African identity and which could be employed to foster unity. The Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism, along with our Cultural Ambassador, must be more intentional in designing and executing programs that promote our sense of shared Liberian cultural identity.”
VP Koung added, “Despite the challenges of the past, our shared Liberian cultural identity demands respect for our elders and traditions, compassion for the needy, especially strangers, and an endearing connection to Mama Liberia. We have a sacred duty to amplify these values to the next generation of Liberians to ensure that the mistakes of the past which divided our beloved Nation are never repeated.”