Orea Wright, [email protected], Contributing Writer
This piece of writing is subjective based on my experience, observations, and interactions with Nimbains. Regrettably, most Liberians view Nimbains as trouble makers, violent people, warriors, bad people, etc. I write today to inform you that there are many good things about Nimbains that the nation can borrow from and become successful amongst nations of our global village.
As I attempt to change the perception and misconception of most Liberians towards Nimbains, the goal of this paper is to help shift the mental paradigm of those Liberians who view Nimbains as evil, rather to contributors towards unity and economic development of Liberia.
I value and respect people, without regard to their origin. I will one day address the misconception that being a Congo is either sinful or criminal. For the purpose of this paper, it is important to focus on the topic introduce above.
Back to the reason for writing this paper. 1. What do Nimbains bring to the table? 2. How can the nation, Liberia, benefit from Nimbains fine examples? and 3. Are Nimbains really violent and evil people, as perceive by many Liberians?
- What do Nimbains bring to the table?
One of the key things they bring to the table is Unity and the other is economic prosperity. Base on my experiences and observations, Nimbains are the most united group of people in Liberia. They may sometimes seem that they are not united amongst themselves, but when an outsider touches one of their sons or daughters, it is then you will test their resolve and they will show that they are a united group of people. Additionally, they have a unique way of settling their differences and demonstrate to the rest of the nation that they remain perpetually united. With all due respect, if they were not united, they would not have voted a senator twice, because as another group of people view him as “bad”, Nimbians view him as their “savior”. He has become their untouchable. This is a unique example of a show of unity, in spite of few with different views or opinions.
How would you feel if you begin to think that you are hated by an individual or a group of people? I believe your normal reaction would be to hate back with a vengeance. When you talk to Nimbaians, most of them feel that the rest of Liberia doesn’t regard them as respectable and good people. With this notion, the only comfort is to deal with themselves in unity.
Another area is the Nimbians business prowess, as demonstrated in Liberia’s economic development hub: Ganta City. As a Liberian, I am very proud to see Nimbians in control of viable businesses in Nimba, in general with Ganta, in particular. There you see real successful entrepreneurship on display, as they are competing and controlling the direction for economic growth and development in Nimba and Liberia.
- How can the Nation benefit from Nimbains example?
As a nation and people we are divided on many fronts. If we want genuine peace and reconciliation, Nimba County has to take the lead. We need to learn from them what makes them as successful and united. As hard as this may sound and maybe unrealistic to some people, we must first come to terms with unconditionally forgiving those Nimbains who are viewed as the cause for most of the nation’s psychological and emotional pains. Let us not forget that they were once provoked and felt very vulnerable and isolated. As a result, they had to depend on each other to defend themselves. Now that it is over, we need to allow them to lead the charge for reconciliation and forgiveness. They could teach us the secret to unity. Until we as a nation allow them to take leadership role in the reconciliation process, we as Liberians will achieve nothing and will remain divided as a people.
The rest of Liberia needs to learn from Nimbains business successes. If you were to catalog the number of successful business individuals and entities, I think Nimbains would top the list, home and abroad. So, we need to again let them take the charge of helping the rest of the nation become economically successful, which in turn would drive economic growth and development.
- Are Nimbians really violent people?
Based on my experience and observation dealing with Nimbaians, I have found them to be one of the best people to call friends. They do not deceive you in thinking that they are your friends, when in fact they are not. What you see of them is what you get from them. As in any human being, if you respect him/her, such will be reciprocated, but if you treat them with disdain, you will be disregarded in the strongest possible terms. How would you feel if you begin to think that you are hated by an individual or a group of people? I believe your normal reaction would be to hate back with a vengeance. When you talk to Nimbaians, most of them feel that the rest of Liberia doesn’t regard them as respectable and good people. With this notion, the only comfort is to deal with themselves in unity.
Most of my best friends are Nimbains, whom I respect and admire unconditionally. All they have shown me is kindness, love, and respect. The business and progress attitude of Nimbains remind me of the Nigerians who are productive, united, and successful. We need to truly embrace Nimbains with love, respect, and openness, then Liberia, as a nation will be a successful and peaceful place to live and do business on the continent.
One example that Nimbains demonstrated and proved that they are peaceful people, to the surprise of many Liberians, the way in which the Nimbains behaved and conducted themselves in the just ended mismanaged county Meet by peacefully walking away without violence or confusion. This demonstration on their part showed class and evident that they are peaceful people.
In conclusion, let us unit and be economically successful by allowing Nimbains to lead the charge of sustained unity and economic growth and prosperity in Liberia. This is a clarion call to all Liberians, home and abroad we need to see and appreciate the good in people.
The writer of this paper is Orea Wright, a humanitarian, missionary, and an educator who believes that every human being has some good attributes that need to be identified and utilized. I can be reached at [email protected]