Celebrations for the 2022/2023 Season are happening all over Liberia. This is confusing because people are suffering. But many people are saying that they thank God, as heard in the Kpelle language, Eseh emama Ngala; in the Bassa language, Ah po Glaypor nzuo and in the Verhee language, Baika Kamba. This thank God is to show gratitude to God for being alive. Although Liberianization of business is in the Liberian Law, foreignization is being practised, as we see Liberians selling on the streets and foreigners selling in the stores.
By Togba-Nah Tipoteh, [email protected], Contributing Writer
The foreigners continue to have access to at least LD300,000,000 a day and their partners in the National Legislature have access to at least LD150,000 a day while the poor Liberian sellers have access to at most less than LD300 a day (Annual Reports of CBL, LISGIS, MFDP, MCI, WB, IMF, ADB and UNDP). The expression of thank God in the midst of suffering indicates preference for life with no hope for change to a better life.
But some of the people are feeling hopeless and are tired of suffering. So, they have resorted to having protests. Sometimes these protests become violent, which, at times, take on the forms of coup d’etat and civil war. People are tired of suffering. Many people go to sleep without eating food for many days. Many people sleep in the streets and grave yards. The young people who are suffering are called zogoes while work that they can do are being given to foreigners by State managers who say that they have the zogoes at heart. What a mockery of Justice! As prevention is better than cure, we do not have to wait for any danger to come to Liberia. We must act now to prevent more danger to Liberia.
The Liberianization Law must be implemented! Foreigners should not be doing things that Liberians can do and be trained to do. Foreigners must stop selling in stores and Liberians must be placed into the stores. Liberians must not be made to stop selling while foreigners are allowed to sell. The Report of the Liberian Economy Group (LEG), made public four years ago, presents solutions that are doable. Up to now, state managers are complaining about the lack of money when the LEG Report and even The Seven Sisters of West Point are saying that the problem in Liberia is not the money but the management problem.
But how do we get the management problem to be solved? The management problem will be solved when the people who love Liberia continue to work harder and better together, through the Rule of Law, to transform the UNFAIR electoral system into the FAIR electoral system. This transformation or change is the only way that the prevailing hopelessness can become hopefulness for persons with good records can get elected to install the system of Justice, the indispensable ingredient for Peace and Progress in Liberia and in any other Country.