When Liberia and Africa’s first female President took the podium under a cloudy weather to take the oath of office to steer the affairs of the Liberian government for her first term, her speech was well loaded with promises.
The event took place in the presence of high profile local and international dignitaries. Smartly dressed in an elegant fashion, Madam Sirleaf spoke with such excitement as if she was celebrating a birthday party. Anyway, anybody could have spoken in such mood given a first opportunity unfolding in front of you.
Her inaugural ceremony was certainly under local and international spotlight with the huge convergence of local and international media to let the world know what was happening in Liberia. Indeed it was a great day in Liberia.
So when Madam President finally took the oath of office of the Liberian Presidency and started speaking, everybody was so attentive that the sound of a fallen needle could be loudly heard.
There were obvious predictions about what she would have said given that it was her first presidential experience; her first time coming to speak as a leader for a country; her first time as a female President in Africa.
But one thing that was clear was that she would have definitely made promises given her past experiences in government and looking back at her political campaign trail that took her and her Unity Party partisans to the nooks and corners of Liberia blowing her trumpet loudly, claiming to be the best among the rest.
As usual, she was grateful in her opening remarks to the Liberian people who reposed their trust and confidence in her to steer the affairs of the Liberian State; and to the international community that supported the entire electoral process.
Ten years ago on January 16, 2016 on Capitol Hill in Monrovia, this was part of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s opening remarks when she was given the Mantle of Authority.
“We express to you, our people, our deep sense of appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity to serve you and our common Republic. We pledge to live up to your expectations of creating a government that is attentive and responsive to your needs, concerns, and the development and progress of our country.
We know that your vote was a vote for change; a vote for peace, security and stability; a vote for individual and national prosperity; a vote for healing and leadership. We have heard you loudly, and we humbly accept your vote of confidence and your mandate.
This occasion held under the cloudy skies, marks a celebration of change and a dedication to an agenda for a socio-economic and political reordering; indeed, a national renewal.
Today, we wholeheartedly embrace this change. We recognize that this change is not change for change sake, but a fundamental break with the past, thereby requiring that we take bold and decisive steps to address the problems that for decades have stunted our progress, undermined national unity, and kept old and new cleavages in ferment.
As we embrace this new commitment to change, it is befitting that, for the first time, the inauguration is being held on the Capitol Grounds, one of the three seats of Government. We pledge anew our commitment to transparency, open government, and participatory democracy for all of our citizens.”
With the prevailing situation in Liberia surrounding corruption and other issues of governance, we thought it was just expedient to dig a little into presidential history, we mean Liberian presidential history; particularly about Liberia’s and Africa’s first female President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. Looking at what she said ten years ago when she accepted the mantle of authority for Liberia and its people and comparing it to what is obtaining now.
Since we are writing about presidential history, especially first time presidents, we also recount on April 30, 1789, when America’s first President was sworn in. George Washington was sworn in as the first American president at Federal Hall in New York City in front of 10,000 spectators.
Comparatively, the two events, though they may be far apart in terms of years and number of spectators or audience, experienced similar weather condition. The two first time Presidents had their respective vice presidents standing near them.
Joseph Boakai near Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and John Adams near George Washington. The two first time Presidents were so impressive, and solemn in their inaugural speeches in front of their huge respective audiences. The common difference between the two is only on gender issue; one was a male (deceased) and the other a female…still alive, but aging.
Moving on now to the focus of our effort, we want to concentrate on the local scene; our country Liberia with a population of just less than four million and presided over by its first female president for a little over a decade.
In today’s edition we want to recount some of the promises Madam President made, especially regarding transparency, open government, and participatory democracy for the people of Liberia.
From all indications, we want to state that President Sirleaf has made some strides in her presidency as a first comer in her first term. The first few years were full of vibrancy with the “IRONESS” of her “Iron Lady” Presidency moving with such majesty.
All this happened with great support from the Liberian people and the international community. We are convinced that she had no choice but to ensure that Liberia was moved from one stage to another given the international spotlight on the country.
Especially taking over from past administrations like the Charles Taylor’s that was not a “darling” of the west; whose administration crumbled in the early two thousand when he was “reportedly coerced”, handing over power to his late vice President Moses Blah and promising: “God’s willing, I will be back”.
Liberians are yet to experience that triumphant coming back let alone compare it to the Biblical Palm Sunday triumphant and jubilant march into Jerusalem by Jesus Christ.
So Madam Sirleaf could not afford to let this golden opportunity pass her by when she has been among those describing Liberia as a pariah state and past regimes for their ineptitude. She had to do everything to transform the country into a governable one under her stewardship.
One thing Liberians can give her credit for is the free atmosphere of speech; almost every ‘tom’ ‘dick’ and ‘harry’ can say anything so freely in Liberia these days unlike the past. Even though there have been instances of arrests and intimidations, but the scale of action against violators has been minimal.
She has operated an open government with a barrage of criticisms and in some instances “loose talks” from both opposition and ruling party members.
When it comes to the issues of transparency and participatory democracy, we become a little or almost jittery about how Madam Sirleaf has operated.
Not very sure if she has performed well in these areas; out of a scale of ten, she could get like four to five. For example, the point of assets declaration, how far did she press this? How many of her government officials really participated in it? Did she even lead by example?
How much do we know our President worth? Has she ever bothered to clarify reports that she has a hospital in South Africa and a mansion in China?
But since her presidency, people have allegedly become millionaires overnight at the great expense of Liberian taxpayers; with many siphoning hundreds and thousands of United States dollars to either pay mortgages or cater to families abroad.
