Mr. President,
We bring you greetings in the spirit of reconciliation which we fostered during the March 7th National Retreat held in Monrovia and respectfully request your fullest attention in this matter of national importance.
Thanks immensely for listening to the collective voice of the people by withdrawing the nomination of Cllr A. Ndubusi Nwabudike as Chairman-designate of the National Election Commission of Liberia. This is a hallmark of a good leader. You did so from a position of strength not as a sign of weakness as your detractors would insinuate otherwise.
Mr. President, we humbly submit this letter at this critical juncture of your administration and the government which we have labored so much with the fibre of our being — amidst blood sweat and tears — to bring to power. As officers and members of the ruling party (your party) we are asking you for your kind consideration for the appointment of Chairman Emeritus Isaac Vah Tukpah to the position of Chairman of the National Election Commission of the Republic of Liberia or Chairman of the Good Governance Commission or any other senior level position thereof in government. We the members of the Mighty Congress for Democratic Change and by extension, the Mighty Coalition for Democratic Change and many patriotic and neutral Liberians are wondering why up to this time of your administration, which is in its third consecutive year of sitting, has not considered Mr. Tukpah, a very qualified Liberian to serve. It behooves us to note that there is something inherently queer about this picture. We do not want to and cannot question your wisdom or judgement regarding this matter as it is your constitutional right and presidential prerogative to appoint any Liberian to a position of trust to serve his or her people.
Howbeit, we think it is now time that you PLEASE give some consideration to Mr. Tukpah. We strongly believe that if given the opportunity to serve in this government, we can guarantee you that Mr. Tukpah will serve his country with distinction as he always does, no question about that. We, including many members of the Liberian public and opposition can vouch for Mr. Tukpah that he is a man of sound moral character, a man of great honor, credibility, integrity and professionalism. He is an independent thinker who will give you 110% of result when you ask for 100%. His demonstrable penchant to strive for perfection and excellence will, by all accounts, help to boost your government’s performance and capacity levels.
Your record as a peace-loving man has been unequivocally demonstrated time and time again, thus signaling to all that the only way for the country to move forward and for you to govern effectively, there must always be an atmosphere of peace and tranquility pervading the country. In spite of all the insults and provocations thrown at you by some elements of the opposition, your government can openly boast of having no political prisoner, a rare phenomenon that a very few countries in Africa can point to. Therefore, we and all peace loving Liberians must applaud you for that.
Therefore, Mr. President, if indeed you could forgive some of your fiercest and most vociferous critics and political opponents who called you nasty, unwanted names and went as far as saying that you were not fit/qualified to be president – some of whom we fought intellectual battles with – but today they are serving in your government, then Mr. President, you should also forgive your brothers within your own party who you may have issues with but have been and continue to be your staunchest supporters all along.
Consequently, Mr., President, we herewith appeal to you in a more profound way to find the softest spot in your heart in the name of the Almighty God to forgive Mr. Tukpah who MIGHT HAVE knowingly or unknowingly offended you in the past during the struggle years for which you do not want to appoint him in government. Mr. Tukpah has been in the trenches with you all along leading up to your ascendancy to the nation’s highest office. To put it metaphorically, Mr. President, please do not continue to allow this top striker to be on the bench or to be a spectator in his own football team. To err is human and forgive divine.
With sentiments of the highest esteem, we remain.
Sincerely yours,
Jerry Gbardy
CHAIRMAN
CDC-CANADA