The Editor,
Yesterday, Liberia and Liberians witnessed the most appalling political maneuver in contemporary Liberian political history – Mr Alexander Cummings official alignment with the Unity Party. The significance of this political folly cannot be overstated.
A cursory observer of contemporary Liberian politics will note the damming – literally CRIMINAL – exploits of the Unity Party. In fact, under their administration (2006-2017) Liberia gained the unimaginable notoriety of being the “most corrupt nation” in the world ! MANY of their current principal actors of the Unity Party misapplied, squandered and literally STOLE billions of dollars from the Liberian state coffers – sadly, today they are the very ones claiming to be anti-corruption saints – confidently ensconced in Mr Cummings bosom !
For Mr Cummings, his political future cannot get any “BLEAKER”. He initially branded himself as the consummate “business man”, a manager and leader. Our expectations of someone who claimed to have risen to the pinnacle of corporate America on merits were unparalleled and unprecedented “ethics and INTEGRITY”. Those qualities should have formed the bedrocks of his guiding principles.
We acknowledge that Coca-Cola – for whom Mr Cummings worked – have been cited for UNETHICAL business practices on several occasions- in various countries around the world – but after every citation, the company initiated internal investigations meant to hold violators accountable. Based on the foreknowledge of his former company’s operations, ethics and our shared value of morality – we are not only shocked but saddened and disappointed that Mr Cummings would ALIGN himself – his credibility – with TAINTED political actors.
Is Mr Cummings that desperate for political power ? Is this merger yet another case of an overriding personal ambition clouding reasonable judgment ? We will leave those questions for Mr Cummings and his supporters to answer. With this merger – literally the initiation of an UNHOLY alliance – We can reasonably conclude that – Mr Cummings has LOST his legitimacy and moral high-ground to speak against corruption in Liberia and anywhere else in the world !
We will conclude with the common idiom; “show me your FRIENDS and I will tell you who you are” ! Mr Cummings have shown us who his NEW FRIENDS are, it is now the responsibility of the Liberian electorates to REMIND him of who he is !
Benjamin Kofa Fyneah
[email protected]