When Mr. Cummings made his premier radio appearance after assuming the chairmanship of the Collaborating Political Parties, a conglomerate of the big four opposition political parties in the country, it was intended to set a new pace for the opposition; provide a fresh sense of direction for the ever increasing struggle for a more accountable and transparent government; renew the hopes of suffering Liberians through a politics of change, etc. This task Mr. Cummings eloquently deliberated with precision and political maturity – again showing his dexterity in delivering on his and the Liberian opposition’s view of governance – the nation was reawakened to the reality that it would never be business as usual.
By Mulbah Kesselly, Contributing Writer
The Alternative National Congress’s Political Leader while providing his personal and institutional perspectives on prevailing national concerns did not hesitate to call a spade-a-spade; he did not just speak as the leading opposition political figure in Liberia, he spoke as a father of the state, taking into consideration the views of the opposition community, but also considering members of the ruling party who have lost faith in the roguish regime led by the footballing president; a man in whose hands they so ignorantly placed their hopes for a nation that will respect their rights to better and improved standards of living. While doing this he obviously pulled strings on both sides, projecting Liberia beyond our individual aspirations and challenges and summing our collective dreams for a better nation. Mr. Cummings placed ‘Liberia First’.
Hours after leaving the radio, a spiteful and frontal vilification of his radio appearance was made by Isaac Jackson, the edema puppeteer whose history is so prestinely marked by crook and hudwink of the highest bidder. Jackson terribly failed while attempting to question Mr. Cummings use of practical ways government can work to allay the suffering of Liberian citizens in a crumbling economy, He writes among others: “When it was announced that the Current Chairman of the CPP, Mr. Alex Cummings, would be hosted on a popular Talk Show amid the Recast Budget Fiasco, the overwhelming expectation was that the country would have been treated to a time of soul-searching and thoughtful deliberations.”
In this supra stated lamentation, Jackson sadly equates a national political discourse to a preaching ceremony where the preacher is expected to preach until manna falls from heaven to feed hungry people who are bearing the consequences of a careless and irresponsible government. In Jackson’s ‘diplomatic solitary confinement’ he sat before his device wishing to be “treated to a time of soul-searching”. As in a religious ceremony that would point out the devil in his belly to a degree that he would crumble and decry his evil deeds. But Jackson must be quickly reminded that the nation does not need empty and ineffective rhetorics for citizens to realize that they are hungry in New Kru Town, Point Four, West Point, etc. Our people in Nimba, Sinoe, Grand Kru, Maryland and the remaining political subdivisions of our homeland do not need soul-searching to realize that while they’re dying from starvation Mr. Weah is living extravagantly and acquiring questionable wealth. There is no need for soul-searching among ordinary citizens who are simply the victims of the bad decisions that are being made by a careless president, with a rubber-stamped legislature giving him full support. It’s the likes of Jackson and others who used their positions in government to line their pockets and sweet-talk their way around different government entities that need urgent soul-searching. They that are bedeviled by greed, insincerity, corruption and recklessness in public offices are the ones that need soul-searching.
Mr. Cummings succinctly discussed the economy and exposed President Weah and his clique’s poor handling of the leadership of the nation. But Jackson so audaciously writes again “Frustratingly, instead of Cummings focusing attention on the critical question at issue which is the demise of transparency in government, he went on to defend Dillon’s disrespectful comments against his Senate colleagues; even at that, Cummings’ performance was dismally pathetic. He appealed to emotions than to reason, and revealed himself to have been either not so informed, or not so ready for Liberian politics!” Here again Isaac Jackson is blinded to the fact that Alex Cummings has questioned this regime and continuously beaten the back of George Weah to be transparent, accountable and responsible in the execution of duties assigned to the office he occupies. Jackson failed to realize, or in his overzealous desire to appear to be striking serious points about the current state of political affairs in Liberia, that he is a victim of the imperial presidency Mr. Cummings is fighting ceaselessly.
Jackson speaks about the CPP Chairman appealing to “emotions than reason”. But for Jackson no reasoning is a reason until someone starts an all-out war for him to get his diplomatic passport, or destabilize the country for the benefit of few people. Jackson must be reminded that this opposition is one that recognizes the unseriousness of the footballing president, but respects the constitutional decision made by the majority of voters during the conduct of the 2017 elections. The only opportunity Alex Cummings will make full use of is one that would democratically unseat the George Weah government.