All these have happened right under our President’s “Nose”. Or was she giving a blind eye as ‘pay-backs’ for those who are said to have financially contributed to her presidency one way or the other?
An example of how Madam Sirleaf has had a great struggle dealing with transparency would be an early August 2009 bribery case involving Aloysius Jappah, former Deputy Minister, at the Ministry of State for Presidential Affairs, former Liberia Petroleum Refining Company Managing Director, Harry Greaves (deceased) and Morris Saytumah, former Minister of State for Economy, Finance and Legal Affairs now Senator of Bomi County.
The case at the time surrounded the Liberian Petroleum Refining Company (LPRC) signing a $24. 8 million contract with Zakhem a British Company. At the time, the contract’s nature prompted a review because of suspicions of impropriety. President Sirleaf set up a special panel to conduct an investigation.
Findings of the investigative panel were completed and pointed to some policy violations. That year, the presidential axe fell on Aloysius Jappah who allegedly elicited bribe from the late former LPRC Managing Director Harry Greaves to slope the results of the investigations in deceased’s favor.
According to reports President Sirleaf dismissed Jappah expressing lack of confidence in him and ordered the Special Security Service (SSS) now Executive Protection Service EPS to escort him from the grounds of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs where Madam Sirleaf has operated the Presidency for many years now.
Quite uncertain whether she will ever move back to the official seat of the Liberian Presidency, the Executive Mansion before she ends her last term that nobody thought she would have ever thought of mentioning. Many Liberians thought she would have been the female Nelson Mandela who promised one term and lived up to his promise. Peace onto his Ashes.
Several audits by the General Auditing Commission have been reportedly shelved awaiting the Justice Ministry’s investigations or actions from the Legislature. These have extended to GAC audits at NASSCORP, Education, Lands and Mines, Health and Public Works ministries – where it is believed that misappropriations in hundreds of thousands US dollars have taken place.
All these have happened under President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s administration. Where is the transparency madam president? Not to even to mention the National Oil Company’s saga where your ‘darling’ boy Robert Sirleaf served and provided so-called pro bono services. It is almost like a no-go area or a taboo for you until you leave the presidency.
What about participatory democracy under our well respected Leader? Has this worked in the true sense of our Liberian world? We saw how Liberians in the Diaspora trooped back home to get their “reward” for their involvement whether through efforts or financial contribution to Ellen Johnson Sirleaf’s election as President of Liberia.
She has always come in defense to say they are qualified Liberians who should have the opportunity to serve their country and people.
When President Sirleaf could not almost stand the weight of the barrage of criticisms for the style of her presidency, she employed a tactic – blending the “locals” with the “Diasporas”.
Her tactic eventually equated to what many have referred to as a recycling government…moving her cabinet ministers from one ministry to another or putting some deputies or director-generals on her presidential “bench” and either reappointing them or parting with them.
The present Information Minister Mr. Eugene Nagbe has moved from the Transport Ministry, to the Youth and Sports Ministry and now to the Information Ministry.
Tornola Varpilah came from Youth and Sports to Transport. He is considered one of President Sirleaf’s chief Unity Party strategists.
Mr. Cole Bangalu from the Labor Minsitry, he was sent to the General Services Agency (GSA) as Deputy Director General for Administration, replacing the dismissed Galakpai Kortimai who previously served as Superintendent of Lofa County for many years.
He later defected to the Congress for Democratic Change after his dismissal. Presidential hopeful Augustine Ngafuan came from the Budget Bureau to become Finance Minister and later jumped to being the Manager and Custodian of Liberia’s foreign policy in consultation with the President of Liberia as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Mr. Neto Zarzar Lighe the present Labor Minister, previously worked very hard at the helm of the Unity Party before being gifted a post at the Labor Ministry as one of the deputies and was also later named Minister proper replacing Cllr. Juah Lawson who served the ministry shortly.
Mr. Amara Konneh the outgoing Finance Minister rose from being an IT Consultant at the Ministry of State to become Liberia’s Planning and Economic Minister in 2008. He was recycled in 2012 to become Finance and Development Minister taking over from Augustine Ngafuan who became Foreign Minister.
What about Rufus Neufville who came from being a Montserrado County Lawmaker, to one of the deputy ministers at the commerce ministry to assuming the post of Chief of Protocol at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and now another deputy ministerial post; this time at the Youth and Sports Ministry Deputy for the National Technical, Vocational Educational and Training (TVET) Program.
We could go on naming several of President Sirleaf’s recycled cabinet ministers, but we just want to point or remind her that she has struggled to live up to the promise she made ten years to the Liberian people.
Promise is a debt Madam President even though Mr. Rufus Neufville has hit at your critics that you are not a Jesus to change water into wine.
But the Liberian people reposed great confidence in you to have let them down in this form and fashion. As if you were afraid of people who criticized you to hurriedly appoint them in government the likes of Rufus Neufville and Lewis Brown who accused you publicly of desecrating the Liberian Presidency and also describing the Information Ministry as a sleeping giant but failed to wake the ministry from its slumber until his departure to the United Nations.
Madam President, we seriously doubt whether you can rescue yourself in your finishing presidency on the solemn promises you made ten years ago. It is almost clear now that posterity has recorded you as one of those who failed to fulfill your promises a president.
This failure may rob on the Sirleafs including your ‘darling’ Robert Sirleaf affectionately referred to you as Rob. We humbly plead with you to say a very fervent prayer for posterity to have a ‘change of mind’ in letting its axe on you.
Ray Funk, Contributing Writer
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